Shinjuku, Shibuya and Meji Shrine

We set off early today, heading to Shinjuku station, the world's busiest railway station, a record set in 2018 when an average of 3.6 million passengers per day passed through the station. Although it is possible it was just 1.8 million people on their way to work in the morning and then coming home again in the evening. The station houses 53 platforms over 5 levels and has more than 200 exits. Navigating through it is easier than it sounds but I have got lost in it once. Not so this time though as on Day 2 Ben is already earning his keep as our guide and is almost as reliable as Google Maps. We headed straight to the Government Metropolitan Building and ascended to the 45th floor observation deck. At 243 meters, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building was the tallest building in Tokyo until 2007 and remains the 6th tallest in the city. Access to the observation deck is free and the panoramic views of Tokyo it offers are quite something, with the city spreading out almost as far as you can see in every direction. There was time for quick coffee before descending and continuing our walking tour.

Next stop was the Meiji Shrine, completed in 1921 and dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shōken. They must have liked the good life, as the shrine gardens include 2 long and high walls constructed of consecrated barrels of wine and saki, respectively. The barrels are now empty of alcohol but are full of spiritual significance. The shrine is in a large forested area in the heart of Tokyo, consisting of 120,000 trees of 365 different species, which were donated by people from all parts of Japan when the shrine was established (thank you Wikipedia). It was peaceful walking through the park in the shade of the trees which was in stark contrast to our next destination.

Takashita Street could so easily be renamed Bonkers Street. It is full of animal cafes where, for a modest price (about £15), you could sip a coffee in the company of various animal species. There were cat, dog, micro pig, hedgehog, otter and even parrot cafes. The street is also a fashion centre, and by fashion I don't mean clothes you could wear to the office or to church. Suffice to say that Lady Gaga likes to shop there. Clothing styles include gothic lolita (Victorian elegance), Kawaii (cute) and anime (cartoon), none of which I was tempted to purchase. After lunch in a Korean chicken fast food outlet, we continued our walk south into Shibuya.

Before we reached the famous Shibuya crossing, we came across the Tower Record store, in a bright yellow 10 story building. It would have been rude not to, so we dived in and made our way to the 6h floor. I don't think I have seen so many vinyl records in one place, so many that I was even able to find an early live album by Barclay James Harvest, one of my favourite bands from the 70s prog rock era.

Shibuya crossing is the world's busiest and most famous scramble crossing (a junction where traffic stops in all directions simultaneously). The crossing is strategically situated near Shibuya Station, one of Tokyo's main transit hubs, and is the gateway to a major commercial and cultural centre. Up to 3,000 people cross every time the lights change (every 2 minutes) and the daily total crossings can reach north of one million, Today we swelled those numbers by 3 (or 6 as we crossed twice). And if you are wondering why the world's busiest crossing isn't near the world's busiest railway station I would remind you that Shinjuku Station has over 200 exits.

One last piece of madness before I finish. While waiting at the crossing for the lights to change, Street Kart Shibuya zipped past - imagine Mario Kart played for real on the streets of Tokyo! Before Nintendo objected that's what it was called and the drivers could dress up as Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach or any of the other characters from the video game. It has now been renamed but the drivers are still wearing colourful onesies and it's still a bit bonkers.Read more