Game, Set, Match

Earlier this week I managed to make friends with a chair tennis umpire who I met in Tokyo. He is in town because of the Toray Pan Pacific Open happening all this week. Yesterday was the opening day of the tournament, so I figured before I head out of Tokyo today, I'll swing by for some of the first round matches. I managed to see the matches between Japan's own, Kurumi Nara, and the Ukranian, Elina Svitolina. It was a heartbreaking loss for Nara, as you always like to see someone win the first round in their home country. 

The other match I saw was between Venus Williams and Mona Barthel, where Venus dominated the court. 

My friend gifted me tickets with some pretty great seats. I was amongst some of the other athletes spectating, coaches, and a few other overseas guests. As a sports enthusiast, I always like to watch how athletes and coaches watch their competition. The parents and guests of players also gave me some interesting insight into some of the other players, which I couldn't have gotten elsewhere. 

After those two matches, I decided to venture back into the city. In order to get to and from Ariake Colosseum, you take the Yurukamome Line, which allows for some of the best panoramic snapshots of the city. Even if you aren't going to a tennis match, it is worth the ride. You head over the Rainbow bridge and see some beautiful views of the bay. The whole loop around only takes about 45 minutes.

Today, I'm hopping on the bullet train to head south to the cultural center of Japan. Kyoto is loaded with countless shrines and temples, and is also host to some of the best traditional cuisine in the country. Can't wait to report back!

Pop of Plaid

It hardly feels like I have been in Japan for four days! Tokyo is so big I feel like I adventure into a new city every day. On the to-do list today, was to see Tokyo Station, the Imperial Palace and Shibuya crossing. This morning I started my day at a pretty leisurely pace. There were a lot of 'stop and smell the tempura' moments as I moseyed my way to Shinjuku station, rocking my plaid Rugby shirt around my waist. It was on the warmer side of things, so I wore my trusty jean shorts, and because of all of the walking planned for the day, I opted for my sneakers as opposed to my usual sandals.

I snagged this ring from my mother's jewelry box years ago and decided to string it up on a gold chain.
The other necklace is a sovereign gold coin (1925), gifted to me by my dad for my college graduation.

At Shinjuku station, I had to activate my JR Pass by turning in my exchange order, which if you remember from one of my previous posts, I had to purchase in the States. Once I received my pass, I hopped on the Chuo Line, which is an express to Tokyo Station. Before even going outside, I decided to grab lunch at one of the restaurants, or better known as a shokudo, in the station. One thing that distinguishes a shokudo from another type of restaurant is that they display their food in a case outside of their restaurant. I ordered a ranchi setto (lunch set), which had sashimi, tempura, soup, eel and rice, steamed vegetables, and Japanese pickles, or tsukemono, which I have really grown to like in particular. The whole thing came out to 2,700 yen. Apparently, that is on the more expensive side, and you can get something similar for around 1,000 yen.

After lunch, I found my way outside. There are about 20 exits to the station, so be strategic in which one you pick. I chose the Marunouchi North exit as it is closest to the Imperial Palace. The station doesn't look like anything you would expect to see in Japan. The brick walls and Western style is an interesting juxtaposition to the modern background. Some have rumored that it is supposed to be modeled after the main station in Amsterdam, but I'm pretty sure that's just a rumor.

Before reaching the Imperial Palace, I stumbled upon the Wadakura Fountain Park, which was a nice reprieve from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo Station.

This little girl was so adorable. When she saw me taking pictures, she insisted on a photo shoot.

After some time in the water park I took the ten minute walk to the entrance of the Imperial Palace. There is no charge to get in, but remember to grab a token before you head in, which needs to be returned when you leave. 

While the actual palace isn't open to the public (it's only open two days out of the year), the most popular places that people go to are the East Gardens, which is a collection of several different types of landscapes. Tourists and locals alike come here to escape the flurry of activity in the city, either to enjoy lunch or just hang out.

I decided this would be a perfect time to break out my book. Note: if you feel like coming here for a late lunch and to read, remember the park closes at 4:30pm. The last thing you want is to feel rushed in a place like this, so give yourself plenty of time.

For those wondering, I'm reading Without Reservations by Alice Steinbach. 

After relaxing for a while, I hopped back on the Yamanote line to Shibuya Station. From there it's a quick walk to Shibuya Crossing, which is famous for people constantly pouring across the street every day. All of the traffic lights turn red at once, so it is a bit of a free for all when the 'walk' signs light up. 

Tomorrow, I am heading to the Toray Pan Pacific Open to watch some tennis, and then packing to get ready for my short trip down to Kyoto.

xoxo

Get the Look: Plaid Shirt, Rugby Ralph Lauren // Tee, H&M // Shorts, Hudson // Sneakers, Jimmy Choo // Blue Bag, 3.1 Phillip Lim // Red Bag, Marc by Marc Jacobs // Watch, Michael Kors // Sunglasses, Ray Ban // Necklaces, vintage

Romping through Roppongi

Around 2:30am this morning, I was woken up, or shaken up rather, by a not-so-pleasant surprise. A 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit Fukushima and subsequently made it's way up to Tokyo to scare the living crap out of me. While I envisioned myself waking up to the sunset in my apartment in Shinjuku, I was now sitting straight up in bed praying that the pictures on the wall didn't fall off, or worse the whole building didn't crumble underneath me. Luckily, neither of those things happened, and after taking a few deep breaths, counting to ten, and confirming with the Twitter world that it indeed was an earthquake, I managed to fall back asleep. 

Not too terribly long after, I was woken up by the sun peaking through my shades. Much like I did in Santa Barbara, I quickly assembled my camera and made my way out to the balcony to capture the sunrise. It was a sign that I should put thoughts of my shaky morning in the past, and continue on to the beautiful day that lay ahead.

After breakfast, I journeyed towards Roppongi. Roppongi is known to be the least Japanese part of Tokyo, where most of the expats reside, but it is also home to the Tokyo Tower (technically in Minato, but right on the boarder) and some of the best sushi in town. After getting off at Roppongi Station, it is a bit of a walk to Tokyo Tower. You pass a lot of consulates along the way, heavily guarded by police men. Although in uniform, they always offered a nod and a smile. After about a 15 minute walk, I made it to Tokyo Tower. It was 820 yen to go to the main observation deck, where you could see just about everything.

For lunch, I headed back towards the center of Roppongi to Fukuzushi, which is situated in an alley off of Gaien-higashi-dor. It was around 2,600 yen for a set nigiri lunch. Not too bad for the area. I sat at the bar and had a pleasant conversation with the Itamae-san. Between my sub-par Japanese and his broken English, I think we did a pretty good job. 

The sushi was divine. This being my first official sushi in Japan, I had high expectations, and they were surpassed. I have never had unagi (eel) that melts in your mouth like it did. The tako (octopus) was so tender, and the ebi (shrimp) was the sweetest I have ever tasted. And not to be forgotten, the akami (lean tuna) was by far my favorite.

Afterwards, they lead you to a separate part of the restaurant for dessert and tea. The best way I can describe the dessert is something like 'coffee-jello' topped with a dab of chocolate sauce. I sat there and drank my tea and read for about an hour before heading back to Shinjuku to get ready for my first Friday night in Japan.

Sunglasses: Kate Spade

Tonight, I am planning on heading back to Omotesando to have a drink or two at Den Aquaroom. Here's to hoping there are no earthquakes that wake me up tomorrow morning. xoxo

Don't Fail to Prepare: Part 3

Tomorrow is the big day. I will be hopping on my first international flight of my three month long Asia adventure. So, instead of playing tourist in California today, I am wrapping up some last minute details. Here are the last few steps in order to finalize your preparations for your big trip:

Grab any last minute necessities. After a few days in California, I noticed a few things I was missing: socks, converters for my electronics, and I also needed to pick up an exchange order for a Japanese Rail Pass. First stop, I snagged some climatecool socks from Adidas that are odor resistant; they will be perfect for those hot days hiking around Thailand and Vietnam, and Bali. Next, I went to RadioShack where I picked up a pack of travel adapters that hopefully work in every country I am going to over in Asia. Fingers crossed that I have them all covered. The Japanese Rail Pass exchange order is very important. As a U.S. Citizen you cannot purchase an exchange order overseas, so it must be procured in the U.S. I bought mine on http://www.jrpass.com. They deliver it Priority Overnight via FedEx, so you get it quick and easy.

Make copies. One of the next things to do is to make copies of your passport photo page and all of your visas. Obviously, you aren't planning on losing your passport, but storing copies of your passport and visas through your luggage is helpful just in case. I also left a copy with my friend Malcolm. It is also important to take digital copies on your phone, and keep them on your computer as well. The more places you have them, and the more people who have access to them, the better off you are.

Call your cell provider. If you're like me, you'll want to make sure you can stay connected to friends and family to check in on the road. In addition to my dummy phone that I can insert different SIM cards into, I am bringing my iPhone. Even though you have a phone that works internationally, you still need to call your provider to tell them to activate your international antenna. Without doing so, you could be disconnected a little longer than you would like. Try to do this three days in advance of your trip.

Purchase Travel Insurance. Even if you are perfectly healthy and in good physical shape, travel insurance is a necessity. It's important to note that travel insurance is far beyond just medical coverage, it also covers cancellations, lost or stolen goods, legal expenses, and emergencies beyond medical emergencies, such as military conflict in the country you are in. The insurance provider I chose to go with is World Nomads. The great thing about World Nomads is that you can purchase your policy online in less than 5 minutes. Seriously! My 3-month coverage plan only cost me $187, and that covers up to $100,000 in medical expenses. Trust me when I say, this will be the best money you have spent on your trip. You never know what can happen, and it's always better to be prepared for the worst case scenario.

Can't wait to start posting abroad soon.
See you on the flip side, xoxo.