It’s a rainy, dreary day in Monzen Nakacho and only a fool would go exploring on a day like today yet exploring Harajuku is exactly the fool’s errand I embark on…
2:00pm JST
My Y525 conbini umbrella in hand, I’m off to explore Harajuku, the trendy, fashion center of Tokyo. Japan sells thousands of inexpensive conbini umbrellas every day and considering the variability of the weather here, I can understand why.
2:30pm JST
Walking to Etchujima station, I see a guy with a trained hawk. A trained hawk right in the middle of a suburb of Tokyo! Followed him a ways down the street but he ducked around the corner and disappeared inside a building. I notice that on rainy days like this, the crows are very active, flocking and making noise.
3:00pm JST
I arrive at Etchujima Station, taking the long way around the block, where the JR Keiyo line awaits to take me to Tokyo Station. At Tokyo Station I board a Yamanote Loop train for Harajuku Station. One of the more wonderful things about JR are the melodies played at each of the stations when trains arrive and depart. JR melodies make me happy.
3:30pm JST
I arrive at wonderful, trendy, fashionable Harajuku Station… in the rain!
4:30pm JST
Harajuku offers quite a few arts and crafts stores and museums but the fun is limited in there rain. We decide to find dinner and depart at the Fukutoshin subway line.
5:00pm JST
Now we’re in familiar territory, connecting with the Oedo line which takes us back to Monzen Nakacho.
6:00pm JST
Breking with tradition we decide to try out Jonathan’s, a sit down family restaurant. Family restaurants in Japan offer a wide variety of entries as well as unlimited drink refills.
I order a huge steak, garlic bread and baked potato with steak fries. The steak fries are awesome!
For desert I have Japanese ice cream with mochi and azuki bean paste.
7:00pm JST
Time to head back to the apartment. The rain falling from the night sky offers much impressive video footage although I must look like an idiot with my video camera in the rain in the night.