Day 19

Rainy Tokyo, Tiny Pigs and Takeshita Street ☔🐷🌃

Jet lag struck again today as I unfortunately woke up around 3am. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t fall back asleep, so the early hours of the morning were fairly uneventful while I waited for Ted to wake up so we could actually start the day together. Thankfully he wasn’t too far behind, and before long we were making plans for another Tokyo adventure.

We decided heading into Shibuya would be a good idea as it’s relatively close to where we’re staying and there is plenty happening there at all hours. The weather, however, was pretty miserable all day with constant rain. We really couldn’t complain too much though considering this was the first genuinely bad weather we’d experienced for the entire trip so far.

The Tokyo train system initially felt confusing and overwhelming, particularly with the language barrier and the sheer number of different lines and stations. By the end of the day though, things were already making a lot more sense. Japan also operates very differently to Australia in the mornings, as surprisingly little is actually open early for breakfast or coffee outside convenience stores. One thing I’ve found interesting here is how cafes, restaurants and little businesses are scattered throughout ordinary suburban streets instead of all being grouped into obvious commercial precincts, similar to Houston, Texas.

When we arrived in Shibuya, finding breakfast still wasn’t especially easy. We nearly settled for Wendy’s until we realised they only served burgers even that early in the morning. Instead we ended up at Zetteria, which is a Japanese fast-food chain operated by the same company as Lotteria. It’s somewhat similar to McDonald’s but with a more Japanese twist, offering burgers, breakfast sets and decent coffee. It definitely did the job while we figured out our plans for the day.

Ted had noticed on Facebook that my good friend Susie and her sister Jenny were also in Tokyo, so we arranged to meet up with them later. One thing I’d really wanted to try while we were here was Mipig cafe. Japan has become famous for themed animal cafés featuring everything from cats and dogs to hedgehogs, rabbits, owls and even capybaras, but the miniature pig café seemed especially unique. Susie mentioned she’d love to try it too, so we locked that in for later.

Before then, Ted wanted to visit Ueno Park, so we jumped back on the metro. Unfortunately we discovered very quickly what Tokyo peak hour is actually like. When the train arrived it already looked impossibly full, yet somehow even more people continued squeezing themselves onboard. Ted managed to board before I did, and I thought there was absolutely no physical space left for me, but apparently Tokyo commuters have mastered spatial physics because somehow we both fitted in. It definitely wasn’t comfortable though. Nobody could move, and matters became even more awkward when the train suddenly stopped for several minutes without explanation. I suppose that’s simply part of daily life in Tokyo.

Despite the rain, Ueno Park was still beautiful to walk through. It’s one of Tokyo’s oldest and most famous public parks, home to museums, temples, shrines, ponds and huge tree-lined pathways. During cherry blossom season it becomes one of the busiest viewing spots in the entire city, although today it was mostly umbrellas and puddles. We still enjoyed wandering through the grounds in the pouring rain, even if we ended up absolutely drenched by the end of it.

Later we returned to Shibuya to see the famous Shibuya Crossing, often described as the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. Watching the traffic stop from every direction while huge crowds flood across the intersection at once really is one of those classic Tokyo moments that somehow looks even more impressive in person than in photos or videos.

From there we decided to walk about twenty minutes to the pig café, which unexpectedly became one of the highlights of the day because we discovered an entirely different side of Shibuya and Harajuku along the way. We passed concert venues, quieter residential streets and the impressive Yoyogi National Gymnasium, famous for its sweeping suspension roof design created for the 1964 Olympics.

When we arrived at the café, Susie and Jenny arrived almost simultaneously. The staff told us our session wouldn’t begin for another half hour, so we found a nearby PEANUTS Cafe instead. As owners of our little boy Snoopy back home, this immediately appealed to us. The café is themed entirely around the Peanuts characters, with Snoopy decorations, themed desserts, drinks and merchandise everywhere. I ended up ordering pancakes and coffee which both arrived decorated with Snoopy’s face. Only afterwards did I realise how expensive the pancakes actually were, but I regret nothing.

Eventually it was pig time. Inside the Mipig café we were led into a large room with several small tables where Ted and I sat at one table while Susie and Jenny sat nearby. Then suddenly it became absolute pig chaos. Staff members began placing tiny pigs onto everyone’s laps and within seconds they were all snuggling into blankets and climbing over people looking for warmth and attention. One pig I had was absolutely determined to burrow completely underneath my blanket instead of sitting on top of it. Ted, however, appeared to possess some kind of magical pig energy because they continuously flocked towards him. At one point he had about six pigs asleep across his lap simultaneously. Watching them interact with everyone was genuinely funny and surprisingly entertaining, although by the end of the 25-minute session we both agreed that was probably long enough.

To be honest though, we did leave with mixed feelings. Several of the pigs repeatedly made sucking motions with their mouths, one appeared to have foam around its mouth, and when one pig became aggressive, a staff member struck it above the snout which wasn’t especially pleasant to watch. It may all have perfectly reasonable explanations, but it still concerned me enough that I later sent an email just to ensure the animals are being treated appropriately.

Afterwards we said goodbye to the ladies while Ted and I wandered down Takeshita Street in Harajuku, which I absolutely loved. The narrow pedestrian street is famous for youth fashion, quirky shops, bright colours, dessert stalls and absolute sensory overload. Everywhere you looked there were teenagers dressed in elaborate outfits, tiny boutiques selling bizarre accessories, giant rainbow fairy floss and music blasting out from storefronts. It felt energetic, chaotic and completely unapologetically Tokyo.

After such a massive day, we headed back to the apartment to shower, change clothes — which definitely smelled slightly pig-related by then — and do a load of laundry. Later that evening we returned to the Shinjuku area for dinner since it’s much livelier than our quieter neighbourhood in Nakano.

Finding somewhere to eat took a while because we wanted something different, eventually settling on a fairly fancy Italian restaurant. I was slightly horrified though when I noticed bear meat listed on the menu. Considering the pig café experience earlier, today really had turned into something of an accidental animal-rights-themed day for me.

Back near our apartment later that night, we grabbed desserts from a convenience store, something I absolutely love doing in Japan. The packaged cakes, puddings and sweets here are genuinely excellent and somehow far better than convenience store desserts have any right to be. Even though I initially had doubts about staying in Nakano when we first arrived, we both really like the area now. It’s quiet, walkable, close to the metro and feels much more local and relaxed than the busier tourist districts.

Tomorrow Ted and I will temporarily part ways, with him heading to Hong Kong to visit a friend while I begin my journey home. Japan has never disappointed us whenever we’ve visited, and this trip is definitely proving no exception.Read more