day diary by Jasmin

Exploring and learning is a big part on the road of becoming an adult.
Even when we are older we never stop gaining knowledge.
So it`s important to stay open minded and listen to what other people want to explain.
When I heard about the big tour around Tokyo with the students from Singapore I was really excited.Especially since the most of them were around my age and I really like meeting people from other countries.
Tokyo is a big opportunity and it`s never wrong to travel a little bit around this large city and explore some of the hot spots.
For me again very early in the morning we wanted to meet at Harajuku Station and then go in different groups.
I must have got something wrong because I went to the Meiji-Schrein and waited there.
My mistake,I`m really a big desaster when I want to go somewhere before lunch.
With a little delay....because of me....we started with the Takeshita street,right across the station,very easy to find.
It`s kind of a very crazy shopping street.Even thought it was raining it was still a lot of fun to enter some of the shops.
Some of them were really strange for me for example these fan shops with cards and everything from famous singers.
To be honest I don`t know any famous singers or bands here.
The more I see the more I notice the difference between the culture.The students were familiar with these things,but I`m still learning.
After nearly 2 hours we were on our way to Shibuya,very hungry and in need of a good Sushi restaurant.
But before we went anywhere else,we visited the Hachiko-Statue.I already saw these statue a few times but the first time it was very difficult to find because there are always so many people around it.

I`m not really a Sushi fan but the restaurant was very good.Well,I forgot the name but I can highly recommend it.
While we were waiting for free tables we met a family from France.It still surprises me how many people from different countries you can meet in Tokyo.
After lunch we had free time and split up in even smaller groups to walk around some shops and spend a lot of money.
When you go and visit places somewhere time has no meaning.
You could spend hours in Shibuya just looking around.It`s the same with a lot of other places.
Before anyone could really notice something we already had afternoon and still a very interesting place to go.
Probably in my opinion the highlight.
Akihabara,the Electric Town,now I know why.

It was a lot to take in,you really don`t know where to go first.
So we started with a little walk through the most interesting areas for us.
What`s really strange in Akihabara are all these girls in costumes on the street.It was my first trip there so it was overwhelming.
But I have to say the most interesting thing I saw in Akihabara that day was this:

Now I`m convinced that you can find nearly everything here.
But that`s not all.I even found someone we all know.
Fortunately he didn`t attack or strangled us.
He was just standing there and being scary,maybe some kind of protection for the shop from the way he looked at us.

He kind of reminds me of some of my teachers.
Akihabara was quite a place.Definitly something to visit again no matter what you want to buy.
Nearing the end of our tour it was time for some ice cream.
I don`t know why but I think these plastic food behind the window always looks fantastic.
A good strategy because you`ll be hungry as soon as you walk by and see them.
You can find them nearly everywhere.

That calls for a nice ice cream break.
Later on our way back to the station we still found crazy things,but I think these pictures show it all:


So in the end I can say it was quite an eventful day.I loved meeting the students and talk to them.It`s definitly something to do again.
Doesn`t matter if you are a student,tourist or a resident,you can still find new things and explore the endless possibilities of Tokyo.
I can only write as someone who is still new to everything.My kind of view may be a lot different from the japanese and all the others who live near Japan.
But for people from Europe maybe even USA Tokyo seems like a fantastic place to do everything you want and live your dream.
If you can go on a tour like this,then do it.
by Jasmin