Summary: We arrived in Tokyo from Takayama just in time to explore the Shinjuku District. Our evening began with a walk at sunset through the vast Shinjuku Gyoen National Park. This urban oasis, home to over 20,000 trees, was a remarkably peaceful stop in this City of over 14 million people. After nightfall, we ascended to the 45th floor of the Metropolitan Government Building to admire the city's vibrant lights from above. We spent the remainder of the evening on a free walking tour through the red light district with Tokyo Localized, which is most suitable for visitors over 18 due to its adult content.
[This blog is part of a 15-days in Japan series].
Getting There and Little Warning. From Takayama, we drove back to Kanazawa to drop our car off. From there we took the Shinkansen to Tokyo. Note, that it's recommended that you buy Shinkansen tickets in advance so we purchased ours from home using our home computer and an electronic credit card. What we didn't know was that when you arrive at the train station to buy your tickets, you must present the credit card you purchased your tickets with. Because we used an electronic credit card, that was impossible. After a long wait in customer service, and with a stressful eye on our upcoming train departure, we had to buy new (pricey) tickets right then and there, and then run to catch our train. Our old tickets were eventually refunded days later and not without some effort. Hopefully you can learn from our mistakes!
Where We Stayed. There are several neighborhoods to choose from this very large City. For us, we decided to here, to get away from the busy city centers and enjoy a more quiet neighborhood filled with primarily locals. After dropping our bags, we headed to central Tokyo to start our sightseeing tour of this bustling City. Our first stop was a sunset walk through Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. This expansive park is located amidst the skyscrapers, featuring over 20,000 trees that enhance the scenery.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Afterward, we headed over to admire the Tokyo skyline at night by riding the elevator up to the 45th-floor observation deck, high above the city. Access to the Metropolitan Government Building is free, but be prepared for a line, which took us around 20 minutes to pass through.
Shinjuku Night Free Walking Tour. At 7:00 p.m. we met with our Tokyo Localized tour guide for a free Shinjuku Night Walking Tour. This tour is not suitable for children as it includes discussions about and visits to Tokyo's red light district. While it is safe, the topics covered are more appropriate for those who are 18 and older.
A segment of the walking tour takes you by this renowned 3D cat video, which, naturally, was adored by this animal-loving writer!
In the red light district, there are reportedly numerous choices, but as is typical in Japan, it's very orderly. We heard about storefronts on the upcoming street that offered an office-like environment for making "selections." Um, okay, moving onto the next section....
The tour also goes through Golden Gai, a well-known area for local music and artists.
A quick walk through Omoide-Yoko-Cho made us want to come back and enjoy dinner here, though unfortunately our itinerary didn't allow for it since we didn't make it back to the Shinjuku area during our other days here. So, mental note, leave enough time to stop in one of these little Japanese pubs.
Remembering that we started the day in Takayama, we headed back to the AirBnB to rest for the night after the end of the walking tour.
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