New Years Eve – Tokyo 2008

Our New Years Eve night began at about 7pm in Shibuya. In fact it started in Shibuya Crossing, where the population density fluctuates between – crowded, extremely crowded and unbearably crowded. Shibuya is also home to more two-storey TVs than any other area in the world.

Shibuya Crossing

7pm: Zoe and I then had our last dinner/meal for 2008 – soup ramen is unbeatable when it’s close to zero degrees outside.

Miso Ramen

Miso Ramen w/ egg

Bar seating only. At least everyone looks warm and happy

Shibuya got boring after a while (all the shops were closed), so we headed towards the clubbing paradise Roppongi. By Japanese standards, Roppongi hass a slightly dangerous reputation. But it’s still safer than pretty much every area in Sydney. Zoe and I followed advice and stayed away from drunken fights and dodgy African hustlers.

10pm: The main street Gaien-higashi-dōri (外苑東通り is where everything starts – clubs, clubs and more clubs. And I walked past all of them. I actually saw Tokyo Tower in the distance and wanted to spend NYE there instead (last minute change of plan). Strangely, we visited Tokyo Tower just earlier that afternoon from Hamamatsuchō

Tokyo Tower (from Hamamatsuchō side)

Tokyo Tower again from Hamamatsuchō side

It was Japan’s answer to Paris’ Eiffel Tower – just a bit more modern looking and also 13m taller. Its not very practical – mainly used as a tourist trap, and also gives Godzilla something to destroy every now and then.

Tokyo Tower from Roppongi side (11pm)

11pm: We joined the massive queue for tickets to go up to the main observatory. The place was swarming with Japanese couples and tourists everywhere.

Main entrance

11.30pm: Outside the lifts

The wait was all worth it in the end. We arrived at the top observatory at about 11.30pm, just in time to secure a window spot.

11.45pm: looking back at Roppongi

Countdown party

We did our New Year’s countdown right there, on top of Tokyo Tower, along with everyone on the dimly lit podium. Strangely enough, the countdown was done English, not Japanese. That was great, because counting backwards from 10 would really test my Japanese skillz.

1am: Tokyo Tower 2009

A Happy New Year

It was about 2am when Zoe and I were like, “Well dude, where to next?”. We didn’t have a hotel room for that night which means we were homeless. So we went back to Roppongi to bum around.

Gaien higashi dōri, Roppongi

The entire Tokyo police force must have been on that street, in proportion to the population of rowdy drunk foreigners.

2am: We were pretty hungry (and sleepy too, but more hungry than sleepy). There is only one place to go at 2am for food, and that is of course –

2am: McDonald's + Starbucks

Thats right, no prizes for getting that right. We shared a shake shaka chicken (¥120, $2), a McPork burger (¥120, $2) and white chocolate (¥460, $7.50). mmmm yum…..

4am: After supper we went to Manga Hiroba, which is a 24 hour comic library + internet cafe. For ¥600 ($10) for 3 hours, I was given this:

4am: My bed for the night

Amazingly comfy leather seat for reading, Internet, or sleeping/crashing. I planned my time perfectly for 1 episode of prison break, then a 2 hour nap session. Zoe spent the whole night on facebook, or at least thats what she said…

6am: Surprisingly it wasn’t too hard to wake up at 6am, maybe because I got used to it from CompSci assignments. We looked pretty terrible though, as we went to catch the morning trains, big puffy eye-bags and all.

Outside Roppongi station at 6am

So that became our NYE and last night in Tokyo. We took the bullet train out after that.