Same, Same, But Different!

We visited 4 distinct districts of Tokyo today with our new travel mates. We are two groups doing the identical itinerary so will get to know each other well. Our group of 13 is led by Neil and the other group of 15 is led by Chris. We walked and travelled by train to discover Shinjuku, Shinagawa, Shinboya and Shimo Kitazawa. Each had its own vibe ranging from traditional to young hipster to Bohemian with vintage clothing shops. We learned about the difference between Shintu shrines and Buddhist temples and that Buddhism is focused more on the after life and Shintu is focused more on the connection between people and all things in nature. We saw love hotels, bars and restaurants which are not considered “tawdry”. Shinboya comes alive after 7pm. Each district is packed with bars and tiny shops and restaurants and as well there are a lot of brand name stores such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Nike, etc. All the streets are clean and no one uses the car horn or speaks loudly in public or pushes on the trains or street corners. Today the Shakura trees were at their peak and we wandered through Yoyogi Park to get some great photos.Read more