Old Palace, New People

I wake up early today, the Japan group doesn’t meet until this evening so I have the day to myself and I plan on keeping it cheap and cheerful. I leave the hostel and set my Apple Maps for the Imperial Palace Gardens. It is about an hour’s walk and feels like it is my first real taste of everyday life in Japan. My walk starts before many of the shops are open but the streets are already bustling with people everywhere, especially in and around the station, but with the beautiful sunny weather I am enjoying being back on city streets. I walk down the occasional back road and market street taking in all the sights and smells they can throw at me. What I really enjoy though, is when I rejoin a main road and see a massive building covered in artwork and ads; this is what I picture in my head when I think Tokyo. I pass what looks like a massive anime store; I am talking multi multi story building that isn’t open yet but has already got a queue around the block, I imagine there must a product drop of some sort the people, virtually all young men, are waiting for.

Finally, I cross one more busy street to come face to face with a massive moat in the middle of Tokyo. Slowly crossing the bridge, unsure if I am heading in the right direction for the entrance, I am met by a lovely smiling old security guard who cheerfully waves me through, a man who clearly enjoys his job. It is free entry into the palace grounds which is a tick for the cheap and cheerful plan! Once in the grounds I realise that there isn’t really any palace left, this is mainly the gardens, but nonetheless I start my wander round. I pass a lovely pond with a small waterfall feature and a variety of coloured fish and enjoy the incredibly manicured trees and lawns, as well as an assortment of flower gardens, including a mini orchard which smelt amazing. I work my way round the whole of the gardens ending at the only part of the palace still standing, the base of one of the towers. Not much to see in itself, but walking up it afforded a lovely view over the gardens. Along the way I see another f’off spider which I desperately try to get a photo of. Finally, catching it on camera, I walk on noticing that I have brought the attention of several men who, I guess, have the same caveman response in their brain when seeing big old spider!

Hirakawa moat around Tokyo Imperial Palace next to the Marunouchi district skyscrapers

Now looking sharp and refreshed I notice Ashley, another person from the soon-to-be group, is around early and is asking if any wants to grab lunch. This is at the same time Jas and I are messaging about meeting up for lunch, so the three of us plan to meet in the lobby and head off to lunch. I arrive at the lobby a little early and find Rachel, the groups Japan tour guide, working away to ensure everyone’s check in goes smoothly and everyone is arriving. We have a nice little chat while I wait for Ashley and Jas to arrive for lunch. Rach has been a guide in Japan for six months with Intro Travel before working in Bali as a guide. She is from the England and she seems lovely and I thank her for helping me with my check in the other day. Ashley shows up first and we have a little chat before Jas arrives. Turns out she is pretty much a genius! She is about to start a PhD in chemistry, is a big fan of Japanese anime and has spent the last couple days in Tokyo shopping to the point she thinks she may have to buy another case to take it all home to the US of A. After a quick intro and chat Jas arrives and we head out for lunch. We have decided to give one of the restaurants Rachel sent me in her recommendation list the other day. I decide to get the special that comes in the form of rice, a sauce with veg, a crispy meat cutlet and little pickle on the side; it is rather delicious.

Imperial Palace Gardens

After the palace my plan is to head to the Ameyoko shopping street. I am not a big shopper myself, but I’ve only been in Japan a couple days and the growing amount of change I have in my pocket means I am in need of a coin purse. So I make my way back through the streets of Tokyo, occasionally ignoring my map directions, to wander a back street or two that look fun. Finally I arrive at the shopping area and spend some time admiring the clothes stores, the restaurants and market stalls. I tell you what I am yet to see – a Japanese person that isn’t incredibly stylish, every single one of them has some aspect of unique style that makes them look good. I find myself a shop selling little coin purses and go for the cheapest black one I could find, after all it’s got to match my wallet – I may not be stylish but I am not a savage! After finding a home for my coins it is finally time to try and get the mess I call hair sorted out and so I head to a barbers near the hostel. I have read the reviews of this place and, as well as being reasonably priced, the only negative anyone has said is that the barber doesn’t talk during the haircuts. Now, I can speak about two words of Japanese in total so that doesn’t sound like a negative to me so in I go and learn that the only English word this guy knows is clippers. After trying to do my best to explain what I want I sit back, relax and hope for the best. I am not disappointed, although not exactly what I wanted the cut doesn’t seem bad at all and more importantly my beard is no longer the thing that made Tom in China refer to me as Terrorist Tom. Although he trims my beard he doesn’t shave my neck or cheeks, but luckily I have a razor at the hostel, so I happily pay and thank the barber before heading for a shower and to finish off the shave.

Hirakawabashi bridge across the Hirakawa moat

Jorō spider (Trichonephila clavata)

Shopping

First group meal, filling up the little restaurant

After lunch it is back to the hostel where, later, the full group meets officially for the first time. There are sixteen of us in total and we seem to be clicking well. We head out to a little restaurant which our group pretty much fills up. I have the pleasure of sitting on a table with Amanda, Rebecca, Natalie, Jas and Sarah. The food was a weird pancake omelette thing that was cooked on a flat top in front of us on the table. I order a sake after seeing Rebecca and Natalie do the same and have to admit I didn’t love it, but luckily I am able to pawn off the rest to Amanda, who didn’t seem to mind, what a team player! It is a really nice meal and all the tables seem not to have the awkwardness that can come with new groups; a good sign for things to come. We do have a laugh as a group when at one point it starts raining outside, the door is open and there is the loudest crack of thunder I have ever heard; the older waitress jumps out of her skin (I admit I did too) into one of the waiter’s arms, right in front of our table, she gives us all a look and we all start laughing! After we have all finished with our pancakes we head back to the hostel and a few of us stay up and chat with beers. This is where I properly meet the rest of the group. I sit next to Stephen, he’s from Ireland, so I correctly make the assumption that I will have a good drinking partner for the trip! I get to bed, a little later than those in my room, so am still unsure at this point who exactly I am sharing with, but I am sure I will find out tomorrow morning. As for now, I jump in the shower, as I’m not sure I want to compete with the group of sixteen for the two showers in the morning, and head to bed excited about starting this new adventure with new friends in the morning!

Okonomiyaki, a Japanese savoury pancake