Running out of steam with the blog writing, but we’re also relaxing a bit more.

We’re staying in a hip area of Tokyo called Shimokitazawa which is like Newtown but 6000 times better. Marthese has done some new and second hand clothing stores, while I perused the record stores and looked out for anything geeky. Shimokitazawa provides with funky cafes (including a place that does “Melbourne coffee” which is fantastic), excellent ramen and our favourite bar in the world, Petit Garden.

We did make a brief visit to Shinjuku but only stayed for a brief snack and a drink, before retiring to our comfy Shimo.

Today has been more touristy. We started the day in Omotosando, grabbing a delicious cold coffee at Lattest, a cafe that promotes female baristas and is the workplace of Mizuki, our favourite member of Terrace House, a Japanese reality TV show. YES I AM FREELY ADMITTING THIS WE LOVE HER AND WE LOVED LATTEST. Sadly, she wasn’t there but a very friendly and inquisitive barista was.

We walked through the popular Harajuku shopping strip, and took a few trains to Odaiba, a weird seaside town constructed in the 90s as a vision of the future, but is starkly lifeless, cold and empty compared to the rest of the country. But it does have a few attractions including the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, a cool interactive space that posed questions about the future of our world and how we might utilise technology to further our development without harming the planet any further. They also put on a robot demonstration with the charming ASIMO strutting their stuff with great aplomb, speaking fluent Japanese and walking around like a boss. Good robot.

Tez and I split for a bit – she visited Oedo Onsen Monogatari, a kind of onsen theme park where you can try out multiple baths (as long as you aren’t tattood), while I visited the Joypolis, a Sega amusement park inside a building. I also visited a few weird shops and sights in the area before reuniting with Marthese for a trip home via Shibuya.

Shibuya, in contrast with Odaiba, is loud, lively and intoxicating. It has a warmth and charm that Shinjuku lacks, even though it’s busier and flashier. We strolled around some shops and checked out a cool bar before heading home.