Journeys for Knowledge

For the next several posts, I will recount my two week trip to Tokyo and Kyoto over the winter break. For part of this journey, I was accompanied by my friend who came to visit me on her way to India. This post however will focus on my first day in Tokyo, where I simply immersed myself in the city by exploring various districts. Much like my previous exploits in London, the goal was just feel comfortable getting around the dense and busy city, before focusing on particular sights.

It happened to be a holiday that day, celebrating the emperor’s birthday. As such I deemed it appropriate to pay a visit to Meiji-jingu, the famous shrine in the heart of Tokyo dedicated to Emperor Meiji. To those who are unaware, Emperor Meiji was chiefly responsible for spurring Japan into industrialization, helping make it a powerhouse on par with the Western powers back in the early 1900s. As such, he is held is very high regard with the Japanese people, so his shrine is often quite crowded. But inside the main courtyard, you would never guess you were in the middle of a bustling city. The insulating park around the shrine provides a calming atmosphere inside a stressful environment.

The rest of the day had no real target, just aimless wandering through the districts of Shinjuku, Harajuku, and Shibuya. Shinjuku was a bit more dense and full of tight alleys, while Shibuya was covered with multistory departments stores with everything from electronics to clothes to hobby materials. Harajuku however was rather eccentric, with ethnic restaurants, food trucks, and a tight alley full of indie fashion I couldn’t fully comprehend. Yet all these districts coexist in one giant city, and that was only the first day of many.

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