Day 6: Shinjuku
The next day, I decided to check out all what Shinjuku was all about.
Shinjuku is major center of commerce, with huge department stores and malls everywhere, as well as home to the busiest train and bus station in the entire world. Never did a place define hustle and bustle, even more so than Times Square and various other parts of NYC. Though what truly sets itself apart from the Big Apple was how finely tuned everything is, like a supremely well oiled machine. Almost immediately I got the sensation that I was walking around the very definition of a ?modern city?. Yet one of the first things I came across was this temple that was on a side street…
Aside from all the futuristic looking buildings, it?s pretty amazing how the Japanese are able to balance industry and nature so well.
Much like Kawasaki, Shinjuku was remarkably clean. There was seriously no trash to be found on the ground anywhere, and the wild thing was that there zero trash cans to be found either. Which was kind of a pain when you had something to get rid off (as Ben, the sax player from Murphy?s Law, ?It?s funny how [the Japanese] are constantly giving you tissues, with no place to throw them away!?). Also, no stupid looking graffiti on the walls. Sometimes you?d see a sticker, but it was never anything retarded.
Some may have seen this already when I posted it at Zedge last week, but it deserves a re-post; saw some girl with the craziest looking, personalized cell phone ever and I just had to ask for a picture.
Yet another place to get haircuts…
A real life cat-bus! And it?s used to transport animals around, though there was none at the time.
My first real stop was Takashimaya Time Square. There?s a Tokyu Hands there, but unlike the one in Suzuki which was just one floor, Shinjuku?s was like twelve floors or something. Which meant twelve solid floors or crazy shit like this?
I almost got this Famicom clone since my top-loading NES has video connection problems, though I could never figure out if it could play NES games, and didn?t feel like blowing $35 to find out.
Almost got this too: basically it?s a pair of undines that are wearable on your head and that are connected. Yeah, I know…
Plus, I?m kicking myself for not getting the raccoon puppet. At the very least, I could have given it to MK?s mom.
Though I did pick up all these lovable postcards starring bears…
A look down, from one of the top floors, to a bridge that goes over the trains; the train station is right next to the mall.
Yet another thing the Japanese have up on us: malls. Especially the food court. Theirs looks like some five star restaurants found in the States.
A popular snack was these crepes stuffed with assorted fruits, ice cream, or even meat, then wrapped and served like an ice cream cone.
Stopped by HMV real quickly. Quick quiz: does this look like something for kids or adult?
If you said kids, what do you think after this? Is that the Pedo Bear to the lower right?
American stuff was pretty popular, like Twiggy…
In the U.S. it?s called Bubba Hotep. In Japan, it?s Elvis Vs. Mura!
Even funnier was how The Prestige was advertised: Batman vs. Wolverine!
Was tempted to pick this up; its nothing but just a collection of Rube Goldberg devices?
At the book store, here?s a bunch of Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys books (I think)…
Here?s another food court from another shopping center that was situated on the roof, which offered this spectacular view of the area…
See that park down there? Apparently, Joe and June got lost in there that day for like two hours!
A look at the train station from the street level.
Okay, another quick question: what are these people waiting for?
Donuts!
I thought all the people were waiting for a train or something, but no, it?s for the first, and only, Krispy Kreme in Japan.
