Shibuya

I spent nearly the whole of my first day in Tokyo in Shibuya - - a mecca for teen & young adult shopping and one of the coolest neighborhoods in what is a gigantic city.



This is the Tokyo often seen in movies, where people crowd intersections, and lights are abundant and flashing from towering video screens. On each floor of Shibuya 109 - - THE place to shop - - sound comes at you from all angles; expect to hear at least three different albums competing for attention. MIA and Justin Timberlake are turned up to 11 in what can only be described as some sort of teenage cacophony of sound, fashion, and bored shouts of "Irashaimase!"




Despite great clothes (think T-shirts with nonsensical combinations of English words printed on them - I bought one that reads "Watch Out! Lucky Bug Fighter!") don't expect to find anything in your size unless your size is xxs (I never said I'd actually be able to wear said bug shirt).

After checking out each floor stop at the eighth for some fantastic sushi - you can even order tuna from the tank. (English menu available).





Be sure to visit the statue of Hachikō near the train station entrance - a cultural landmark dedicated to the memory of a loyal dog.

Humidity

Japan in August is very hot and very humid. I immediately began to look like Monica Gellar in The One in Barbados.



Fortunately, there are vending machines everywhere with ice cold green tea, water, and beer. If you're feeling faint, or like you're about to melt, make it Suntory Time.

One Year Later

It's been one year since our trip to Japan and England and I'm finally getting around to posting about our adventure!

James Bond Travel in Geek Monthly

I'm very excited to announce that my article on "Operation: You Only Live Twice" in which Ryan and I walked in the footsteps of James Bond in Tokyo and London is in the November issue of Geek Monthly - - on newsstands now!

Galleries

Still too busy and tired to write eloquently. So have made more galleries of Tokyo & Kyoto as well as an initial one of London.

Update

To all my friends and family,

I've been meaning to do more updating of the Travel Blog, but there are so many sights, sounds, and smells that I want to capture with all the literary love that they deserve. I've also not wanted to spend precious time trying to do this when I could be out experiencing our amazing world.

So in the meantime I've made a gallery of photos in hopes of at least temporarily sation.

Japan is beautiful. Tokyo is hip and busy, and Kyoto, where we are now, is extraordinary and peaceful.

Today we adventure. Tonight we dine in traditional yukata on the river.

Irashaimasse!

We arrived in Tokyo at least two hours late and then took a two hour bus ride from Narita to the Hyatt Regency Tokyo in Shinjuku on the Friendly Airport Limousine Service bus.

An eager trainee took us to our room and said rather nervously,

"Thank you for waiting . . . May I show the room's features?"

and then proceeded to show us everything in our room, from light switches to towels to the temperature control, all with a "Thank you for waiting . . ." and a "This is" or "May I?" We were a little confused (we have stayed in hotels before) and though we were very tired from 17 hours of travel he was so earnest that we endured the whole introductory session with generosity.