Tokyo Immersed - Wednesday June 18th

Tokyo Immersed - Wednesday June 18th, 2008

I wake early and write my blog quietly while Art sleeps. At 15, John could sleep all day, but we manage to wake him and head out, stopping first for a breakfast set at the train station. Art buys us each a metro pass and we take the train to Tokyo Mid Town Mall. The stylish and upscale mall doesn't open until 11:00 A.M. but we window shop the elegant shops. Art makes a call to Miho, Mizuho's publicity woman and friend. There is no answer and Art leaves a message. A monumental amoeba-like steel sculpture stands in the garden below the shopping center and we wander over for a closer look. From there we walk the short distance to the National Art Center, a spectacular, voluminous structure of steel and glass.

John taking a contemplative break

Steel and glass, Tokyo

Stylish Cafe

The upper floors of this skeletal steel structure house art exhibits and stylish cafes.

Tokyo garden sculpture and lawn mowing.

John and Marty, Garden Sculpture

Returning to Tokyo Mid Town we are surprised by Miho, who has come looking for us. It is lunch time and she suggests a terrace restaurant overlooking the garden below. The restaurant is upscale and rather expensive, but the view is lovely and the sushi sets and lunch box sets we each order are elegant, mindfully prepared and delicious.

Tokyo rooftop lunch 

Tokyo rooftop lunch

Tokyo rooftop lunch

From lunch we walk to Roppongi Hills and the Mori Museum. A Monumental steel spider sculpture stands in the inner courtyard of this shopping center.

Roppongi Hills Spider Sculpture

For $1500 yen each we access the sky tower and Mori Art Museum. This is the tallest building in Tokyo and the 360 degree roof top view is hazy but impressive. The museum is less impressive and we are disappointed by the Turner Award Retrospective Show.

Hazy rooftop view, Tokyo

At Miho's suggestion we taxi to the new metro station, modeled to feel like a space station, but we are not impressed. From here we take the metro to Harajuku, taking a coffee break at an ever present Starbuck's Cafe. The bustling streets of Harajuku are teeming with young people and Gothic and "Bo-Peep" fashions spill forth from the shops lining the streets. I buy Alisha a trendy, butterfly cut out T-shirt and we continue our walk to Kat street in the Shibuya district.

Trendy Shopping Street

Trendy Boutique

Marty with BoPeep girl

Busy Tokyo shopping district

Miho's feet hurt as do mine so we rest along side the road and watch humanity pass by. Somewhat revived we get lost in Shibuya, with it's many small boutiques and picturesque side streets, eventually winding our way back towards downtown Tokyo where the statue of the dog serves as a meeting place for locals and travelers alike. The immense square, surrounded by high-rises and flashing billboards feels somewhat like New York's Time Square. Deciding that we should eat dinner before going our separate ways, Miho suggests an upstairs Izakaya. The decor and menu is traditional Japanese and we share small plates of food. The food is excellent but minimal and we order numerous dishes before we are sated. We part ways, returning by the metro, back to the Ueno district.

Tokyo at night

Marty in Tokyo at night