Yesterday was eventful. I woke up late Sunday morning to a gorgeously sunny and warm day, knowing that I wanted to head down to Harajuku in Shibuya to see the girls who dress up intricately. I checked my map and my Lonely Planet’s guide to Tokyo. It mentioned that including Harajuku and excellent shopping Shibuya-ku has the Meiji shrine and Yoyogi park. So I set off from my apartment to see what I could see.
I took the express train to Shibuya and got off amidst a sea of people. Apparently, the national holiday “silver week” started this week and people were out and about in droves, shopping the sales and soaking in the sunshine. Since I had no idea where I was going, merely an idea, I did what I always do when exploring a foreign country, follow interesting people. It may sound a bit creepy on my part but it always seems to work for me. I choose someone who has a quick step and I follow in their wake, pushing myself into the small space that opens up behind them on particularly busy streets. I found my way out of the station by following a girl through the department store. Then I followed another girl until I found some major streets which took me all the way to the Yoyogi national stadium, built for Tokyo’s 1964 summer Olympics.
Stumbling blindly onwards, I ran into the 2009 Vietnamese Culture Festival where bowls of steaming Pho, people in pointy straw hats, and more colors and smells that I could quantify filled the streets. It was hard to tear myself away from the celebration of a culture that I only know through watching Apacoplypse Now. But I crossed a bridge and found Yoyogi park, one of the largest parks in Tokyo and the site of Japan’s first successful powered aircraft flight in 1910. The park itself was filled with people. The day was sunny and many were lying in the sunshine, picnicking, or playing ballgames. The park consisted of bike paths, ponds, green open spaces, a dog park, gardens with native Japanese flowers, and shady areas turned golden by beautiful large trees. I spent some time just walking around and taking it all in.
You see, I collect parks. My mother and I, when I was a very little girl, would go to parks wherever we went, cataloguing them and placing the memories in our pockets. We would give them names: Cinderella Park and BunnyBear Castle being my favorites. So I always make it a habit to find parks in any new place I go to– to put it in my pocket and add to our collection.
I walked the entire park. Every new little grove of trees had it’s own musician and person either meditating or practicing martial arts. I heard a cello, a pan flute, and several guitars; the music produced a soundtrack to my wanderings which was quite whimsical. After I left the park I picked a nice couple to follow and they led me right to Meiji shrine, which is a Shinto shrine to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, dedicated in 1920.
I took a long pebbly path to the main Shrine. And found barrels of French wine and Japanese Sake donated to the shrine. From the barrels of dedicated alcohol, I
walked to the main shrine which was big and gorgeous. Before I reached the shrine, I washed my hands and mouth out, as is the Shinto procedure before entering a temple. I was really lucky to be there at the time when a traditional Japanese wedding procession was taking place.From there I walked back to the Meiji cafe and bought an ice cream. Some Americans were also eating ice cream and we started chatting. They were all bike messengers hailing from Seattle and Chicago in Tokyo for the Cycle Messenger World Championships. I should have gotten some pictures with them as I’m sure one of these 5 people that I met will be winners! I wish them the best of luck and will try to make it by the competition, if I can find out when and where to go. http://www.cmwc2009.com/en/news.html for info on CMWC!!
From Meiji, I made my way into Harajuku to try and see some Harajuku Girls! At first I only saw a few but after some investigation found a whole bunch shopping in the alleys and department stores. I also found where I can buy some really elaborate outfits like they wear which can cost around 30,000 yen (roughly $300).After I saw them I wandered in the alleys in Harajuku (Not for the claustrophobic or faint of heart). I felt like a salmon trying to swim upstream with so many people in such a small space. The tiny alleys blast hip-hop from the unique youth fashion boutiques; so many different styles and some quite affordable, others not so cheap. Everything was going quite well until there was a start spotting in the middle of an alley. Suddenly, at least 100,000 people were
It was like being in a small walk-in closet with 100 other people all pushing you around. Quite an experience!
crowded into my personal space. The gentle stream of movement came to an abrupt stop and everyone was clamoring to see the star; I never figured out who it was although I was 20 feet away from the person. I imagined being crushed underfoot and almost lost a toe or two when people pushed past, using my feet for solid ground. I thought of that poor woman trampled to death at Wal-Mart some months back and I was pretty sure my fate was similar. I’m not agoraphobic in the least but there were just too many people and I feared for the small children and frail grandmothers beside me. Eventually, it cleared up. I asked an Australian couple nearby what on earth was happening and they confirmed the rumor that it was some star, albeit unknown to us foreigners.
After I escaped from my near-death experience. I came upon a Forever21 and an H&M, both at least 3 or 4 stories tall with 100 people lined up in front of each waiting to get in and shop the sales. I had planned on dashing in to get a cardigan but was dissuaded by the wait time. I walked on.
After some more following of people, I managed to find my way back to my station, just off the famous cross walk. The train ride home, though crowded, felt enormously spacious! When I got to Aobadai, I treated myself to a bit of luxuriously empty UNIQLO shopping experience. Shopped the sales and got some plaid!
Asians in Their Environment:
Meditating in Yoyogi Park
Naomi and I are going to try again to get a movie in tonight.
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