For Day 2 in Japan, we decided to take it easy–only a few train stops away from our home of Saitama (seen above, in the daytime, this time) to Ikebukuro. Ikebukuro is a lovely little mini-city within Tokyo, most notable for… shopping. It features several huge malls, most notably the Sunshine City complex, and the flagship store of Japan’s largest chain of anime and manga stores, ANIMATE, is in Ikebukuro.
In Japan there are plenty of ways to get around, including the public rail (JR) which are above ground trains, and the private above-ground trains and the Tokyo subway system (below ground). All of these trains operate using the same perfect tap-card, meaning you never have to fumble with different tickets, tokens, or fares. Your tap-card (a credit card with a chip in it that can be read without being swiped) also works at lots of vending machines and convenience stores. Toronto could learn a thing or two (note: this will be a theme).
Please continue reading after the cut:
Did you know there’s a typhoon coming? And that a typhoon is actually a hurricane? And that on our way home from Ikebukuro, the trains were not only late (shocking!) they were stopped altogether? And that none of my friends can remember such a thing happening? I do! I know all of this. Now. Tomorrow’s plans may be off. Luckily, I took 519 photos today, so I’ll have something to post when we can’t leave the house tomorrow morning…
