Polar in Tokyo

[Nyororin]

I had to laugh at what you`re referring to as "alleys" - those are regular streets.

[noname4444]

Nice posts Polar. A group of friends and myself will be staying in Toyko during November and staying in the same hotel as yourself . Have you found any great places to eat close to the hotel?

[Polar]

Re: Alleys, really ? Heh I learned something new.

As far as food near the hotel, to be honest I havedn't eaten much here I was stuffed on the flight over so it took a few days to get hungry again

There seem to be some popular places for lunch and there's a Sri Lanken resto close by if that interests you.

I will probably know better in a few days after trying some.

Word of advice for those staying at the Sunroute in Shinjuku, don't bother packing a tooth brush, toothpaste, hair brushes, shampoo, conditioner, soap, shaving creme, razor. It's all included. The only thing that isn't full sized and is just a mini is the tooth paste.

[Polar]

Oh, you get a night shirt too

[noname4444]

Originally Posted by Polar

I will probably know better in a few days after trying some.

Word of advice for those staying at the Sunroute in Shinjuku, don't bother packing a tooth brush, toothpaste, hair brushes, shampoo, conditioner, soap, shaving creme, razor. It's all included. The only thing that isn't full sized and is just a mini is the tooth paste.

Oh, you get a night shirt too

Thanks for the heads up . Ug, I still have eight months to wait, time's going to drag by. So how long are you going to be in Japan?

[nobora]

Awesome pics

[Nagoyankee]

Originally Posted by noname4444

Nice posts Polar. A group of friends and myself will be staying in Toyko during November and staying in the same hotel as yourself . Have you found any great places to eat close to the hotel?

No worries. Shinjuku is like the Gourmet Ghetto of Tokyo with hundreds of restaurants. You will find everything there.

Btw, try going to the top floor of one of the skyscrapers west of the Shinjuku Station. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building would be my choice. You will be able to see Mt. Fuji from there on fine days.

[Polar]

I'm here till Mon the 24th

Yeah I can see the building from my room it has all the dishes on it right ?

I'm telling you I don't know how anyone can get lost here way too many landamarks to use. I'm amazing myself. I'm not even paying attention to streets just signs and stores.

[Polar]

Good morning !

Today we're off to see some of the more seamier parts of Shinjuku

specially East Shinjuku home of Yakuza, Love Hotels and more. We're

going during the day so as not anger anyone whilst taking photos. Heck

I'd be annoyed if someone did that to me. If you played the games

Yakuza 1 and 2 this is the setting for it although the name was

changed.

The route seems pretty easy just get to the east side of Shinjuku

station and we're off to the races.

This is one of the cooler buildings spitting distance from my hotel

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00426.jpg

One the way I notice a pocket of streets I seem to have missed

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00427.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00428.jpg

Check out those streets, they are full side buses through too, I saw

one of the traffic cops guide a bus is 40 secs flat. I clapped out

loud and he grinned and me and bowed.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00429.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00430.jpg

It is just me or the building in the distance resemble a woodpeckers

nest ? I keep expecting a giant head to poke out of it.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00431.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00432.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00433.jpg

Apparently quite a few movies have used this area as a set, not sure
which ones.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00434.jpg

Old ad for Blue Dragon like 2 years old

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00436.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00437.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00438.jpg

Every single one of those signs denotes a club in the SAME building !

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00439.jpg

Mmmm more plastic food and believe it or not they are NOT cheap if you

were thinking of grabbing one, as they are for sale but not here.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00440.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00441.jpg

Ok that was pretty cool but we have to move onwards, hey another kitty

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00442.jpg

An extraordinary bus stop

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00443.jpg

It's at this time I start to grasp just how damn bid Shinjuku station

is, all we want to do is make it to the other side.

This is one of the guides who help the buses make the turn.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00444.jpg

Hey I know this building I can see it from my hotel, so much for

getting lost this time.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00445.jpg

My lame attempt at a stealth shot to show the masses coming out of

Shinjuku station's West Entrance, looks like a nice jacket though.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00446.jpg

Times Square, must be a mall of sorts.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00447.jpg

Now this has to be biggest disappointment I've had so far. So many guide

books and websites revere the Alta building's "massive" video screen.

Uh maybe 10 - 15 years ago this was considered "big" but I've seen

bigger back home

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00448.jpg

The buildings here just continue to impress me, think you'd see this

elsewhere, nah it would just be a regular apt building.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00449.jpg

In the distance there is Bic Camera, it sells everything you could

possibly want from cell phone to computers to game systems to washing

machines

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00450.jpg

More plastic food, believe it or not those are NOT cheap.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00451.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00452.jpg

Woah pricey kind of, like the boot stein though

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00453.jpg

Puzzle design

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00454.jpg

Ducky Duck

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00455.jpg

We have to be getting there at some point I mean we are on the east

side now.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00456.jpg

AHA

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00457.jpg

Hey what's that on the roof up there ?

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00458.jpg

Bingo ! some gates

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00459.jpg

Everyone ready ? Cause here we go ...

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00460.jpg

Nice !

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00461.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00462.jpg

Yep we're here alright

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00463.jpg

Lots of restaurants too

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00464.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00465.jpg

One of "those" stores

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00466.jpg

Hmm

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00467.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00468.jpg

American Bar with monkey

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00469.jpg

Live fish, sort of surprised I haven't seen more of these maybe they

just aren't in the front window

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00470.jpg

How narrow are the streets ? THIS NARROW !

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00471.jpg

An arcade but ewww like I'd touch any the controls here.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00472.jpg

Love Hotel

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00473.jpg

How can they fit all those places in that one building ?

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00474.jpg

Awesome Engrish

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00475.jpg

Again look at all those clubs in there

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00476.jpg

Another view of the same building but a cooler side of it

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00477.jpg

Looks like they cater to women too !

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00478.jpg

Roof detail of a love hotel

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00479.jpg

I love the these type of staircases they are pretty common

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00480.jpg

More love Hotels, rates seem pretty reasonable

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00481.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00482.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00483.jpg

Cool

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00484.jpg

Blade Runner Love Hotel

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00485.jpg

Uh ... ok

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00486.jpg

Hey it's a batting cage

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00487.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00488.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00489.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00490.jpg

[Polar]

Well I think that's enough seediness for this morning. Lets grab some lunch.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00491.jpg

Gambling den

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00492.jpg

The woodpecker nest building from a different angle

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00493.jpg

So I try to decide what I want ... curry ... sushi. when I pass this sushi place. A guy calls out to me, the waitress follows with both chefs responding in kind. It was AWESOME ! So I go inside and point at the menu for an assorted plate but what's this, it's place that does it by the plate.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00494.jpg

The chef talks me with a wide smile, I smile nod and keep saying "Hai". It works perfectly !

Now this is neat, you take a tea bag put it in your cup and press the cup against that black knob there and hot water comes out the spout.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00497.jpg

Here's what 900 yen gets you alongside Miso

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00496.jpg

Now you get other stuff form other restos for cheaper but the staff were so endearing I couldn't say no. The only thing I had a problem with was the sliver skinned one, that's sardine and it was generous portion, it was NOT was I was expecting and almost caused me to gag. Not sure why I love sushi and anchovies but I made it through. They also had pots of picked ginger to help yourself too.

finished I put my jacket on which starts another chorus from the workers , obviously good bye and come again.

Pretty interesting trip some peculiar things though I noticed some tough looking guys looking at me we they Yakuza ? Who knows. The other thing is there were a few cops and guy comes around the corner wearing a surgical mask and one cop steps up to him and says "Konichiwa" I have never heard a more formal tone and it was weird as the only one who's been saying Konichiwa all the time is me.