It was a long departure day. 4:30am to the airport to catch 7:00am flight to Honolulu. After a short layover, I arrived in Haneda for the first time in a long time. The govnerment initiated an online system to fast trak the immigration process. For the most part, it was great but there could be hiccups here and there. I landed on the evening of Christmas Day, dropped off luggage at hotel and beelined to Sky Tree for the Xmas market. The free market was crowded on its final night. I missed the Xmas dinner of KFC because this location was no longer there. With that letdown, I called it a day.
Day 1 I went to see the new 30th station on the Yamanote loop, Takanaway Gateway. Didnt really seem like a need for it. I went on my way to Ginza to look for a jacket. Misread opening time for the shop and walked around for an hour. The store was smaller than expected and didnt carry what I was looking for. I had never been to Ichiran ramen before. They are all over the place. I tried the one in Uenow while I was there to visit Amemono Yokocho. The wait was kind of long but worth it. They were out of the egge. The soup was smumtuous and rich. I can see why this is popular and people wait for it. I might try it again ths trip. Just a few doors down was Rokurinsha. I like their style of tsukemen. Browsed around Ameyokocho before getting a slice of melon on my way to Akihabara. Notice a few changes, the AKB 48 and Gundam cafes were gone. They were replaced with a figurine store displaying their wares in exciting poses. Alot of the Sega arcades are gone and replaced by Gigo. The other places lik Taito and others were still in business. After dark, I went to Tokyo dome to see the illuminations. Dinner was a second choice Saizeriya. I would have gone to Bikkuri Donkey but it was a counter at a food court and not a full service restaurant.
Day 2 I moved to the hotel in the Shinjuku location where I spent the majority of the day on the east side of the station. It definitley felt like things were almost back to normal with the number of people in the area. Dinner would be at another family style restaurant, Gusto. Standard and reliable fair with these types of restaurants. And, the price is inexpensive as well. The south of the station was lit up the most. A small walkway on the west side was decorated with muti cloored LEDs. I capped it off with oden from a convenience store.
Day 3 was spent at Small Worlds in Odaiba. Like Miniature Wonderland in Hamburg, it is an assortment of dioramas. Small World is smaller in scale than Hamburg, pun intended. The smaller footprint meant there would be fewer displays. What you will see is a Spaceport, an airport, an alpine village, Tokyo based on Sailor Moon, and some Evangelion themed ares. snacked on takoyaki the went to Shibuya for kaiten sushi. Upon arrival, I wanted look at Miyashita Park. A complex along the train tracks with a park above. Shops and restaurants in the middle floors and a group of izakayas grouped together as shibuya Yokocho. Kura was ridiculously croweded. I instead went to Uobei conveor belt sushi. I enjoyed their tempura that I had a few of the same items. Had oden from a different convenience store to compare.
Day 4 was spent in Kichijoji. Went to Inokashira park but did not go to Ghibli museum. Dont know if they still exist in the US but lunch was a Coco's. Snacked and eventually dined on mnchi katsu from Satou. Was going to have their wagyu steak for dinner bt couldnt pull the trigger. Last adventure of the day would be to see the lighting along the Meguro river.
Day 5 had alot to do with gashapon. The Gashapon Dept store Ikebukuro was somewhat disappointing. They had alot of machines but sadly they didnt have everything. The world of gashapon was more expansive then I thought. Due to this, I looked into so many gashapon places. Lunchw was hamburger steak at a full service Bikkuri Donkey. Finally CoCo curry fr the evening meal.
Day 6 is New Year's Eve. I knew what I was going to do that night but what to do that day. On a whim, I went over to Asakusa. Went to the Tourist Information Center across from Kaminarimon Gate. Aside from great details they can provide, there is a free observation deck on the 8th floor that looks over Nakamise Dori. In addition, you can get a full view of Sky Tree and the Sumida River in front of it. Walked over to Rox area and had a beef bowl Sukiya. Noticed some yatai stalls set up and being set up when I went back to the station. I wanted to check the yatai stalls that I hoped to be at Harajuku. There were a few, not too many. Got a hocky puck of a takoyaki as a snack. Strolled into Meiji before the crowds would come to see how they prepped. Went back to the room to add some layers as it was getting noticably colder. Went back across town back to Asakusa and Im glad I did. There were way more food stalls set up than anticipated and there was a bit of a party atmosphere. Had some amazake and fried chicken to sustain myself through the rest of the year. If I didnt plan on Shibuya for the new year, would have stuck around here. Made my ay to the crowded Shibuya Scramble crossing. The police were out in force and wanted to remind everyone there was no official countdown event. Same thing they did last year but it didnt keep anyone away. Fearing what happend in Seoul on Halloween, I found a spot that elevated me above and away from the crowd. There was an arbitrary countdown then some of the revelers tried to break the lines to frolic in the street. I made it out safe and sound and will report more later
