AkibaJiyuu's Journey in Japan

The crisp, cold air wasn’t the only thing sending chills crawling on my skin. Visiting quite possibly Japan’s most famous nightlife district, Kabukicho (歌舞伎町), with the iconic flashing gate that reads (kabukicho ichiban machi 歌舞伎町一番街) definitely felt surreal. This very gate is pictured above.

But before we get into that, let’s start with the daytime!

Before the sun was even high enough to paint its light over the streets and buildings, I disembarked the Shonan-Shinjuku Line (湘南新宿ライン) at Shibuya (渋谷駅) station. Pictured above is a panorama photo that glosses over the intersection known as the Shibuya Scramble Crossing (渋谷スクランブル交差点). Noted as the world’s most busiest pedestrian crossing (though not at the time this photo was taken), as many as three thousand people may cross this intersection at once.

Not too far away stands the statue of Hachiko (ハチ公), an Akita dog that lived in the late Taisho (大正) to early Showa (昭和) period of Japan.

Hachiko is well-known around the world as a symbol of unwavering loyalty. Hachiko waited day after day at Shibuya station for his owner, Hidesaburo Ueno (上野 英三郎), for over nine years after Ueno had died due to unexpected circumstances.

Ueno was a professor at the University of Tokyo (then called Tokyo Imperial University), where he suffered a brain hemorrhage during a lecture and subsequently passed away. A statue depicting a heartwarming reunion between canine and master was also erected on the Komaba Campus.

Making my way towards Shinjuku, I happened to pass by Nabeshima Shoto Park (Shibuya Nabeshima Shoto Kouen 渋谷区立鍋島松濤公園). Inside, a small, picturesque pond, and right beside it, The Shoto Museum of Art. Peaceful, and thanks to the fact that it’s currently winter, mosquito-less.

At night, I found myself in Shinjuku.

The night scene in Tokyo can truly be described as ‘mabushii’ (まぶしい, glossy and bright). The blinding lights really stress upon you that the city doesn’t sleep. Well, the city does. Kabukicho, in a way, doesn’t.

The First Avenue Gate is depicted famously in the Yakuza series, paralleled by Kamurocho and Tenkaichi street. Surely it isn’t the same as I’m not a burly Dragon of Dojima, but the thrill of walking through the tight alleys and hearing the cries of solicitors and barkers made the experience far more real. I ended up at a Yakitori joint for dinner. Please check out that blog, too!

What you can’t experience through the computer screen is the smell of liquor from every street puddle and the scent of food, drink, and other adult entertainment in the air. Miraculously, the district returns to normal the morning after, and the nocturnal lights are given a brief respite before it starts all over again.