DC to Dubai and Tokyo via… Santiago? Four Days in Tokyo: Day 3
Introduction
Planning
TAM Economy Class New York JFK – Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Santiago
LAN Economy Class Santiago – Sao Paulo
TAM Economy Class Sao Paulo – New York JFK
United BusinessFirst Denver to Tokyo Seattle (Emergency Landing)
United BusinessFirst on the 787 Seattle to Tokyo
Cathay Pacific Regional Business Class Tokyo Narita – Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific “The Wing” Business Class Lounge Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific Business Class Hong Kong – Dubai
Dubai, Day 1 (Traiteur Brunch, Park Hyatt Dubai, Burj Khalifa, Atlantis Palm Islands)
Dubai, Day 2 (Shark Dive at Dubai Aquarium, Burj Al Arab, 360)
Cathay Pacific Business Class Dubai – Hong Kong – Tokyo Haneda
Tokyo, Day 1 (Park Hyatt arrival, Roppongi)
Tokyo, Day 2 (Imperial Palace, Shibuya Crossing, Ebisu, Kendo, Dinner and drinks in Shinjuku)
Tokyo, Day 3 (Ramen lunch, Harajuku, Meiji Shrine, Baseball at the Tokyo Dome, Dinner at New York Grill)
Tokyo, Day 4 (Tsukiji Market, Tokyo Subway, Airport Transfers)
Park Hyatt Tokyo
Harajuku and a Ramen Lunch
I slept in the following morning due to a pretty late night out. My two friends departed in the morning to begin their trip back to Dubai via Kyoto and Hong Kong. It was a dreary day in Tokyo, and I was hungry. At that point, I had yet to try some decent ramen, and I planned to visit the Harajuku neighborhood and Meiji Shrine that afternoon, so I easily pin-pointed a top-rated ramen shop called Kyusu Jangara, which is right near the Harajuku station. Apparently, it is one of the more famous ramen shops in Toyko, and the ramen was definitely delicious.
I ordered the specialty, “zembu-ire” or “with-everything” and it included Kyusu-style ramen noodles, egg, salted roe, and several large pieces of pork fat, which were amazing. This was some of the best ramen I’ve ever enjoyed, though my favorite ramen place is still Toki Underground in Washington, DC. If you’re ever in the District, go!
Anyway, after eating, I took a stroll through Harajuku. The main strip in Harajuku is Takeshita Street – a pedestrian-only alleyway lined with some unique fashion boutiques, restaurants, and other shops. The entrance to the street is located directly across from the JR East exit of Harajuku Station. This area is the teenage fashion center of Tokyo, and it is definitely a sight to see. This strip is a never-ending barrage of neon, anime, and oddly dressed, but supposedly fashionable Japanese teenagers and young adults.
It’s worth it just to stroll down the street and take in the sights and sounds. One of the crazier things you’ll see are lingerie-advertisement trucks blasting pop-music driving through the streets of Harajuku — truly bizarre!
Meiji Shrine
Located on the opposite side of Harajuku Station is the Meiji Shrine. The Meiji Shrine is located in a 700,00 acre forest right in the middle of the Harajuku / Shibuya area of Tokyo. I took a quick stroll through the forest and made the 3/4 mile walk to the actual shrine. It was definitely impressive, and was pretty much exactly what I had expected. The weather was pretty awful, so I went through the area pretty fast to “check it off my list.” I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves:
Tokyo Dome
After my visit to the Meiji Shrine, I went back to the Park Hyatt to rendevouz with another friend who happened to be in Tokyo the same time as me. We met up, hit up the metro, and headed to the Kasuga station for a trip to the Tokyo Dome! That evening, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters were taking on the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in a Japanese baseball game! I am a huge baseball fan, so a Japanese baseball game was high on my list of things to do in Tokyo. And wow, what a different experience. Though the game is the same, the crowd is quite a spectacle.
We sat in the outfield with all the crazy fans — they were constantly on their feet, screaming and belting out cheers. The environment of the almost sold-out Tokyo Dome was more similar to that of an American college football game than a baseball game. Overall, this was an amazing experience. Oh, and the beer girls operate at another level of Japanese efficiency!
Dinner at the Park Hyatt’s New York Grill
After the game, we were pretty tired, and wanted something pretty convenient. Becauser of the late hour that we returned from the ballgame, we decided to try out the Park Hyatt’s iconic New York Grill for dinner.
Famous from its starring role as the setting of the 2003 Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson film, Lost in Translation, the Park Hyatt, and particularly the New York Bar & Grill feature some of the best vistas in all of Tokyo. For dinner, I had a mixed salad and the Hokkaido Ribeye, which was excellent!
The dinner was pretty pricey, but then again, it was the New York Grill — at the Park Hyatt— in Tokyo. So a cheap meal was not really expected. After the meal, I was stuffed and decided to call it a night.
To be continued with an installment for each day I spent in Tokyo…
Tokyo, Day 4 (Tsukiji Market, Tokyo Subway, Airport Transfers)
