This week in Japan started of with a lot of traveling throughout Tokyo. On the second day of my study abroad, me and a couple of friends decide to explore Shibuya! We did a little shopping in Shibuya 109 and then on the top floor we decided to eat at a restaurant where I had omurice for the first time. It was soooo good and I can honestly see this becoming one of my favorite meals here while in Japan. Afterwards, we decided to wonder around for a bit and then headed to Shinjuku. There, we went to a gaming center and played DDR and took some purikura photos. I had always thought purikura photo booths were a bit weird but after trying it out I can see why a lot people think they are fun. Not only are the photos fun to look at but you also get to design them to be funny or cute. Plus the photos make you eyes REALLY big (at least they made my eyes look big haha).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following day, we decided to head out to Harujuku. One thing I can say about Harujuku is that it is SOOO CROWDED. I have never seen so many people in such a small place! Not only is it hard to move around but it is also difficult to shop or stop by a restaurant since everything is so packed. None the less, Harujuku is a very interesting place to go to especially on Sundays. There, you can see many people dressed up in different types of costumes. If you walk down a few blocks, you can go through Yoyogi Park where you can see all types of performances. We had the chance to see the Rockability Dancers, a group of people who dress up in biker outfits and dance in Yoyogi Park. Their performance was so interesting, seeing as I haven’t seen something like that before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards, we headed over to Meiji Jingu Shrine, which is really close to Yoyogi Park and Harujuku. Not only is Meiji Jingu pretty big but it’s so beautiful! After wandering around the shrine a bit, I decide to buy a Omamori which is a charm that supposedly suppose to give you good luck. I’m not much of a believer in charms but it was cute and I’d always wanted one. We’ll see how well it works this semester.

 

I still have a few more days before orientation and classes start, so I’ll probably make the most of my time exploring Tokyo some more. But so far, I’m really enjoying my time here!