Even a huge metropolitan city like Tokyo kawaii* (meaning “cute or lovable” ) is on every corner, style and attitude and it just keeps on impressing and baffling you how such a modern, hi-tech and serious city can have so many sweet expressions everywhere.
Last year was my first time I visited Tokyo and got a small taste of and a general feeling of it. This time returning in this far, far away country drew my attention to details, feelings and contrasts. Of course as it was a work trip than did not have time to be a tourist nor take my usually quantity of pictures so this will be glimpse of Tokyo on-the-go with a kawaii twist.
When I arrived to Tokyo it was gray and gloomy and all first days of my staying there was raining cats and dogs and even experienced a typhoon 18/30 strength and even an earthquake of 5,2.
(Getting yourself an umbrella is essential in weather like this…
so I went for a transparent panda one – super Kawaii. Obviously to blend in.)
Some people really enjoyed these rainy days. I managed to capture a moment of a raining man on my camera – enjoy!
Honestly I was pretty worried for all these mother nature caprices locals calmed me down saying that there is nothing yet to worry about and will see that when the showers will pass the day after the sky will be clear blue.. and they were right, after 4 days of being soaked by heavy rain the sky finally cleared out and woke up to find myself in a completely different Tokyo.
As I was staying in Shibuya district than that was the one I saw the most during my stay. And I can agree that this is one of the most busiest and liveliest zone I have ever been and definitely Shibuya crossing is something that must be crossed and experience.
Each country has their own style so here is some impressions from streets of Tokyo.
Later we left Shibuya to explore other parts of Tokyo and ended up in a Tokyo Sky tree (TV tower, broadcasting and restaurant in one of the tallest buildings in Tokyo), but due to extremely bad weather getting on top floor to see the city was forbidden..so had to do with other activities like shopping ,window shopping and my picture taken with celebs..
Oh, this was fun (and kind embarrassing)! This guy looked really similar to Johnny Depp so had to have a picture with him.
As were pretty exhausted (and also because a caricature master had great persuasion skills) than got my picture drawn by a 20 year-old master in a lovely studio – Caricature Japan in the Sky Tree.
Never had my portrait drawn so were quite anxious what will be the result, but the guy was kind enough not to make me too monstrous and here I have myself hanging on my wall back home.
And when the night falls city changes it’s colors showing it again in different light.
View from my 23rd floor hotel room to a city in a sunrise.
That’s all folks from my Tokyo impressions and details, but to explore it properly, what I have already marked in my Bucket list, you need at least couple of weeks to grasp a feeling. For me this year’s Tokyo experience has been really vivid, really hectic, exhausting, full of lights, colors, patterns and impressions, contrasts and stereotype clashing. Where the tradition meets high technology and street style meets cutness. Contradictions everywhere but I guess that’s what makes this capital so unique, so unforgettable and to know it is to live it and experienced it yourself. Definitely recommended as a top destination in Asia.
What about you? Ever been in Tokyo? What did you like most there?
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