Despite getting
less than five hours of sleep on my flight over from China I was still able to
make the most out of that first day in Tokyo.
I started off my day of sightseeing by walking about ten minutes from my
hostel to see a traditional Japanese Buddhist temple. While walking around the temple complex I had
the pleasure of running into another traveler from the United States. Together we decided that having a couple of
beers while touring different parts of the city sounded like a pretty good
idea. To this day, I am completely
ignorant as to what the laws are regarding open-bottle containers in Tokyo. If we did violate a city ordinance, I am at
least glad that we were not caught during our time carousing together.
I started out the
next day with a morning run alongside the Sumida River in downtown Tokyo. During the course of my time traveling abroad
I have always tried my best to run outside at least one time in each place I have
visited. Since Tokyo is a pedestrian
friendly city I did not have any trouble finding a safe place to run; however,
I am not always so lucky when traveling.
Bangkok, Thailand is one such place that really sticks out in my mind as
being exceptionally dangerous for pedestrians.
Fortunately for me, I found that running in Tokyo was an overall
relaxing and enjoyable experience for me.
After the
morning run I decided it was time to visit some of Tokyo's must see tourists
spots including the Asakusa temples, Meiji shrine, and Imperial palace. In the evening, I ventured out to the busy
Shibuya district and enjoyed a dinner of Okonomiyaki; similar in concept to a
western omelet. Afterwards, I walked
around Tokyo's Shibuya district and enjoyed watching people get engulfed in the
madness which planned obsolescence seems to have on consumerism today.
The following
day already marked the end of my first leg of traveling in Japan. That morning I got up bright in order to
catch a bullet train heading for Kyoto.
Honestly, I can say that this awesome experience really left a strong
impression on me. In earnest I can
safely say that the Japanese public transportation system is the best I have
ever been on in my life. Throughout my travels I have never been to a
country which values efficiency in travel as much as Japan does. Sure enough, by 12:04:22 the train 12:04
bullet train bound for Kyoto left the Tokyo station racing towards its final
destination. The ride itself was
extremely smooth and comfortable. If the
opportunity once again presents itself for me to visit Japan I would once again
look fondly upon using the public transportation system.
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