Police bus and ...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00576.jpg
DAMN ! It's the Mother of all SWAT vans, man that is COOL . No cylon light though.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00577.jpg
Over to the right of that mean SWAT bus a vacant lot
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00578.jpg
A lambo dealership, yep that's me in the reflection.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00579.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00580.jpg
Cram school, at least they're honest about it
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00581.jpg
Worst name for restaurant ever and is that some kind of flying rabbit !
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00582.jpg
Here's where things are seeming "wrong" We really should be there by now.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00583.jpg
Hey that looks neat
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00584.jpg
And check out what's on the side of that ... TURTLES sunning themselves. That's AWESOME !
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00585.jpg
Ssshhh they may be ninja turtles
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00586.jpg
Nice angles
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00587.jpg
This staircase is now my favourite looks like it's collapsing.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00588.jpg
Yep we are definitely not where we should be not only have we gone too far south we also are no where near east enough, all the maps are saying we're in someplace called Minato-Ku. Oh well lets keep heading east and see what happens.
This should bring back memories if you owned a Dreamcast
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00589.jpg
Stacked
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00590.jpg
Best construction sign EVER !
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00591.jpg
Well it's not St.Elmo's Fire but...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00593.jpg
Check out the hill, here's looking up
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00594.jpg
and here's looking down
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00595.jpg
It may not look steep but trust me it is.
We've made it to Roppongi
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00596.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00597.jpg
Adorable Japanese school girls, but two bags and backpack !
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00599.jpg
Here's what a ticket machine for the subway looks like
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00600.jpg
Here you see the map, those three digit numbers tell you much it will cost to go there from here in yen
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00601.jpg
We're cutting through the subway station to get to the right exit so we can start our walking tour in the Time Out guide (famous last words)
This looks so much like a dream I had last year it kinda freaks me out.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00602.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00603.jpg
The 21_21 Design Sight Museum, this a modern design museum (Japan's first) built on military land by Tandao Ando
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00605.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00606.jpg
This a view from behind the museum
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00607.jpg
This is Tokyo Midtown the new complex, it's the exit we used to come out.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00608.jpg
Now it's off to the National Arts Centre Tokyo.
That's not it
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00609.jpg
That's not it either although TOTO is the toilet King of Japan and they do a fair number of shows and have a great bookstore !
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00610.jpg
Look very, very closely at this picture this is the point of no return. I ignored this and shouldn't have I was already too far north and this could have saved me hours of walking but...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00611.jpg
Oooh something shiny
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00612.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00613.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00614.jpg
Going too far
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00615.jpg
Hey that roof has owls
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00616.jpg
At this point I'm ready to this $#%$%# guide into a million pieces, I'm following your blasted directions and getting nowhere, I go up and down the street 3-4 times.
Could that be it .. nope.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00617.jpg
At this point it's 3:30pm I've been walking since 10:30am and I'm getting sore in both ways. Fine screw you guide, I'm going to the top of the street and take a right. I still haven't done that yet.
I see something, it looks like could be gallery AHA !
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00618.jpg
WTF ! The Canadian Embassy ! But that's in f*cking Ginza not Roponggi AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !
I head back and take the left this time. Lots of apartments and this smug little thing watching me and laughing
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00619.jpg
Then it hits me I needed to take a left UNDER the street I'm on.
Well at least we can get across this way
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00620.jpg
Well THERE it is
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00622.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00623.jpg
At this point I pack it in, we can finish this tomorrow or the day after.
I head back to the subway
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00624.jpg
Right at that end of that side street look what it is. Our starting point.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00625.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00626.jpg
Note to Time Out Guides, PUT A FLIPPING MAP with your walking tours vs a left here and a right there !!! because some of the buildings in the walking tour ARE NOT listed on the regular map that's in the guide so you can't cross reference. Thank god I was doing this solo. I think if I had someone else with me they would have bailed a long time ago. Should have brought the Lonely Planet Guide with me too, won't make that mistake again.
Inside the building on the way to the subway
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00627.jpg
Roppongi Station on the Oedo Line
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00628.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00629.jpg
Home at last back to Shinjuku station. The punch line ?
Subway ride took less then 10 mins. Now I knew it was that close but I figured I'd walk in and ride it out.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10...8/DSC00630.jpg
Despite all that, look at all the stuff we got to see we wouldn't have normally seen.
Anyhoo we're not done here yet and wil be coming back but we're taking the subway BOTH ways next time.