25th August 2004

Actually I had intended to sleep for only an hour yesterday evening, I just wanted to rest a bit before, as I had said, checking out the nightlife. I had set the alarm clock to quarter past nine but it seems that all the walking around in Tokyo had worn me out plenty and so I didn’t wake up at quarter past nine in the evening but at half past three at night. I must have switched off the alarm clock somehow while still being half asleep^^. Oh, never mind! There are still plenty of other chances to enjoy some Tokyo nightlife…
This morning I got on a Marunouchi line train from Ootemachi station to Shinjuku where I got off the train and somehow managed to squeeze myself through the crowds towards the station exit.

Hurry, hurry, for the early bird chatches the worm…

Somehow I felt a bit strange at that time of the day as a tourist: While everyone else is running, rushing and scurrying I was stranded in the midst of that rush as a beholder, a mere bystander who can afford to take all the time in the world to stop here and there to look at a building or to take a photo of something. Is it only me who’s feeling that? It is like an inbred lump of guilty conscience inside me, asking me “What are you doing here, why aren’t you at work?” I gues, I’m just one of those people who can’t relax even on a holiday. At other times of the day there you see people in a hurry too, of course, but the morning hours are extreme.
Somehow I still managed to ignore the voices in my head and enjoying myself, taking my time to take photos and to film to my heart’s content. When you come out of Shinjuku station you soon come to a quite bustling junction where you can virtually feel the pulsating energy of busy Japanese sarariman.

A really busy junction in Shinjuku, a really busy area…

Along the sidewalks shop employees are standing around, greeting customers and giving away free tissues (very useful on muggy days like that). Traffic is rather dense and the air is filled with the monotonous humming of engines and the smells of exhaust and gasoline. And shops, shops, shops, as far as you can see.

Karaoke – the famous Japanese entertainment
that can be found everywhere

Taking a few detours I walked towards the Tochou (the Tokyo Government Office building), which is a lofty 250m tall and is most impressive when you’re standing right in front of it. Once again I made extensive use of my digital camera… When you enter that skyscraper, you don’t enter the ground floor (ikkai) but the first floor (nikai), which means, that in order to reach the elevators that take you up to the observation platforms, which are free of charge, you first have to take some escalators down. In front of the elevators some security guys are controlling visitors’ bags (but they only open them for a quick look and don’t start ransacking it), and then you are invited into the elevator by the elevator girl’s friendly ‘irasshaimase’.

Tochou – the Tokyo Government Office building –
also a much demanded photo motif in Tokyo

Then the elevator whisks you up to the 45^th floor. One particularity in Japan is that they count floors the American way – the ground floor is called first floor, the first floor second floor and so on. According to that, yonjuugokai, meaning 45^th floor would actually be the 44^th floor for me. Somewhat confusing. Anyway, up there you enter a comfortable lobby with agreeable background music and carpeted floors. The tower I was in, was the south tower, implying that there’s also a north tower. Right, the Tochou has got two towers after all.

Tokyo’s huge parks – here the Yoyogi-park seen from the Tochou’s south tower

As you’d expect from an observation platform the room was all windows and I enjoyed a stunning view on the city even though the weather wasn’t very nice. At least I could see as far as the Rainbow-Bridge in the southern parts of Tokyo. Afterwards I went to the Shinjuku-Chuuou-Kouen, a comparatively small park which is yet quite nice. Still I was surprised that obviously homeless people were living there in tents. In such a ‘Mr.Clean-country’ as Japan I just didn’t expect it. I also wasn’t quite sure of it but you could see quite many tents under the trees and on many banks, covered by blue plastic sheets, there was stuff piled up that looked like the personal belongings of the people who lived there. Or is it just my imagination that’s too vivid? Dunno.

Tents in the shinjuku-chuuou-kouen

After having seen enough of this park I ambled to the next underground station, Tochou-Mae, and went, maybe taking a little detour, to Shinjuku-Gyoen-Mae station. From the station it was a 300 metres walk until I then stood in front of the Shinjuku-Mon, one of the entrances to Sinjuku Park. There I saw barriers, similar to those at subway entrances and exits and beside them a row of ticket machines: 200 yen you have to pay for a one-time entrance. But as soon as you are inside you realize that it was worth every yen. It is really beautiful and well-cared-for, a quiet and peaceful garden. And somehow, in the shade of the trees and feeling a slight breeze, it was pleasantly cool.

Shinjuku Park

On my way I also saw two little Japanese teahouses. Then I crossed a really elaborately laid out pond (with some Koi – Japanese carp – swimming in it) on a wooden bridge and went on to the chrysanthemum fields. Then I settled down on a bench to leisurely think about what I still wanted to see today. I decided to go to the Gokokuji temple next so I left the park and took the underground to Gokokuji station. Isn’t it just convenient how you can reach almost every point in Tokyo per underground?

Furou-mon – Gate of eternal youth

Through the Nioumon, the main gate of Japanese temples guarded by two guardian figures, I slowly approached the temple and while surrounding it, I noticed how astonishingly empty this place was. When you hear of Tokyo you’d normally think of crowded areas but not here. The only person I could see around was was a middle-aged woman who was painting the landscape of the temple forecourt (and, boy, she was good at it!). Then I climbed the stairs to the temple entrance and took off my shoes. Unfortunately, as in many temples, photography was strictly forbidden inside but things like that make sightseeing a lot more interesting, I think. This way, there are still places you can’t find any photos of in travel guidebooks and so you can still discover them on your own. In order not to forget, I decided to describe how the inside looked as detailed as possible: When you enter the temple through the sliding door you are in the right part of the temple. On your right hand there is a counter where a monk, who sells the temple souvenirs, is sitting (among those things various omamori – protective charms). In the middle of the back part stands the main altar, on its left and right hand there are side altars (at least I think they’re side altars, who knows…). The floor is laid out with tatami and in the center a large carpet is spread out on which the believers sit in seiza – the formal way of sitting in Japan, where you kneel, resting your bum on your heels, knees together. I bought an omamori that drives away bad spirits and then I set off again, heading for the nearby St.Mary’s. cathedral. On the map it looked easy to find so I stored the map away and tried to make it with my hands free – big mistak. After the third turn I found myself in some narrow backstreets, hopelessly lost. Only after wandering around for approximately half an hour I decided to use my map again – and found the cathedral with ease.

St.Mary’s cathedral

At about half four, I stood in front of the cathedral and entered it. Unfortunately photography wasn’t allowed again and so I took loads of photos from outside. The inside consists of a large hall having everything that European cathedrals have: sacred water, confessionals, an altar, an organ… And now I am sitting here in front of the cathedral, typing away on my laptop.

St.Mary’s grotto

By the way, I just noticed that I haven’t eaten anything yet today. That’s typical, whenever I visit interesting places I forget to eat. Actually, that would be THE diet^^. But now I’ll go to get something yummy! So long!!