Shrines, Views, and Dome Umbrellas ahhhhhh Shinjuku

When we were in Tokyo Bridget and I decided to go to Shinjuku. Shinjuku is a major commercial and administrative center (government of Tokyo is here) and is a great place to walk around and stop into stores. It also has the busiest train station in the world. One of the nice things about Shinjuku is that they have a Citibank ATM, they are rare and one of the only places where you can get cash as a foreginer. As we were leaving a few other tourists were walking up to it and we all broke out in laughter.

As soon as we got out of the train station it started to pour so we traded our mini umbrellas in for one of the most amazing things ever, a clear dome umbrella. These umbrellas are EVERYWHERE and I knew there had to be something special about them and boy was I right. You are in like a 4 foot bubble of dryness, these might be the greatest thing ever. Unfortunately, both Bridget and I had to leave ours behind in Tokyo, I had no way of getting it down to Iwakuni but don't you fret I will get another one.




We also went to:

Takashiyma Times Square: 15 story department store



Starbucks: awful picture but showing that they go one size smaller then we do, they do a short - which is very popular!



We walked around and saw the Hanazano Shrine. The best part about this shrine is when an older Japanese man ran up to me and just started saying thank you over and over and over again while handing me his camera. After I took the picture and he reviewed it, which is a big thing for them to do here it kind of makes you feel like they are judging your camera skills, he continued with the thank yous and the bow.








Views from the Tokyo Government Building: