Tokyo Haze #2

ODAIBA! Welcome back to Tokyo Haze and the second day of my Japan trip!

On the second day, now already filled with Akiba goodness, I decided to tackle Odaiba for the first half of the day before proceeding to Tokyo Tower.

I'm going to be honest, I'm not a gundam fan. But seeing a life size gundam certainly gives you reason to be one.

This majestic beast is even more majestic in person. I went during the day but at night, it will pop out full of lights! It's quite a scene that even a non-fan can appreciate. The sculptors also took the time to dive into the very minute details you'd expect of such a life-size specimen.

Truly incredible!

Aside from just the gundam however, Odaiba is also the home to the Miraikan; a science museum that is rather difficult to describe. To me, it's a combination of both science education as well as environmental awareness.

My arrival there was also rather fortuitous as the museum was hosting an international science convention. I saw scientists from all over the globe wandering around, discussing science-y things. It was an incredible experience although I believe it was wasted on a pleb such as myself. They were talking about the future of the world while I was checking to see whether they had my Dia strap in stock at Amiami.

Odaiba is also the home to some incredible sights! It was one hell of a tiring walk to get around but the scenery more than made up for it!

Right after Odaiba, the next destination was Shimbashi AKA the home of the salaryman. Men in suits cluttered the streets of Shimbashi, all dashing from one lonesome noodle joint to the next. Most travelled alone, keeping their eyes on their phones while not giving the slightest care about the world. Such is the life of a salaryman.

Despite the relatively tight atmosphere of the area, it was a necessary place to traverse to reach Tokyo Tower. Before that however, we (snwlprd and I) stopped by the tallest shrine in Japan: the Atago Shrine.

The steps weren't actually as challenging as it seems. They may be steep but they don't stretch for long. I've experienced worse but due to my incredible out of shape body, even this climb squeezed some air out of me.

After giving a short prayer (I'm a Christian but hey, I had to try it), we ventured towards Tokyo Tower. However, this was not before....

A shrine cat! MEOW! It was exactly like one of those animes where the cats just come, wander around and never leave! It was an adorable thing to see.

We didn't actually stand far enough away to get a better photo and I honestly couldn't be bothered to walk further to get a better photo. The tower is reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower if you've ever seen it except for its slightly larger height and red colouration. We did not go up the tower but I reckon the view might have been pretty sweet.

Tokyo Tower is also the home to the One Piece store! I'm not sure whether this is the largest One Piece store but it certainly had a whole bunch of goodies including two restaurants! This was the place that we (read: I) spent hours at. However, considering the photos I have, I believe that would be suitable for a separate post.

When we got out, it was already nightfall and the Christmas decorations were up! It was truly a magical experience (read: One Piece fangasm) and what a sight to cap it off with. I highly recommend coming to Tokyo Tower (obviously) but also Shimbashi in general. The sheer number of office drone workers might put you off but the city vibe combined with the multiple interesting destinations would certainly give you a great time, no alcohol required.

Especially so if you finish the day with a meal from Saizeriya! In case you aren't sure, yes, this is the restaurant that Wagnaria from Working!! is based off.