Fresh Eyes in Tokyo

The previous post was meant to document my first trip to Tokyo, and thus, Tokyo as I saw it for the first time. However, I got a little carried away. Here's my second attempt.

On my first day [alone] I headed out to Tokyo Tower to experience what probably every other tourist in Tokyo has also done. Not to be left out, I headed out early, arrived and immediately began to search for the giant walking penis I had before only seen in photos, cozying up to my boyfriend - Yipes! I did catch a fleeting glimpse of him, but as I was next in line for the elevator I was unable to apprehend him and he flitted away, ephimeral as always.

This ticket cost about 800 yen or so, and got me up to that first observation deck you can see in the photo. Ok.

Now, this ticket, purchased on said observation deck, cost me another 700 yen or so, and after about a half hour wait amidst many American teenagers on some sort of program, I was transported up to the "Special Observation Deck" pictured at the "top" of the tower.

Here are some of my impressions of Tokyo Tower:

My Krazy Kosta Rican Kicks

Tokyo Tower from below.

Part of a little "carnival" on about the 4th floor, geared toward kids.

All in all, the TT trip was... well, now I can say I went. Contrary to the above image, weather conditions were less than cooperative and my shots from the O.D.'s were less than impressive. I won't publish them here, you'll have to go see for yourself. What I did find impressive was the incredible sprawl of Tokyo itself. Massive. And my trip up was good for one thing: finding places to go next. From there I spotted a "big green thing," plotted the route I would walk, and about a half hour to an hour later I was at Sakuradamon Gate, entering the Imperial Palace Garden. On the other side of TT, I spotted a temple complex, which would a few days later turn out to be Zojoji Temple (which is redundant because -ji refers to a temple).

Onward!