Tokyo

Mt Fuji is clearly visible from QF25 as it descends into Tokyo. Ascending above the cloud cover, the snow capped peak provides my  first glimpse of Japan. As we get closer to Haneda airport, the city of Tokyo becomes visible, with its mix of modern skyscrapers and more traditional architecture intermingled in a thriving metropolis of 13 million people. This is my first ‘mega-city’, which feels daunting arriving from a country that struggles to number 22 million!

It is an early morning arrival into Haneda at 6am. The pilot has burned a stack of extra fuel to make up for the 90 minute delay at Sydney airport. Apparently the 747 needed to be towed across from the Domestic airport, with runway traffic blamed for the delay.  Haneda airport has a monorail service that takes me within walking distance of my hotel, the Intercontinental Tokyo Bay. It is easy to find the ticket machines for the monorail, and there is an ATM that accepts international cards helpfully placed right next to them. The fare to Hamamatsucho station is 490 yen, or about $5.97 Australian dollars. It is less than 30 minutes to Hamamatsucho, and the sakura (cherry blossoms) are evident along the rail line. It’s a 10 minute walk to the hotel, and it is only 7am. Too early to check in, so I leave my bag with the concierge (helps to travel with hand luggage only), and head out to investigate the subway and train system.

There is a subway/metro station almost outside the hotel, so I decide to spend the morning working out how to navigate train system. The Takeshiba station is on the Yurikamome Line, and services Odaiba Island. I buy a one day ticket for 820 yen. I have no idea what is there, but it looks like hotels, shopping malls and a port area. An interesting promenade at Daiba station catches my eye as we pass it on the train, so I hop off to investigate further. It is still only 8am, and there are very few people around. Which is good as I end up heading in the opposite direction of the promenade, as the Statue of Liberty has caught my eye. One of many replicas, she stands on the waterline of this man-made island, in front of a relatively new bridge reminiscent of the Golden Gate Bridge, called Rainbow Bridge. As an aside, a ride on the Yurikamome Line is worth it simply for the sweeping 360 degree circuit it takes to get onto the Rainbow Bridge.

I’m impressed so far with the ease of navigating around Odaiba Island – everything seems to be in Japanese with English translations. By reading the maps, I discover that I can walk on a series of hiking trails through the coastal park around to where there is a view of Mt Fuji on a clear day. With 5 hours to kill before joining an afternoon tour, it sounds like a plan. I’m also impressed at how many clean, safe public toilets there are – some 250 metres apart, and never more than a kilometre. Likewise for the drink vending machines – Tokyo is so safe that there are vending machines everywhere, and no harm seems to come to them to the point that they are found in quite isolated areas like this coastal park. There are also recycling bins everywhere!

Odaiba Island feels more like Honolulu with the palm trees, and the harbour police also seem to have a crime scene around a small car that has been fished out of the harbour.

The Port of Tokyo seem to be reclaiming some land and digging a large freeway tunnel, so the usual connections between the hiking trails aren’t open. A few deviations through built up areas brings me to the surprising Aomi-Minami Coastal Park. I can hear a ship being unloaded nearby, yet here is this little park of Japanese elegance right next to it. Complete with Sakura (Cherry Blossom), some sun-bathing turtles and large koi swimming in the pond.

There is a big Ferris Wheel on Odaiba Island, which seems to open odd hours – according to the signage, it should open at 10am, but doesn’t seem to be open by 11am. It looks like it might have good views over Tokyo, so I decide to make the most of my Yurikamome Line day pass to travel to the end of the line and back again while I’m waiting. There is something strangely therapeutic about sitting in the front seat of the train and watching the train move between stations.

 The Ferris Wheel is finally open when I return – the views are good, but not great. Better to look at the colours at night I think.

As a first time visitor to Tokyo, I’ve booked an afternoon tour, thinking erroneously that it might be difficult to get around on my own. Having mastered the ticketing and navigation of the subway, this now seems redundant, which isn’t helped by the idea of 4 hours on a bus with small seats.

The first stop on the tour is the viewing platform of the World Trade Centre, for a better view of the city than the Ferris Wheel.

Then it’s on to the Imperial Palace – or at least the old watchhouse and moat outside the Palace. Some pretty Sakura blossoms though across from a very busy street.

Then it’s on to the first tourist trap – Asakusa Shrine. Very famous, and very touristy. The best part is the flower display at the side of the temple, and grazing for street food in the alleys away from the main street. Some great filled waffles in the shape of carp to be had at one very popular place. A cheese tart from another vendor is a revelation – it looks like a Portuguese custard tart, but turns out to be a cheesecake in a hard casing. Delicious!

 Next is the Sumida River cruise – it starts from near the Asakusa Shrine, and ends at a pier near my hotel. Tokyo has some lovely iron bridges, but this cruise isn’t the best way to see them. It also isn’t a great river to cruise down – very few buildings of interest. Best to discover the bridges on foot. The high point is being able to walk the 200 metres to my hotel from the pier to finally check in. 12 hours after landing at Narita, I can stop for the day!