Tokyo

 

Tokyo

Sanyo Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka was dot on time. I was not sure about the connection to Tokyo, so if time permitted at Shin Osaka, I had planned to check the validity of IOCCA card and whether I could use it in Tokyo or not. Actually mentally I had given up on it. I got down on Shin-Osaka, walked down to the platform where Hikari Shinkansen to Tokyo was expected. Before I looked around for the kiosk dealing with IOCCA cards Shinkansen to Tokyo with white and shining light green snout, chugged in making hissing sound.

One really has to salute the working hands behind the Japan Railways because hardly there is any hiccup while running the huge network of bullet trains with clockwork precision!

Within 7 minutes of getting down from the Sanyo Shinkansen from Hiroshima I was on the board of Hikari Shinkansen to Tokyo!

Tokyo.

The biggest metropolis in the world with maximum population and the highest density per sq. kilometer! More than three times the area of Mumbai!

I of course was apprehensive!

I knew my agent would go for cheaper accommodation in distant suburbs so I had asked him categorically to book a room either in Shibuya or Otemachi. Shibuya because it is in the heart of Tokyo while Otemachi though bit away from the central Tokyo has 5 metro lines passing through it making it commuter [tourist] friendly. But he booked a single deluxe room in Hotel Lumiere at Nishi Kasai, a distant suburb in eastern Tokyo. Shibuya, if he did not, was understandable as the hotels must be really expensive there, but at least Otemachi....... Okay, in that scenario, already having reservation for 7 nights in Lumiere I could not do anything! As already said Nishi Kasai has sizable number of Indian population so it has many things Indian, food being one! It must be the reason for him to book in Nishi Kasai…… but food was never a problem for me, anyway die was already cast so I had to accept.

Had the attendant on the ticket window not assisted me, I would have again lost in the maze that carries the name, “Tokyo Station!” [Benurwar’s Boy Got Lost!]

She helped me in buying my ‘SUICA’ card from the vending machine that had instructions in English, and I felt like a plebeian coming from Zumari Taileyya to Mumbai for the first time! With SUICA in hand I really felt liberated because it was going to allow me roam all over Tokyo unabashed!

Nishi Kasai is on Tozai line and it was quite a distance from Tokyo station proper to walk down to the line. I blessed my bag 100 times because this time it did not pose any problem! It just rolled on the granite smoothly like a ballerina that skates on the ice!

I had heard about the rush on the Tokyo subways, like attendant pushing the commuters in  etc. etc., so I had deliberately selected Non rush hours to reach Tokyo. Even then I made a mistake as I was not aware of it. The train I took, did not stop at Nishi Kasai or the station next to it, Kasai. It directly stopped on the fourth station from Nishi Kasai, Minami-Gyotoku. I try not to lose cool in such situations so went to opposite platform to catch the train back to Nishi Kasai in next 4 minutes, nonchalantly! It so happened because ‘Fast Trains’ in Tokyo are called Rapid and ‘Slow Trains’ as Local and I had failed to notice it!

Later when I checked about Tozai line it turned out that not only it’s the most crowded line in Tokyo but entire Japan. Most of the localities on this suburban line are resided by working middle class, so the crowd! Neat, frugally designed residential complexes carry that typical middle class [Japanese] stamp! 

While Climbing down the escalator of Nishi Kasai, balancing my bag: I met an Indian looking couple that turned out to be Marathi and from Pune. After exchanging notes from back home they introduced me to their Japanese friend, a lady in mid-thirties. She gladly volunteered to take me to my hotel as I was lost by the directions on Google maps. She left only after ascertaining that I have reached the correct hotel. Hotel Lumiere!

Hotel Lumiere is not a tourist hotel per se as it is mostly frequented by Japanese residing in other parts of Japan coming to Tokyo for office work. They are classified as Business hotels. So the design of the room was workable without any bauble thrown in. Neat bathroom with small bath tub hardly accommodating even a single person, [I could never take bath lying down!] it was called a double bed but two persons sleeping on it would have made it crowded! Surprisingly I noticed for the first time, it had micro-wave oven! That solved problem of dinner in the late night!

Breakfast too was just adequate, hardly any spread but sufficient enough to sustain you till late lunch. It did not have majorly any Japanese dish too. I was rather disappointed. Miso soup was bad, Scrambled eggs were nothing but some slush without any specific taste. Rest was continental so I was saved. Hoped for the better spread the day next, as I was to stay here for 7 more days!

I did not have any specific plan for Tokyo except a must visit to team Lab Planets and Shibuya Sky. Google Maps work really well in Japan. To make sure I asked the boyish man with a very pleasant personality, he looked helpful at the word go, on the front desk. Rather than explaining anything he handed out Tokyo Metro map to me. It turned out like ‘Treasure Hunt’ map for me. For next 7 days I used to chalk out the train travel with perfect precision. Kudos to Tokyo Metro, even after riding three trains with two transfers it never took more than 25 minutes for me to go from one end of Tokyo to another and it’s 3 times vaster than Mumbai! I never waited for more than 5 minutes for any train and even for the transfer. The transfer train always came within three minutes of leaving the previous train!

Team-Lab Planets was comparatively nearer to Nishi Kasai. Both located in East Tokyo. With three trains and two transfers only of one or two stations it hardly took me 15 minutes to reach team-Lab Planet. Unfortunately due to lack of communication I had to walk half a kilometer though the train was available.

Very disappointing news was there for me as I reached the place. A big board declared, ‘All the tickets sold out for today!’ I went to Inquiry counter to get more information and still worse news was waiting for me. Tickets for next 15 days were already sold out! I was to fly back to Mumbai before that. I did not know what to do. I pleaded with the counter person almost folding the hands but he declared his inability to help me because everything is computerized. I practically begged saying I am 70 years old senior citizen, coming from India, Cardiologist, and flying back within few days and other blah blah. For the first few minutes he did not pay any attention. I was absolutely disheartened. When I was about to leave he called me back and said giving me address of a site, ‘Try on this, you may be lucky!’ Keeping exteriors cool but with thumping heart I tried the site in the quiet of restaurant nearby and lo, I got the ticket for 11.30 AM slot 4 days later from the reserved quota!                              

Extremely pleased I caught train at Shin Toyosu station on Yurikamome line. And I got many surprises of my life. The entire line is automatic and the trains run without motormen! All the operations are fully computerized. It passes through artificially created island: Odaiba [which I visited later]. The areas through which it passes are posh, posher, and the poshest! Almost 100% reclaimed areas of Tokyo bay waterfront makes it the most pleasurable ride to the eyes. Before reaching Shimbashi, an important district of Tokyo it passes over triple [Or is it double, conflicting information on the net, from running train you cannot make out, naturally!] Decker ‘Rainbow Bridge’ and it was sight and experience worth enjoying! Upper and lower deck is for railway lines while middle one is for motor vehicles. Being up-market and newer line [In Japan, railways are private] it’s costlier than the normal metro.

I strolled for sometime in Shimbashi, it is commercial as well as residential area but nothing more than that for the tourists. Shimbashi railway station is very old and carries historic importance, for me it was just another crowded metro station of Tokyo!

From Shimbashi using Ginza line you can get down on station Ginza, age old up-market shopping Mecca of Tokyo! I was happy to the heart just for being in Ginza. It has many museums, of Seiko watch, Sony to mention a few. It was Sunday and the main thoroughfare Chuo-Dori was closed for vehicles, [Normally it is closed on weekends].It became stylish pedestrian promenade as there was plethora of people, local as well as international, parading happily. It also has famous Kabuki theater that’s none less than a landmark. There are umpteen up-market Brand outlets on Ginza, only condition, bank balance in dollars and in 10 figures!

 I shopped without bothering about the depth of my pocket at G U and Uniqlo for my grandchild, children and wife. Did not feel like purchasing for myself. Unknowingly I bought ‘Anime’ Tee for my son that was trend setter. I came to know about it only after coming back to Mumbai. I wandered aimlessly for some time. It was extremely pleasant feeling to relax in the middle of road sitting on the chair kept especially for it. Sipped some Japanese juice/tea, don’t remember, leisurely before leaving for Shibuya.

I was doubtful about the balance on SUICA so searched for ATM. I went absolutely from pillar to post to get cash but 4 ATMs in a row rejected all my cards. I had 3 international credit cards and 3 domestic debit cards. In the end without a Yen on person and doubtful SUICA balance I dared to catch the metro to Shibuya. Fortunately that much balance was there. But to reach Nishi Kasai, a question mark? The first thing I did after getting out of Shibuya station, was to withdraw more than required Yens from the nearest ATM. Lucky to get one in Shibuya Sky mall. Those 45 to 60 minutes without cash in Yen were absolutely nightmare for me!

Another rejection at Shibuya Sky. It was booked for next 7 days. Same pleas again went on deaf ears. It’s said invention is mother of necessity. I tried the same trick, booking through site this time I went through site, Klook and behold, I got the ticket for 3 days’ later slot.

Shibuya has much more to offer for tourists; I kept it in reserve for another day when I was to visit again and caught metro back to Nishi Kasai after recharging SUICA with more than sufficient cash!