So, I’ve been staying in Shibuya but have never got around to writing anything about it. Shibuya is a shopping and entertainment district in central Tokyo that never sleeps, much like Shinjuku… and exactly what your Lost in Translation dreams are made of. The bustling crowds of people and neon signs will leave you mesmerised. It is known for it’s “scramble crossing”… one of the most famous intersections in the world and said to be THE busiest. You need to witness it and be part of it to understand what it is like… I crossed here many times. At peak hours, up to 3000 people all cross 7 crossroads simultaneously when the lights turn red. Pedestrians pour onto the street

… and observing the mass of humanity cross all at once is mesmerizing.

I stopped for an obligatory photo with the statue of the world’s most loyal dog… the Hachiko Memorial statue (apparently the most popular meeting point in all of Tokyo. There’s always heaps of people hanging around here (although not early in the morning).

I love the story about this dog, told in the movie Hachi- a dogs tale. The Akita dog earned his statue by waiting for his owner every day after his daily commute from work. One day the owner suffered a fatal cerebral hemorrhage and never showed up. This did not stop Hachiko though, as he continued to wait every day at the same location every day. People tried to take Hachiko in, but he kept breaking free to wait for his master. The station staff also tried to shoo him away because they didn’t like the idea of a stray dog lurking around. But nothing could keep Hachiko away… in fact he kept going and waiting for his master for a full ten years until he passed away.

My destination for today was Ashikaga Flower Park, just out of Tokyo. I have seen pictures of this place for years and it totally looks like something out of a fairytale. And I always wondered how I could incorporate seeing the cherry blossoms and wisteria on one trip as they flower at different times. But it occurred to me that since the cherry blossoms flowered early, perhaps the wisteria did too. Perhaps missing the early blossom season was a blessing in a way as it would allow me to see something that otherwise would not have been possible. So I thought I would go and see for myself, knowing it would definitely not be in full bloom but hoped it would still be worthwhile. And it definitely was!

The Japanese love flowers, and wisteria are among their favorites. They are called fuji in Japanese, like Mt Fuji, but unlike the mountain, the flower is pronounced by stressing the second syllable (and is written with a different character). Ashikaga Flower Park is one of the best places to see wisteria in all of Japan and features lots of blue, white and pink wisteria, as well as yellow laburnum (kingusari) which look like yellow colored wisteria… as well as many other seasonal flowers including cherry blossoms.

Three massive wisteria trellises extend for more than 1000 square meters, in addition to a large trellis of rare double-petaled wisteria. Absolutely stunning although not in full bloom.

One large fuji tree is 100 years old and its branches are supported to create a huge umbrella of blue fuji flowers.

They actually have tunnels of the fuji flowers and photos of this are part of what made me want to visit here. And no, they were not really flowering enough yet to get the effect…

… but the garden was simply stunning and the beautiful sweet smell of wisteria wafted through the air with the classical music that is played here. My senses were filled.

On the way home I made a quick stop in Harajuku… often described as the heart of Japanese youth culture… with its Harajuku girls… colourful sweets, unique fashion stores and purikura (photo booth), small boutiques and cafes that do 3D latte art at Cat Street…

… and luxury shopping at Omotesando. I had walked through here early in the morning when nothing was open so thought it would be good to see how it usually is.

Takeshita st is the most famous and you need to take a deep breath, and enter into the chaos of the street.

You’ll see so many interesting shops selling all sorts of ‘kawaii’ (cute in Japanese) clothing, items, and food!

You also see the local youth and adults dressed in the latest Harajuku fashion! They certainly have their own sense of style.

The glass archway entrance of Tokyu Plaza is cool. A puzzle of mirrors greets visitors and frames the escalators that take you inside. It produces a unique collage of reflections. The picture you get kind of mimics the inside of a kaleidoscope.

Takeshita Street in Harajuku is known for its colorful characters and fashion, however, it is also known for its colourful and fun food!

The Japanese are obsessed with sweets and I couldn’t believe how many exclusively sweets shops there are… literally everywhere. Crepes are one of those sweets and there are little shops all over the place… usually with huge queues. One of the strange things I have observed here is that so many restaurants and fast food outlets have fake displays of their food options at the front of their stores so that you know exactly what the finished product will look like when it’s fresh. This little cute place I snapped early one morning before opening… the crepes are certainly beautifully presented although I didn’t try so not sure if they are as delicious as they look.

And then there’s the ultimate fun food- giant rainbow fairy floss. This fairy floss has to be seen to be believed! I didn’t want to buy one as I don’t actually like fairy floss, but it did look really cool and I just snapped a picture of someone else’s.

I had thought about visiting one of Tokyo’s many animal cafes- puppies, kittens, micro pigs, penguins, owls and probably more. It was porcupines I wanted to see (as I’ve never actually seen one) and while I yearned to squeak with joy as I held one of these cute little balls in my hand, I just couldn’t get past the ethics. Keeping these animals in glass tanks, continually picked up and put down by people, exposed to sunlight despite being nocturnal, and crowded into hedgehog-filled rest areas while they’re typically solitary creatures… just doesn’t feel right even if they are well looked after. So in the end I decided not to go.

But now it was basically time to head home for the last time…