Kairi’s vibe

We have everyone a sleep-in today for a couple of reasons. Firstly, yesterday was massive with Disney and everyone was knackered. Secondly, it was raining today so hoping for it to clear up. Thirdly, wanted to start a bit later and be out after dark to see Tokyo under lights. I feel we haven’t seen the best of the city during the day.

We waited until after midday and then visited our preferred local bakery for something to eat. Teneille, Aiden and Emily were mortified/vastly amused by a car that drove past very slowly blaring hymns and professing God’s love for us all. An interesting occurrence in a country where the main two faiths are Shinto or Buddhism although, arguably, Christianity has work to do in Japan so perhaps use of the car was warranted.

The God car had a strange effect on Aiden.

And Emily.

And Teneille.

Having been suitably fed and vehicularly indoctrinated, we caught a train to Harajuku. The area is known for its youth fashion, street food and people wandering around dressed as anime characters.

It was still a bit drizzly when we arrived and started making our way along Takeshita Street. We found a couple of shops that were just wall-to-wall toy capsule dispensers which the kids enjoyed checking out. There were heaps of little souvenir shops and toy shops where Kairi continued her habit of asking if she could have everything.

The entrance to Takeshita Street.

We ducked into a puppy cafe for 30 minutes where we fed a variety of dogs but not the ones in scarfs. You couldn’t feed those ones no matter how big their puppy eyes are. Everyone seemed pretty happy with the dog cafe until a little further up the street when we saw an otter cafe, a capybara cafe and a teacup pig cafe. Oh well.

Emily looked through a couple of clothing shops but didn’t really find anything to her liking, we bought  rainbow fairy floss bigger than our heads and that was pretty much it.

Capsule machines.

Puppies.

Fairy floss.

The shops were interesting but no-one walking around was dressed up. Maybe it was just an off day due to the weather but Harajuku didn’t live up to the advertised hype.

We jumped back on the train for one stop to Shibuya, where we had spent our first day in Tokyo. The kids had been begging to have dinner at the sushi place with conveyor delivery system again and it was a good opportunity to kill enough time to then see Shibuya scramble crossing at night with all the lit up billboards.

Fashion.

Don’t know what this was but it was colourful.

Dinner was good again. I tried eel and a few other things. Aiden apparently eats prawns now. Emily wanted a slightly bigger coke than the kid version and appeared shocked when her mega coke turned out to be, well, mega. I mean, it was in the name.

Aiden eating food he would have rather died than touch a week ago.

Having eaten food we watched whiz around the conveyor belts, we headed back to Shibuya crossing. The rain had abated and the crossing was far more impressive at night. Still just an intersection though. I still don’t get it.

Shibuya crossing at night.

From there we hopped on a train back to the apartment. Kairi, as she has done the entire trip, amused herself and onlookers by dancing on the platform. A jingle plays just before a train departs which Kairi describes as her “vibe”.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Tokyo before we head to Kyoto.