a bABy sTEp; bIG brEAk tHRouGH!!

After taking a rest on the weekend (except for throwing away the recycled trash on Sunday night, which is my part of job), I decided to go out for the nature today. I was looking for Yoyogi-koen (代々木公園), so I got off the train at Yoyogi station. Then I noticed that the sign says that Yoyogi-koen is closer to Harajuku (原宿). Therefore, I went to another big park around Yoyogi station which is called Shinjuku-gyoen (新宿御苑). Then, this was what I found out:

Wow... CLOSED on Mondays!! I came all the way in a cloudy day for a closed park!! I think I should be more careful next time. Oh well, walking around wouldn't be that bad I think, and it's a day too cloudy and cold for a beautiful park anyway.

A traditional graveyard temple in the middle of the city. Right between two tall buildings.

Kabuki-chyo (歌舞伎町)

I then accidentally walked into the Shinjuku higashi kuchi area(新宿東口), and I found Kabuki-chyo. There's a lot of strange DVD shops, pachinko and love hotels in the area, but it's not the first time have seen these strange business running. I then found out on my tour book that this "one of the world's more imaginative red-light areas" (adapted from Lonely Planet-Japan) Thank god I went in the afternoon.

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Except for the red-light district I bumped into, I walked by numerous department stores. Takashimaya(高島屋) Time Square , Isetan (伊勢丹) Department Store, Mitsukoshi (三越) Department Store and so on. No matter how many department stores I passed by, one thing never changed-- I never stepped in any of them. Mainly because I don't think I'm here to shop, and I really don't think there's that much of a difference between the ones in Taiwan and Tokyo that I had to spend time inside the store. Instead, I'm going to spend my time and energy on food and scenery during my stay in Japan.

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So, there I went, to a sushi train restaurant!! In Japan, it's well known that female don't eat at "Japanese fast food restaurants" alone. What I meant by "Japanese fast food restaurants" are restaurants like Yoshinoya (吉野家) which is famous for beef bowls. These Japanese fast food restaurants usually have only bars instead of tables for their costumers; however, the food they serve is not only cheap but fresh and delicious. Today I prepared myself with "oh, whatever, I don't give a damn" attitude, and I walked into the store. Then I found out that I was greeted happily by the sushi chef and the waitress!! And I wasn't the only female eating alone, right after I walked in, another Japanese female came in all by herself, too. I even asked for an order of uni, which cost only 130 yen!! I had a great dinner for today.

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