Good morning !
Today we're off to see some of the more seamier parts of Shinjuku
specially East Shinjuku home of Yakuza, Love Hotels and more. We're
going during the day so as not anger anyone whilst taking photos. Heck
I'd be annoyed if someone did that to me. If you played the games
Yakuza 1 and 2 this is the setting for it although the name was
changed.
The route seems pretty easy just get to the east side of Shinjuku
station and we're off to the races.
This is one of the cooler buildings spitting distance from my hotel
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00426.jpg
One the way I notice a pocket of streets I seem to have missed
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00427.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00428.jpg
Check out those streets, they are full side buses through too, I saw
one of the traffic cops guide a bus is 40 secs flat. I clapped out
loud and he grinned and me and bowed.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00429.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00430.jpg
It is just me or the building in the distance resemble a woodpeckers
nest ? I keep expecting a giant head to poke out of it.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00431.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00432.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00433.jpg
Apparently quite a few movies have used this area as a set, not sure
which ones.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00434.jpg
Old ad for Blue Dragon like 2 years old
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00436.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00437.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00438.jpg
Every single one of those signs denotes a club in the SAME building !
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00439.jpg
Mmmm more plastic food and believe it or not they are NOT cheap if you
were thinking of grabbing one, as they are for sale but not here.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00440.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00441.jpg
Ok that was pretty cool but we have to move onwards, hey another kitty
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00442.jpg
An extraordinary bus stop
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00443.jpg
It's at this time I start to grasp just how damn bid Shinjuku station
is, all we want to do is make it to the other side.
This is one of the guides who help the buses make the turn.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00444.jpg
Hey I know this building I can see it from my hotel, so much for
getting lost this time.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00445.jpg
My lame attempt at a stealth shot to show the masses coming out of
Shinjuku station's West Entrance, looks like a nice jacket though.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00446.jpg
Times Square, must be a mall of sorts.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00447.jpg
Now this has to be biggest disappointment I've had so far. So many guide
books and websites revere the Alta building's "massive" video screen.
Uh maybe 10 - 15 years ago this was considered "big" but I've seen
bigger back home
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00448.jpg
The buildings here just continue to impress me, think you'd see this
elsewhere, nah it would just be a regular apt building.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00449.jpg
In the distance there is Bic Camera, it sells everything you could
possibly want from cell phone to computers to game systems to washing
machines
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00450.jpg
More plastic food, believe it or not those are NOT cheap.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00451.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00452.jpg
Woah pricey kind of, like the boot stein though
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00453.jpg
Puzzle design
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00454.jpg
Ducky Duck
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00455.jpg
We have to be getting there at some point I mean we are on the east
side now.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00456.jpg
AHA
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00457.jpg
Hey what's that on the roof up there ?
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00458.jpg
Bingo ! some gates
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00459.jpg
Everyone ready ? Cause here we go ...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00460.jpg
Nice !
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00461.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00462.jpg
Yep we're here alright
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00463.jpg
Lots of restaurants too
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00464.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00465.jpg
One of "those" stores
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00466.jpg
Hmm
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00467.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00468.jpg
American Bar with monkey
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00469.jpg
Live fish, sort of surprised I haven't seen more of these maybe they
just aren't in the front window
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00470.jpg
How narrow are the streets ? THIS NARROW !
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00471.jpg
An arcade but ewww like I'd touch any the controls here.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00472.jpg
Love Hotel
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00473.jpg
How can they fit all those places in that one building ?
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00474.jpg
Awesome Engrish
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00475.jpg
Again look at all those clubs in there
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00476.jpg
Another view of the same building but a cooler side of it
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00477.jpg
Looks like they cater to women too !
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00478.jpg
Roof detail of a love hotel
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00479.jpg
I love the these type of staircases they are pretty common
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00480.jpg
More love Hotels, rates seem pretty reasonable
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00481.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00482.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00483.jpg
Cool
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00484.jpg
Blade Runner Love Hotel
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00485.jpg
Uh ... ok
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00486.jpg
Hey it's a batting cage
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00487.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00488.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00489.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00490.jpg