Tiffin reunion - part 2b [Harajuku and Shibuya]
So, it's sunday the 13th and last night we agreed on meeting at Harajuku at 2pm on the account that I was refusing to get out of bed early on the account of having the plague. What ended up happening was that Is and Ian phoned to say that they would be late; issues with moving bags and checking in at hotels and all that palava. So, we rearrange to 2:45ish...In the mean time, Emily and I happen to pass through the Tokyo International Forum; which has a very cool market on sundays, there are stall selling yukatas, jewellery, Japanese crockery, antiques, handbags...a good way to waste a few minutes/hours. We get a little distracted and end up buying yukatas, which I've been wanting for ages...well since I stayed at a ryokan in Hakone.
This shopping excursion results in some unforeseen lateness, despite the fact that we were going to be early...we eventually get to the craziness of Harajuku station at about 3pm where we find Ian, Is and Laura in the mist of the throng. I then walk them to the bridge outside Meiji Jingu Mae to look at the cool kids hanging out in their crazy clothes and the statutory group of ‘Free Hugs’ placard holding people. Then on to Meiji Jingu and Yoyogi park itself; where I had been told that there was a Thai festival still on…we walked around in to the temple which sent the architects in to a frenzy at how cool the Japanese roofs are, lots of pictures ensued. The temple had a minimum of three weddings that day, we watched three of the processions with their immaculately dressed bride, groom, guests, and ministers.
We then took a little walk around to try and find the Thai festival, but after about ten minutes I decided that it wasn’t actually there. So, we headed to the depths of Harajuku to find the okonomiyaki restaurant that I took my brother to at Christmas.
We order several Okonomiyaki’s (with egg and flour), and a monjayaki (just veggies and some meat or seafood with a little water and starch). As soon as the first one arrives we get on with the business of cooking the thing so that we can eat the bugger. It’s great fun, everyone gets around to attacking the stuff on the hot plate with the spatulas. Emily was forced to defend her okonomiyaki with some spatulas to prevent contamination from the other meaty thing being cooked on the other side of the plate. The vegetarian option was damned nice, but there was a really good Jimuchee okonomiyaki which was rather small, but *very* good…
After finishing with the whole eating and whacking food with spatulas, we ventured out to the main shopping place in Harajuku; Takeshita Street. There are some pretty funky shops down there; very Camden-esque just with more sock shops containing more leg adornment items than you could shake a stick at. There’s the funky dog fashion shop too….with the little outfits for your tiny mutt. Emily and Is are very distracted by the shopping opportunities, and there is ample window shopping going on. We did stop to introduce Laura and Emily to the joy of Japanese Crepes; although the one they bought here didn’t look half as good as the one that Is and Ian managed to get in Ueno park.
After all the walking around we are all pretty tired, and Is, Ian and Laura have to go and sort out their bags and hotel stuff, so they head home from Harajuku but Emily and I drag ourselves to Shibuya on the way home to go have a snoop around and watch the crazy Shibuya crossing. We pause for a coffee at the Starbucks which overlooks the crossing before heading back home.
This shopping excursion results in some unforeseen lateness, despite the fact that we were going to be early...we eventually get to the craziness of Harajuku station at about 3pm where we find Ian, Is and Laura in the mist of the throng. I then walk them to the bridge outside Meiji Jingu Mae to look at the cool kids hanging out in their crazy clothes and the statutory group of ‘Free Hugs’ placard holding people. Then on to Meiji Jingu and Yoyogi park itself; where I had been told that there was a Thai festival still on…we walked around in to the temple which sent the architects in to a frenzy at how cool the Japanese roofs are, lots of pictures ensued. The temple had a minimum of three weddings that day, we watched three of the processions with their immaculately dressed bride, groom, guests, and ministers.
We then took a little walk around to try and find the Thai festival, but after about ten minutes I decided that it wasn’t actually there. So, we headed to the depths of Harajuku to find the okonomiyaki restaurant that I took my brother to at Christmas.
We order several Okonomiyaki’s (with egg and flour), and a monjayaki (just veggies and some meat or seafood with a little water and starch). As soon as the first one arrives we get on with the business of cooking the thing so that we can eat the bugger. It’s great fun, everyone gets around to attacking the stuff on the hot plate with the spatulas. Emily was forced to defend her okonomiyaki with some spatulas to prevent contamination from the other meaty thing being cooked on the other side of the plate. The vegetarian option was damned nice, but there was a really good Jimuchee okonomiyaki which was rather small, but *very* good…
After finishing with the whole eating and whacking food with spatulas, we ventured out to the main shopping place in Harajuku; Takeshita Street. There are some pretty funky shops down there; very Camden-esque just with more sock shops containing more leg adornment items than you could shake a stick at. There’s the funky dog fashion shop too….with the little outfits for your tiny mutt. Emily and Is are very distracted by the shopping opportunities, and there is ample window shopping going on. We did stop to introduce Laura and Emily to the joy of Japanese Crepes; although the one they bought here didn’t look half as good as the one that Is and Ian managed to get in Ueno park.
After all the walking around we are all pretty tired, and Is, Ian and Laura have to go and sort out their bags and hotel stuff, so they head home from Harajuku but Emily and I drag ourselves to Shibuya on the way home to go have a snoop around and watch the crazy Shibuya crossing. We pause for a coffee at the Starbucks which overlooks the crossing before heading back home.
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