Future Metropolis

Our last day in Japan was spent wandering the world’s most future-oriented metropolis. We started our day with a leisurely lunch at the hotel’s restaurant, soaking up the surrounding garden views. Our rail passes then took us to Shinjuku, Tokyo’s modern commercial heart. They say that Shinjuku Station is the world’s busiest rail terminus, with more than two million people passing through its many entrances every day. It’s an easy place to get lost without a local, or a foreigner like myself who’s spent many years wandering its passageways in vain.

Our first stop in Shinjuku was the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. It’s one of the city’s tallest skyscrapers, with a free observatory at the top of its twin towers. From here you see Mount Fuji and the enormous expanse of humanity that fills the Edo region. Sadly, the humid haze prevented us from sighting Fuji, but the city views were still astounding.

I then took Garry to the opposite side of the station, whose appearance is in marked contrast to the orderly government buildings we’d just visited. The Eastern side is filled with narrow streets, each building littered with neon signs promoting its tenants or major brand names. Here you can also find many of the city’s largest department stores selling all manner of goods. Garry spent time in several camera shops looking for bargains, before we made our way to Isetan, a department store that covers several blocks.

We spent a delightful hour wandering Isetan’s food hall after deciding that the slim designer clothes upstairs had no hope of finding a home in our own wardrobe. The Food Hall is a microcosm of Japanese cuisine. One section profiled produce from various islands and prefectures, and other sections displayed all manner of seafood, sushi, and other Japanese delicacies. We sampled as many items as time allowed before reluctantly making our way into to Ginza.

We stopped briefly to tour the Sony showroom and then back to Shinagawa to collect our luggage and catch the Narita Airport Express. By 8:30pm our Qantas jet was airborne and our Shinkansen tour of Japan was over. However, we had one more special sight in store. Nick Lachey, the former husband of Jessica Simpson (and my favourite star), was on our flight. He sat across the aisle from us, creating a permanent kink in my neck as the flight progressed. He’s sexy even when fast asleep.