Tuesday! Our first day with “planned” activities. We would visit TeamLab:Borderless, Tokyo tower and head to Shinjuku.
Between Ashley – Type 1 & My Virgo self, we were thrilled with a bit of structure for our day. We aren’t the types to need every minute planned, but intention is appreciated while visit new cities.
We started our day trying to go to a Harry Potter cafe, at my request. But here’s your first HOT TIP for visiting Tokyo: Reservations are required for everything. If the business has been on the internet, you will need a reservation to participate. And that’s for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. Lesson learned. We didn’t get to partake in the Harry Potter realness, so we walked to the Hikawa Shrine.
It’s customary to write down your hopes and dreams and provide an offering at these shrines. I’ve given 3 different offerings, with the same hopes and dreams over the last 2 days. Sealing each one with 2 bows, 2 claps and final bow. I have a good feeling about the granting of my hopes and dreams.
TeamLabs: Borderless
An interactive art and light experience. Where we spent over 2 hours, wandering through hidden rooms, massive digital art exhibitions, stunning light shows.
I’m sorry to say that my writing isn’t up to snuff, to properly articulate what the experience entailed. But what I can say, is this world is filled with extraordinarily creative people, that allow us mortals to step into their minds and experience such beauty. The sights, the SMELLS (yes, some art tapped into our full sensory system), the thoughtfulness – made each piece truly unique. The kicker: we could go back today and experience a completely different exhibit. It’s ever changing, never stagnant, never the same. The art is there to live eternally and the one thing we know about life – the only constant is change.
Not sure about you, but when I’m over stimulated – which I was post 2 hours in a building with over 15 rooms of lights and art, I needed a reset and some food. We found a food court straight out of the 1980’s. Tokyo is wild – it’s futuristic but has an underlying of nostalgia woven throughout.
Fueled will sustenance and semi-rested legs, we headed to Tokyo Tower to live out our teenage dreams playing digital and VR games. 3 floors of interactive games that got the body moving. I WAS SWEATING when we left. It was the perfect way to kill some time and try something new.
The universe gives you signs, if you only just open your eyes.
The last quote we saw leaving TeamLabs, was the “leave chaos as is, but cause it to evolve,” was a precursor to the evening we were in for.
We headed to Shinjuku. The “western” idea of Tokyo. It’s BIG. It’s BRIGHT. It’s beautiful chaos.
There’s was a 3D CAT.
We got there in orderly fashion, then the doors opened and HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of people all around. Multiple floors of walking pads. So. Many. Lights. So. Many. Sounds. It was fun. It was chaotic.
It took us a minute to get our bearings. iPhone directions are WILD. Up stairs, down stairs, right on this “street,” go “counter clockwise.” Apple what!? What did you just tell me to do!?
But there was a 3D CAT.
We made it to the destinations we wanted to see and we finally made our way to more food, not without some frustrations. We’ve all been awake and moving for +12 hours. It’s bound to happen.
But thankfully, we left seeing the 3D CAT.
Day 2, felt like “Tokyo” to me. I got to experience the multifaceted sides to her. The quiet, the chaos, the future, the past and her ability to be all of those things at once. She’s fantastic. We’re still alright.
a NOLA girl in a Big world 
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