Our fav place to eat in Okubo was Hidakaya, a Chinese-style Ramen and Gyoza chain. First below is John's usual order: Kimchi Miso Ramen (L) and Veggie Gyoza (R)
The heart of Shinjuku is Shinjuku Station, catering to a daily passenger count of 3.6 million. It's a labyrinth of various trains and subways, operated by different companies, with a diverse range of businesses housed in various configurations within office buildings, malls, passages, and underground spaces - all interconnected. A notable Shinjuku highlight was the south observation tower at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, designed by the late Tange Kenzo, echoing the architectural form of Notre Dame. The views (day and night) from the 45th floor were awesome, and jet-lagged John had the opportunity to perform "Imagine" by John Lennon on the Omoide "Public" Piano.
The Harajuku district is traditionally considered the hip hangout for cosplay youths, but our timing was unfortunate as there was not much activity during our visit. However, the holiday lights at the adjacent Omotesando attracted a substantial crowd.
South from Harajuku is Shibuya, anchored by the iconic intersection known as the Shibuya Scramble which witnesses a daily pedestrian flow of 2.4 million. It has undergone renovations and appears much larger than I remembered. The Sibuya highlight for us was the Blue Cave illumination leading to Yoyogi Park. Interestingly, neither of our phones could accurately capture the vivid blue - not even close!
Heading farther south, we explored the trendy area of Ebisu, discovering a mix of modern buildings and temples.
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