Tokyo Day 4: Saturday on Ginza

Breakfast with Wayne & Kevin at Milano cafe in the food court in the hotel plaza.  Servings were just right and I should have stopped with the breakfast sandwich but the French toast looked so good.  Japanese coffee is nice and strong but not bitter.

Kevin went off to meet his friend while we three took the train for Shibuya.  It was just as I remember it.  Crazy with crowds.  Saturday everyone goes out shopping, especially young adults.  Thanks again to Susan's memory, I got music CDs for Noah and Nicole at Tsutaya.

Lunch was Chinese at Parco.  No time to shop there, wanted to go to Tokyu Hands.  Seven floors of all kinds of stuff, two hours there was not enough time.

With Kevin waiting at Hachiko, we decided to got Ginza Itoya by subway.  Got lucky! Chuo dori was closed to cars today!  It made walking to Uniqlo so much more pleasant.  Uniqlo is not for us--sizes are too small!

Itoya kept its promise and did not disappoint.  Got some new rubber stamps and neck coolers there.  Dinner at G-Zone Gonpachi in the building right across Seiyo Ginza Hotel.

So tired tonight, I left my backpack full of gifts in the cab.  We spend a tense hour working with two hotel staff to try to reach the cab driver.  Yokatta!  He came back and I had my precious bag within an hour!  It made me realize always keep your important docs and money on your person.  My backpack was full of purchases but they were just that, stuff.  And could have been replaced if necessary.

I always wear my purse cross-body.  It has my passport, wallet, room key etc. in it.  This, I make sure is with me at all times.  Doesn't come off my body even when I sit down for meals.  Can't afford to lose this in a foreign country.  There is no back-tracking in a huge city like Tokyo.

What a relief when Guest Relations Agent Bando-san called and came up to deliver my backpack. 


Resolve:  never leave anything on the floor of a cab.  Never fall asleep in a cab.  Put bright color straps or reflectors on this backpack so it never gets forgotten.
Midnight now and suitcases are in Wayne's tiny room, ready to be sent by takkyubin-delivery service to Hiroshima.

We travel by early Shinkansen to Kyoto tomorrow.

Hello Tokyo (after 17 years)

Long ago, before 9/11 happened, I was practically commuting to Tokyo.  Then the Japanese economic 'bubble' burst and the money dried up. 

In May, I was fortunate to travel with a group to Japan for the 15th Anniversary Celebration of Hiroshima-Hawaii Sister Cities.  But, that's jumping ahead...

Susan and I went to Tokyo for a few days to power shop and have fun before the Hiroshima portion of the trip.  Landed at Narita and was happy to see it modernized and air-conditioned.  Sent luggage ahead to Hiroshima by takkyubin.  This is a great freight forwarding service everyone uses to travel light.  Wish we had something as dependable, honest and affordable in the US.

Limo bus to Shinagawa Prince Hotel; no traffic!  What?  Tokyo with no traffic?  Just lucky I guess.  I was mesmerized, looking out the bus window at how much the city had changed and yet stayed the same.  An hour or so later, we were at the hotel.  Dropped off our bags and hit  Shinagawa station for the Yamanote line which circles the city. 

Shinagawa is so convenient to me, after years of staying closer to central Tokyo, in the Ginza area, mainly for working with the uniform clients and manufacturers.  Much had changed due to the global economic crisis and I was warned that the prices for things would be very expensive.

In my opinion, the prices may be a little higher but I easily stayed within my daily budget because we do not eat American food in hotels.  That may be where visitors from the U.S. go wrong.  Eating in the cafes and regular restaurants, was very affordable, delicious and filling.  Food there is so fresh!