Weekend in Tokyo

   I recently realized that I do not deal with really big cities very well. Crowds annoy me I don't like to fight through them and I don't like to even see them. I learned this in Tokyo this past weekend. I, of course, really enjoyed Tokyo overall. I just didn't like that except for in my dorm at the hostel, there was no escape from people. The first day, I arrived from Hiroshima in Tokyo in the afternoon and went to Harajuku and Shinkjuku (the major fashion districts). Because it was the weekend, there were just so many people and my feet were hurting, so after walking up and down the main street, I had to leave. I felt suffocated, annoyed, and slightly guilt-tripped by the panhandlers, salespeople, and general crowdedness. There were literally people packing the sidewalk as far as the eye could see. However, despite that, I saw some of the interesting fashions that are popular in Japan. After being wiped by the crowds, I hopped on a train and arrived at my hostel which was in a very quiet part of town. I checked in and met some interesting people: two Germans, one Dutch person, and one Australian. It was really enjoyable to talk with them about house sizes and cultures. I was sleeping the 8-girl dormitory, so I was in the bottom bunk bed with a nice thick curtain for privacy: very comfortable, though I wish the ceiling had been higher so I could sit up in bed...I also wish there had been a light or something.
   The next day, I went to Akihabara and the Imperial Gardens. Akihabara was pretty interesting, though I wish that I had someone to go with because I would have felt awkward going into some of the stores by myself (Akihabara, while being the electronics, anime, and video game capital also has a lot of pornography and sexual fetish sections in some shops; there are also maid cafe's which are varying degrees of sexual but generally innocent...but I would feel awkward going in there without a close friend). Once again, the crowds started to get a bit unbearable, so I retreated to the Imperial Palace Gardens hoping for shade and respite from the crowds. Unfortunately, the crowds, while not as oppressive, followed me to the gardens. By then, I was also tired from walking (for the past 10 days I've really done nothing but walk), tired of the crowds, and hot and sweaty due to the sun. I walked through the garden quickly. Again, it was quite beautiful...there were many flowers and nice views of contrast between skyscrapers and lawn/garden. However, I was tired, sweaty, and done with the crowds so I returned to the hostel quickly.
   Despite how I narrated the events, I did really enjoy Tokyo. However, I feel like it is better enjoyed with a friend or a small group of friends and/or family (hint to all my friends and family reading this...y'all need to come with me sometime!). I will definitely return sometime for a longer stay and see the sights again with more people. It was also a very beautiful city: while there was a lot of cement and metal, there were also many green spaces interspaced, so it was not too overwhelmingly "urban." The crowds were the only con.