Day 1: The City Experience

   The first stop today is Shinjuku Station. My friend and I took the subway and I would describe the experience as being like sardines in a can. After leaving the subway, we walked northwest towards Omoide Yokocho, a network of alleyways that contain a variety of small eateries. 

Northern Omoide Yokocho

   The scene before me was astounding; it was like I was in a completely different world. The smell of food in the air was intoxicating; we couldn't resist any longer and ordered yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) and chuhai (shochu with soda and lemon) at busy yakitori bar. After eating, we left to go shop at Harajuku Station.  

      After walking around Harajuku and making a few purchases, we traveled to Shibuya Station!

When we left the subway, I scored a lucky shot of the famous intersection while pedestrians were crossing. 

  

    It felt like your typical city except that it's astronomically larger and brighter than you could ever imagine. 

   We've heard of an Alice in Wonderland themed restaurant, and we were determined to find it.Located in the basement of PARCO, this restaurant was beautifully decorated and seemed like something out of a dream. The highlight of the meal was the dessert; the brownie was rich and deliciously paired with vanilla ice cream. The fact that it was Alice in Wonderland themed made eating it even more enjoyable. 

Alice in Dancing Land's heart card soldier brownie

   After eating, the obvious thing to do would be to shop. We explored Shibuya 109, an icon of the Shibuya district. Mainly targeted towards young women, this ten story department building was like heaven on earth. Overall, today was an enriching learning experience as well as a fruitful shopping experience.