Hot In Tokyo: Sightseeing in Tokyo

Yesterday we've started sightseeing for real and headed for Harajuku. Supposedly known for cosplayers, cheap shops and if you're more interested in traditional Japan, there's a big temple dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken. We didn't see many cosplayers, probably due to our late arrival there ( near noon ) or high temperatures. They ( temperatures ) didn't stop people from shopping along the main roads near the train station, though.

The above is a photo of Takeshita street. Shops everywhere, lots of shop employees yelling special offers, trying to garner attention toward their store. Lots of people of all ages and appearances, too.

Myself, I haven't been all that impressed with modern attractions. Fact is, prices are generally higher than in Poland, sometimes by quite a bit. Another thing is how much Japanese people love baubles and the like. There are tons of useless things you can buy and they often aren't all that cheap. One thing the shops are good for is AC. Every 15-30 mins you go into one to cool down a little. It's funny how they're supposedly conserving electricity right now due to shortages when all shops inside of buildings run AC at such levels that it's actually comfortably cool in them ( and that's often with open doors ). Can't say I'm complaining, though. Talking about survivng the heat, some restaurants offer free cold water when you order something ( the one we've been to had unlimited refills, too ).

Interesting fact:

While smoking generally isn't very restricted in Japan, there are areas where you aren't allowed to smoke in public ( transportation is also smoke-free ). That means it's allowed only in buildings ( as in restaurants and such ) or in special areas:

Photo of a "Smoking Area" near Harajuku station.

Meiji Shrine is a rather big place that you enter through a huge torii.

Unfortunately it's been destroyed during WWII and then rebuilt in 1953 so it's the same but not the same. Reminded me how much was lost to that man-made disaster. Walking towards the temple we've had our first taste on how generally left-sided traffic can change due to lack of shadow on one side, etc. The shrine itself is kind of a tourist trap. If you want to buy any gifts, be prepared to spend a good deal more than they're worth. There's also a lot of situations where you're expected to give an offering. Doesn't change the fact that it was pretty great. I've had a chance to see two weddings there, too. One more thing about temples in Japan is that before entering the grounds you should cleanse yourself. You do that by cleaning your hands and mouth with water ( there is a special place for this ).

I've also had a chance to pray. It was somewhat hard to figure out the right way of doing it. People prayed in several different ways. In the end, I went with bowing twice then clapping twice. I sure hope I haven't angered any gods!

Lastly, toilets in Japan are, indeed, complicated at times. If you don't know some kanji you're in even more trouble:P.

Here are some more photos from yesterday:

Tokyo metro, I'm still very impressed by their transportation. Doesn't change the fact that navigating metro / train lines in Tokyo is quite intimidating, especially without knowing the language well.

Some people from our group invading a vending machine which are found in abundance in Tokyo. They're great in summer as the drinks are kept very cool. I can also agree that the famous Pocari Sweat is tasty.