Honestly, I had a long list of places to visit during my 3-day stay at Tokyo. Day 2 was supposed to be dedicated to exploring the most crowded and most visited areas in all of Tokyo; meaning, a lot of walking. However, I was not in the mood to go sightseeing so I decided to do less walking and just relax.
First stop is Tokyo National Museum (TNM). I always make it a point to visit the country's national museum. There are so many things that I get to learn and understand when I visit museums. I just think though that a visit to TNM would probably be more effective if you join an English tour. Though I'm not really sure if there are free guided tours.
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| Ueno Park is quite large and getting to your destination might be tricky. Good thing there's a lot of guide maps located in various areas. Look for the English ones though! |
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| Tokyo National Museum Main Building--looks big from the outside, even bigger in the inside. |
Tokyo National Museum holds the largest collection of Japanese arts and articrafts. So if you're planning to visit only one museum in Japan, make this the one.
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| Intricately made kimonos which were used by royalties back then. |
Next stop is Korea town. It was not on my itinerary but I really wanted to have a taste of the Korean culture. So, Shin-okubo Koreantown is the place to go. If you're a big fan of K-Pop groups then, this place is a must-visit. A lot of stores selling K-Pop albums, fan merchandise, korean cosmetics and beauty products sprawl along the streets. Honestly, I was expecting something more Korean but all I saw were several stores selling same items. However, there were a lot of restaurants offering authentic Korean dishes. This was enough for me.
Harajuku is very near Shin-okubo Koreantown; and this became my next stop. I did a lot of window shopping and a bit of actual shopping. I also visited the famous Meiji-jingu. As you approach Meiji-jingu, you'll pass by a regal boulevard lined up with high-end boutiques. This is Omote-sando, one of the best places in Tokyo to see contemporary architecture.
Meiji-jingu is Tokyo's grandest Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Be ready to do a lot of walking. It may take 15-20 minutes walk from the Harajuku JR station to the shrine. Just enjoy the cool breeze and serenity of the place and you wouldn't feel tired. Not at all. A towering 12m wooden torii gate marks the entrance to the shrine.
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| It's customary to bow upon passing through a torii--the boundary between the ordinary and the sacred. |
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| Before entering the shrine, purify yourself by pouring water over your hands at the temizuya. |
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| Buy yourself an ema (wooden plaques), write your wish, pray hard. It might just come true. |
Another popular spot in Harajuku is Takeshita-dori. This is Tokyo's famous teen-fashion bazaar where a lot of trendy shops--big and small--sell a lot of kawaii stuff. This street is very popular among the younger generations; thus, can easily be packed.
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| Takeshita-dori at night. |
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| With the numerous stores lined up along Takeshita-dori, you'll definitely anything and everything you're looking for. |
My last stop for the day is Akihabara Electric Town. Being an anime-lover, this is the one place that I cannot miss. I went in to a lot of manga stores, shopped for plastic models of my favorite One Piece characters, and hoarded a lot of gatcha-gatcha!
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| Manga haven! Unfortunately, they sell a very limited number of English-translated manga. |
How to get to Shin-okubo Koreantown: Take JR Line to Shin-okubo. Facing the street, turn right and continue walking until you see the first K-Pop store.
How to get to Meiji-jingu: Take JR Yamanote Line to Harajuku. Take Omote-sando exit. Meiji-jingu is open is open from dusk til dawn, year-round. FREE.
How to get to Akihabara Electric Town: Take JR Yamanote Line to Akihabara. Exit at Electric Town exit. Note that most manga stores closes at 8:00pm.
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