Tokyo! (Part 3)

I've told you all about the amazing training I did while visiting Tokyo and now it's time to tell you all about the wonderful sites I saw. This post will mostly a lot of pictures, hope you enjoy!

I had been in Tokyo for a day or two before I finally had the time to go explore and see some sites, not that I wasn't exploring every time I took the transit to a Jiu-Jitsu class.  I decided the first thing I'd do was go visit the anime center of Akihabara, I'm a fan of anime and here I am in the world's capitol of anime, so it only made sense.

Once I got out of the station the first thing I saw was Kanda river, which pretty much runs through Tokyo, it's cool seeing a river run through all the tall buildings.

Kanda River at Akihabara Station

I got to the anime district and I see a giant TV playing an anime cartoon. Of course there would be a giant TV playing anime. Around the square that the TV was playing in there was also a maid café, I'll explain it later, and the Gundam Café. Gundam, if you didn't know, is a wildly popular anime that has had several movies and TV series.

The Gundam Café

The TV playing anime in the square, but I think I took the picture during commercial.
 

    I found an actual Anime Center online that holds showcases of different anime so I decided to check it out. I was in luck, they were showing off some cool artwork from Kill La Kill, a wonderful anime about a girl with scissor swords.

A script to one of the episodes, with frame by frame illustrations.

Completed frames to an episode.

Characters of the show.  

A reproduction of the swords from the show, I kind of want to add these to my collection.

Next I wondered around, checked out some of stores like this awesome anime store, Animate, which is 7 or 8 floors of everything anime, I may have spent a lot of money there.

Animate, the entire staircase, and most the store, is covered in posters.

And every floor is stacked with manga and anime merchandise.

After that I grabbed a bite to eat at one of the many maid cafés around. The staff dresses as maids, do a song and dance for a the customers every so often, and all the food and drink is arranged into cute animals. I had a hamburger steak that was drawn up to look like a teddy bear. You also get a picture with them to remember the fun time.

The maid café from the outside, no pictures were allowed inside.

 

My picture with the 'maid' that served me.

The next time I got out to go explore I went to the Harajuku district where all the cool fashions come from, and where you're more likely to see people dressed up in the crazy Lolita style. I walked around and checked a bunch of stores out, even bought a few shirts for myself and friends. I saw some pretty crazy outfits people were wearing but it was a bit too busy for me to take a picture and they vanished into the crowds in the stores before I could ask to take a picture with them.

The start of Harajuku

 

A 'My Little Pony' café, because why not?!

 

The main strip by Harajuku station

The street got pretty busy and there's tons of shops, I probably missed half of them.

After all the shopping the next time I got to explore I made my way over to the Imperial Palace and the gardens. There's so much history there, and with the sheer size of the place I feel like I could spend a few more days wondering through there before I see everything. In fact there are a few places among the gardens I would love to go back and spend the afternoon resting in, reading a book or writing notes down while taking the view in and people watching. One day I'll make it back and do exactly that.

Entrance gate to the Imperial Gardens.

Donjon Base, an impressive piece of stonework and a great view point from the top.

The view of the grounds from the Base, there's a lot more you can see than what this picture shows.

 

The layout of the grounds of the Edo Palace, before it was all burnt down. 

 

In the gift shop, a small scale reproduction of the Edo Palace.

 

Mt. Fug View Keep one of only three of the original keeps that surrounded the grounds as both storage and defensive view points.

 

The Cellar. Apparently there are all sorts of stories of this cellar having tunnels to secret caves full of gold or secret pathways out of the grounds.

The Base again from a different view

Probably one of the more coolest places I've stood at, the Corridor. This is the very place where the infamous ambush that spurred the event, and subsequent legend, of the 47 Ronin.

One place I quickly dropped by to see was the Shibuya Scramble, said to be one of the most busiest intersections in the world for pedestrian traffic. Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift famously drifted through the intersection as seen in this clip of the movie Here I recorded myself walking through it but it must've been a slow time as there were barely a thousand people there at the time. The place really picked up as I walked around the area and by the time I headed back to the train station it was almost shoulder to shoulder traffic. 



I have a video but it wouldn't load and it's all sideways and upside down so you'll have to settle with a picture of the Shibuya Scramble instead.

I also checked out the shopping district of Ginza. Was great seeing all the different high class stores. Just about everything you could want is on that street, but you have to pay a few pennies for it, nothing is cheap in Ginza. I wish some pictures of some of the stores I went into, like the really cool Japanese steel store with all the knives or one of the stationary places. There's also a Police museum on that street, that I did get a few pictures of.

The old school motorbike they have outside the museum.

 

All the different uniforms through the ages. Having a background in fashion and fan of uniform construction I really liked this display.

Cool old guns and swords.

Old school riot gear, pretty badass.

My last night in Tokyo I decided to walk around and see the night life. While I hear great things abut Roppongi I also hear it's a better not to go alone and since I was alone and don't drink, I stayed away. There is a legendary bar I did have to check out though, The Godz Metal Bar where every heavy metal band that's played Tokyo has been to. The bar is in Kabuki-Cho, another bar district and shopping district but better known for being the red light district. All the signs and lights downtown were pretty impressive, and the crowd only grew as the night went on.

Kabuki-Cho, the red light district that everyone loves to walk through and admire the lights.. 

A random street with I took a picture of just because.

 

I think this street corner was on the way to either Shinjuku station or Shinjukusanchome station. 11 pm and it was getting busy. 

Godz Metal Bar, the only sign to find it. Of course it's in the basement. Probably would never have found it if I didn't look it up online and save the address first. 

 

Inside Godz, each of those squares is signed by a band that played Tokyo and partied there afterward, the bar is covered all with them.

Of course there's a robot restaurant in Tokyo, why wouldn't there be?! I never got to check it out but all the pictures online looks like a great time.

The last day in  town I had a bit of time to finish some last minute shopping and wonder by the Imperial Palace again. This time I got pictures of the actual Palace.

 

And that's my trip to Tokyo, there's so much there to do and see that I never got a chance at that I could easily go back and spend another week and till not see it all. I know this was very picture heavy, but I warned you. I have a bunch of pictures that didn't make this post but I think these are the best, I hope you enjoyed them!