Today I went for a long walk, a very long walk. I started out with my usual trip to the sushi restaurant for lunch and then decided to take a look at some of the other neighborhoods in the area. Three hours later I made it back to my apartment after trekking through Roppongi, Azabujuban, Motoazabu, Hiroo, Ebisu, and Shibuya. I must have traveled about 5-6 miles in total. What's great about walking is that you get a chance to absorb your surroundings. If you're in a car everything seems to go by in a blur and your sense of direction and orientation gets skewed. Somebody recommended that I get a bike, but it's not my thing.
Tokyo has some very distinct and interesting
neighborhoods with a small community feel. Azabu Juban, for example contains a collection of small roads filled with cafes, restaurants, and little boutiques worth trying. It remind me a lot of some parts of Europe. Walking through the neighborhoods also allowed me to grasp just how close, or how far in some instances, they were to each other. Maps can tell you distance, but unless you walk through it you really don't know. While on my walk I was also able to check out my future home which is a very cool, ultra-modern high rise in a central part of town. The building doesn't open until September 1st but I was able to get a tour to check out some of the model rooms. This is my first high rise living experience and I am definitely looking forward to it. I do admit that I generally hate living in big buildings, but this allows me to give it a try without the need for a long term commitment.
Once I got back to the apartment I ran into my German neighbor, Jan. He was on his way to a friend's apartment to check out the Tokyo-wan O-Hanabi Taikai, the largest fireworks festival in the region (fact check). One thing about the Japanese is that they love their fireworks. I mean they're fanatical about it. In August alone there must be about 6 major fireworks festivals within an hour of my apartment. This particular show lasted an hour and 20 minutes. Most other firework displays that I've seen would last maybe 15-20 minutes, but not in Japan and certainly not in Tokyo.
I decided to roll with Jan to see what it was all about even though I didn't really know Jan or his friend. We went to the top of the Akasaka Tower Residence in Akasaka where the common area on the 44th floor was cleared out for the event. The building itself isn't very tall but it sits on top of a hill which amplifies its height by at least 20 stories. From here we were able to see most of Tokyo and all of the fireworks display by the wharf.
After the fireworks were over I went along with a bunch of folks to have dinner, most of whom I'd just met. I couldn't tell you exactly where it was, but I know it was within walking distance from the hotel. It was about 15 of us across two separate tables and we ate and talked into the night. This would be the last time I saw Jan before he headed back to Germany so we went for a drink at a bar not too far from our apartment building. Jan had lived in Tokyo for many years while he was in college and speaks fluent Japanese. He comes to town multiple times a year on business and mentioned that he'll be back in a couple months. He schooled me on his version of the do's and don'ts in Tokyo and even recommended a few places that I should check out outside of Tokyo. Once I got back to my apartment I completely collapsed from exhaustion. It has been a very long and tiring day, but definitely worth it.
