Japan > The Shibuya crossing

We are staying one more night in Tokyo, but we check out of the hotel anyway. We had originally booked for three nights. An extra night couldn’t be booked at the same nightly rate. The rooms were already expensive, and now an extra eighty euros would be added. We find 280 euros for a room too much. Just two hundred meters away, we find a room for less than half that price. We’ve heard there might be a chance to get tickets for the guided walk through the Imperial Palace gardens.

Japan - A corner tower of the Imperial Garden at the palace

Normally, you have to reserve in advance, but the reservation system is temporarily out of service. This means tickets are available on the day itself. Just before nine o’clock, we are at the gate. The guard informs us that there are no guided tours today—it seems to be a holiday. However, we can visit the eastern palace garden. This garden is walled and has a special Japanese section. Admission is free, but we need to pick up a ticket. Presumably, this is to keep track of who leaves the park in the evening. On the other side of the park, we take the metro back to the hotel. In the afternoon, everyone goes their own way. I take the metro to the end of the Ginza Line, where the Shibuya district is located. This is a trendy neighborhood, popular with young people. The intersection in front of the station is the busiest crossing in Japan.

Japan - Shibuya Crossing is the busiest intersection in Tokyo

Every time the pedestrian light turns green, hundreds of people cross. From the slightly elevated station, I have a great view of it. At the intersection, there’s also a statue of a dog. The dog waited for its owner for two years, even though the owner had already passed away. There’s a long line of people wanting to take a photo with the dog. Between its paws lies a cat, seemingly unconcerned with the commotion around it. I cross the intersection with the crowd and walk into the neighborhood. Everywhere there are neon signs, billboards, and advertisements. This is Japan as I had imagined it: restaurants, music shops, and also nightclubs. I am constantly amazed that there is no litter on the streets, yet there are no trash cans anywhere either. I cannot imagine this in the Netherlands. On the northern side of the district is Yoyogi Park. On the edge stand the once-futuristic sports halls from the 1964 Olympic Games, which are still in use today. In four years, the Olympics will return to Tokyo. Through the Harajuku district, I enter Yoyogi Park. I follow people along the wide gravel path to the Meiji Shrine, where Emperor Meiji is buried. He died in 1912 and played a significant role in shaping modern Japan. It is a true pilgrimage site for many Japanese. In terms of design, this temple doesn’t compare to the Senso-ji Temple from yesterday. I leave the park on the northern side and wander through some neighborhoods and parks. Eventually, I take the metro back to the new hotel. The room here is smaller, but that doesn’t bother me much—it’s only for sleeping, after all.