Shane’s Japan Trip Report Day 8

Japan Trip Report Day 8: Shinkansen to Tokyo

Today, after my wife takes care of some local banking, we will take the Joetsu shinkansen back to Tokyo, where we’ll stay for the duration of our trip. Other than seeing a number of friends, we have very little scheduled in advance, although things I plan to see and do include a Sunday morning visit to Harajuku , day trips to Kamakura and Hakone and possibly another trip to Nikko, plenty of time in the Minato Mirai area of Yokohama where I used to live, and various shopping and sightseeing in and around Tokyo. Stay tuned!

Joetsu Shinkansen from Niigata to Tokyo

As planned, we took the 2:20 Joetsu Shinkansen from Tsubame-Sanjo station for the 2-hour trip back to Tokyo. I took a little video of the bullet train pulling into the station.

I also took this short video of the scenery looking out while riding the Joetsu shinkansen near Nagaoka.

Arrival in Tokyo

After arriving at Tokyo Station, we took the Yamanote Line to Shibuya, where I decided to go the Citibank ATM to get some yen. However, I forgot where it was located, and we ended up roaming around Shibuya for about an hour until I finally found it. Shibuya is a very densely crowded place, as I’m always reminded when crossing Hachiko Crossing!

Anyway, after I got my cash, we headed back to Shibuya Station and took the Toyoko Line about four stops to Toritsu Daigaku, to my wife’s aunt’s apartment, which will be our home for the next two weeks. First impression of Toritsu Daigaku area is that it is a very hip, convenient area, with lots of interesting looking shops, restaurants, and cafes. My wife’s aunt (Oba-san) lives just about a 2-minute walk from the station; in fact it is so close that we can see the train platform from her living room window!

The apartment is very nice. By American standards it would be considered tiny, but for Tokyo, Japan, it is quite spacious. Very centrally located, I believe it rents for about US$3,000. We have a nice-sized room to ourselves, and Oba-san is very accommodating. No surprise that she had a nice spread of food waiting for us upon arrival: buri and maguro sashimi, grilled eggplant, okara, potato salad, which was particularly tasty, and more.

After making pleasantries, Oba-san’s daughters and two grandchildren, both fully grown, came to visit. The granddaughter, Midori, works as a TV news reporter for a local station in Fukuoka. Very cool. We all chatted and watched the Japan baseball world series between Chiba Lotte Marines and Chunichi Dragons, and then they left and we went to sleep soon after.

Proceed to Shane’s Japan Trip Report Day 9–>