A Rainy Day in Shibuya and Harajuku (Part 1)

Barrels of sake at Meiji Shrine in Harajuku.

On my fourth day in Tokyo, I visited Shibuya and Harajuku. It was rainy and cold—as it was for most of my trip—but with rain boots, an umbrella, and a heavy jacket it certainly wasn't difficult to bare.

Although the neighboring areas of Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku are easily accessible by metro and other forms of public transportation, I elected to walk. On foot, it only takes about 20 minutes to reach Harajuku from Shibuya.

Hachiko in all his wonder.

It's raining, it's pouring!

Hachikō

The first place, or landmark, on my Shibuya-Harajuku agenda was the famous Hachikō statue just outside Shibuya station. Hachikō was a dog who waited around Shibuya Station for his owner Professor Hidesaburō Ueno who would meet him there after work. Unfortunately, the professor died from a brain hemorrhage and never meet his dog at the station again. Nonetheless, the loyal Hachiko waited for his owner outside the station for over nine years until he died in 1935 at age 11. 

After Hachikō's death, a statue of him was erected at the station in his memory. Over the years, the Hachikō statue has become a prominent meeting area for Tokyoites. Shibuya is an area teeming with crowds, so the noticeable statue serves it's secondary purpose well. 

Anchorage Farmer's Market

The Anchorage Farmer's Market grounds.

My mom buying fresh fruit.

The Anchorage Farmer's Market is located in the downtown area of the city and is open every Saturday between 9 am and 2 pm. Although the market isn't large, there are a wide variety of goods available, especially food and crafts.

On the day my parents and I visited, it was warm out by Alaska standards, but certainly not ours. It was kind of awkward being the only people in long sleeves and scarfs, but Alaskans seem to be acclimated to temperatures below 60F (15C) in the summer.

Ameyoko (アメ横): A Sweet Tooth's Paradise

Ameyoko's North Entrance.

Source

On my first full day in Tokyo, I visited Sensõji Temple, Kappabashi, Ueno, and Tokyo Character Street. Aside from the large Ueno Park, I believe Ameyoko（アメ横）is the most well-known tourist spot in the Ueno area. From Asakusa, I walked to Ueno, then took the train from Okachimachi to Tokyo Station.

A man selling chocolate and other candies.

On day 1, I was out and about for nearly half the day. Unfortunately, somewhere between Kappabashi and Ueno, my portable charger and wi-fi device both died! As a result, I was unable to send pictures and videos on my phone to my Dropbox, and my phone was too full to take pictures. So, I was left with my cheap, nearly decade old point-and-shoot...which also ran out of batteries! Thankfully, I was able to score new ones from the Yodobashi Camera (an electronic store chain) close to Ueno Station.

Ameya-Yokochõ（アメヤ横丁）—Ameyoko for short—is situated along the metro tracks between Ueno and Okachimachi stations. It used to be a marketplace for goods from America （america; アメリカ） right after WWII; however, these days Ameyoko sells discounted clothes, street food, dried goods, and sweets. Candy is a popular item sold in the area, and I doubt you can find it cheaper in any other part of Tokyo.

Sensō-ji Temple（浅草寺）: Recreation + Religion

In front of the main gate, Kaiminarimon（雷門）
with a big chōchin （提灯）or lantern.

A map of my Day 1 walking tour.
Source

The impressive handiwork
under Kaiminarimon's lantern.

Traveling is like a drug to me. I seemingly have unlimited energy when I'm on a trip because I want to see everything. Although it's not possible to see all the main sites in Tokyo during one short trip, I packed my days as much as I could, yet I ended up crashing on the fifth day, and aside from going to Tsukiji Fish Market, I did nothing but walk around the neighborhood where I stayed, buy a pair of cute socks at the grocery store, and sleep! However, my first full day in Tokyo heavily contrasted my fifth; I went to the Tokyo Skytree area, Asakusa, Kappbashi, Ueno, and Tokyo Station Character Street! Furthermore, I footed it from Tokyo Skytree to Okamachi Station（岡町駅）and took in all the alleys and neighborhoods in between, then hopped on the train to Tokyo Station. That day, I walked for around eight hours. Maybe I'm a little crazy, but I love walking, what can say?

Sensō-ji Temple's famous
five-story pagoda（五重塔; gojūnotō）

Many of the areas I passed through on my first day in Tokyo deserve their own posts; this one focuses on Sensō-ji Temple（浅草寺）in Asakusa（浅草）.

Along with Meiji Shrine（明治神宮）, I think Sensō-ji Temple—also known as Kinryū-zan Sensō-ji （金龍浅草寺）—is one of the most famous temples in Tokyo. While both shrines are well-known, they are associated with different religions, Shintoism and Buddhism, respectively. Additionally, Sensō-ji Temple is the older of the two. By how much? Well, Sensō-ji Temple was originally founded in 645, and Meiji Shrine was constructed in 1920—you do the math!

Sensō-ji Temple is dedicated to Avalokiteśvara; two brothers supposedly saw a statue of the bodhisattva in the Sumida River near the location of the current shrine. The temple was bombed during World War II and subsequently rebuilt, thus the shrine also symbolizes rebirth.

Tokyo Station Character Street

The sign above one of the entrances to the basement
of Tokyo Station.

As I went just before
Valentines's Day, there were
lots of heart-themed goodies
at the Nameko Store.

Do you want to buy everything you can possibly imagine with your favorite Japanese characters on them, but don't have time to run around to different stores in Tokyo to score some goods? No problem - just go to First Avenue Tokyo Station's Character Street! 

Mini Doraemon cakes. 

Currently, there are a total of 26 specialty stores on Character Street, each representing a different character or set of characters including Doraemon, Hello Kitty, Anpanman, Rilakkuma, Pokemon, and Studio Ghibi. From snacks to kitchenware to hair accessories, you can find almost anything on Character Street.

However, Character Street can be slightly difficult to find! In order to get there, after arriving at Tokyo Station, you'll need to head toward Yaesu North Exit. Take the exit and go to B1 using either the stairs of elevator. From there, follow the signs and you should arrive at Character Street 8-10 minutes after getting off the train depending on the time you go. If you do get lost (like I did the second time I went there, funnily enough), you can also ask one of the guides at the station and they will give you directions.