Day 2: Shibuya

True to his form, there's the ever-faithful Hachikō waiting for my return to Shibuya. For those of you not familiar with this statue's story: after his owner's death, Hachikō returned to wait at the Shibuya train station every afternoon for 10 years and has since become a beloved symbol of loyalty and is a popular spot to meet up with friends.

Personally, this is my favorite district of Tōkyō. It's got something for everybody. Chocked full of department stores, shops, arcades and cafes, it's easy to spend the entire day here wandering around all of Shibuya's little side streets. If you're looking for touristy items, look else where. This is where Tōkyō's 20-somethings come to shop for the latest in everything from clothing to music to home goods.

I forgot how intense it is to commute in this city and all the little unspoken rules when you're out and about. For instance, some train stations are absolutely labyrinth-like and not being that familiar with the layouts of each station, I've got to do a little research before I go. There's no stopping and reading signs. If you're not sure where you're going, just keep walking - briskly and follow the signs. When riding escalators, keep to the left so that those who are in a hurry can sprint to the top without being obstructed. As a tourist, I don't care if I miss a train and have to wait 5 minutes, but to the locals, this is unacceptable so lead, follow or get out of the way!

Below is a video of Shibuya's scramble crossing at rush hour. I just happened to catch a crossing where two girls got stranded in the middle of the intersection and were nearly ran over. This is the first time I've ever seen anyone jaywalk in this country and now I know why no else does it - EVER.

So, let that be a lesson to you!

I've already touched upon Shibuya in a previous post so it's pretty obvious how much I love this district. I made sure it was the first place I went. Last time, I had a baseball game to go to, so I couldn't stick around. This time I stuck around until twilight to see Shibuya come to life. Below is picture of center gai street at night.

Tomorrow? HARAJUKU!