Touring Japan - Part 9

mrmin123

Korea (South)2971 Posts

September 24 2011 19:42 GMT

Day 9
Another hot day. With funds slightly lower than planned, I grabbed a 300 yen pastry from 7-Eleven for lunch on the way to the subway. I headed over to Yoyogi Park again to explore it more thoroughly when I wasn't tired as hell. The park, as expected, was completely different on the weekday. It probably had a 10th of the people as it did on the weekend, and as a result was much more quiet and peaceful. It certainly fit my preconceptions of a park more than the weekend Yoyogi Park. The weekday crowd consisted mainly of families: parents teaching their kids how to ride a bike, or having a nice picnic together next to the lakes. After wandering through the larger-than-expected park for a bit, I sat down on a bench to watch a nearby photoshoot and a slight breeze lulled me to sleep for an hour.

Yoyogi Park is a great place to nap.

I headed over to Roppongi next to check out the famed Roppongi Hills complex. Minoru Mori, the man who basically made Roppongi Hills, wanted to create a complex that contained and connected housing, workspaces, eateries, and entertainment. He believed that by reducing the time wasted on commuting, the complex could "increase leisure time, quality of life, and benefit Japan's national competitiveness" (thanks Wikipedia). Like a baby arcology (who remembers those from SimCity2000??)! I always thought it was a neat concept, despite it sounding like it would suck to actually live in it, so I was eager to check it out.

Mori Tower, the centerpiece of Roppongi Hills. Also, a big Bank of America sign, despite the complex not having a Bank of America.

When I got to Roppongi Hills, it was a bit early for dinner, but the 300 yen 7-Eleven pastry wasn't doing a very good job of sustaining me. I made my way through the glamorously decorated outdoor plaza of Roppongi Hills and found myself a reception area of some sort. The ladies there spoke the best English I've heard during my stay in Japan (excluding Cambium. He doesn't count). I initially thought it was just because Roppongi Hills was some fancy place so they hired only the best receptionists, but I later found out that Roppongi was full of foreigners, as well. Definitely explains all the foreign restaurants I saw on my way to the yakitori restaurant the ladies at the reception desk recommended.

Oh sweet jesus delicious food.

My waiter recommended a pork katsu main dish, a chicken leg yakitori, and a chicken neck yakitori. I took his recommendation, along with the Suntory beer on draft. The food was delicious, and the beer was so refreshing that I almost shed a tear. They even threw in some ice cream for desert.

I asked the waiters during checkout if they preferred Tokyo Tower or the Tokyo City View on top of Mori Tower. Two out of three preferred the Tokyo City View. I explored the huge maze that was Roppongi Hills for a bit longer, and noticed that it was filled with almost nothing but huge brand name stores, fancy restaurants, and bars full of white people. I couldn't help but feel that one would have to be incredibly rich to actually live, work, eat, and play in Roppongi Hills. The only ones who could take advantage of the complex's full array of facilities were probably the ones with enough leisure time and quality of life already. I made my way to the Tokyo City View.

Spectacular view.

Getting to watch the moon rise over Tokyo Tower was awesome. Looking at Tokyo from a highrise during the day, being able to see buildings as far as the eye can see is both amazing and stifling. Looking at Tokyo from a highrise during night, however, is stunning. The city simply looks beautiful. I even got to enjoy both the view and the breeze from the open air deck on top of the tower, surrounded by young Japanese couples and a few other tourists doing the same.