It is hard to believe we have only been in Tokyo for a little over 24 hours. With Japan being 16 hours ahead of Seattle, we fought the time change and were able to get some sleep, still waking up at about 6 a.m. (2 p.m. Seattle-time). We started our day in Shibuya, one of the busiest wards of Tokyo. Tokyo is so large that it is broken up into several different wards, each becoming a city of their own. Shibuya is most famous for Shibuya Scramble Crossing, known as the busiest intersection in the world. As soon as the light turn green, up to 3,000 people crisscross in every direction, resulting in a madness that is hard to describe. We went early in the morning, so the result was not as crazy as it is at night, but it was a nice way to ease us into the realities of maneuvering in the third largest city in the world. We caught a glimpse of just how huge Tokyo is by taking in the expanse of the 30 million person city from the Shibuya Sky observatory – the city stretches for as far as the eye can see in every direction. We had a beautiful day to experience the true meaning of ‘crowded’.

On a whim, we escaped the bustle and visited the beautiful Meiji Shrine, a shinto shrine dedicated to one of the most popular Japanese emporors – Emporor Meiji, and his wife. The shrine sits right in the heart of the city with vast forests, torii (traditional Shinto gates) and modest buildings. Along with Buddhism, Shinto serves as one of the primary faiths in Japan.

For lunch we tried one of the most famous Japan hot-spots: Ichiran Ramen! Ichiran is known for its quick and unique service. The restaurant contains two rows of bar stools, about 30 in total, with dividers in between diners and the kitchen, which sits in the middle of the two rows. After ordering at a kiosk, diners are assigned to one of the bar stools where the kitchen staff then rolls up the divider, takes your paper order form, and closes back the divider until your food arrives. When they bring your steaming bowl of ramen they roll up the divider again, place the ramen in front of you, bow, and close the divider. Diners are left to eat in solitude – it is a true showing of Japanese cuisine and culture! The ramen was delicious.

Next was the Imperial Palace. Although most of the grounds are not open to visitors (the Emperor and his family live on the property), the public gardens provide yet another vast expanse of peace. The gardens are lined with buildings hundreds of years old, most of which housed samurai of varying ranks and were part of the larger castle. Unfortunately, most of the old buildings have burned over the years, but a few gems survived.

We ended our day in Shinjuku, another large ward of Tokyo. Shinjuku is home to the busiest railway station in the world. The station is a several-story labyrinth stretching 12 blocks and serves around 3 million people per day. It apparently has more than 200 exits, yet we seemingly could not find one! Once we found our way to daylight, our first stop was to see the famous giant 3D cat on one of the many digital billboards unique to Shinjuku – complete with meows and a playful personality many cat families can relate to. Next we were transported from futuristic Tokyo into traditional Tokyo: Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho. Golden Gai used to be known for prostitution, but now it is a pedestrian district with narrow alleyways and tiny bars packed together. Like many eateries and bars in Tokyo, the bars in Golden Gai only hold around 8 people are are no larger than a standard office. Of course, we had to stop in at one to try Japanese whiskey from a young bartender who was a Chicago Cubs fan. A short walk away, Omoide Yokocho originated as a black market but now is another small district with narrow alleyways and tiny open-air food vendors. Because most of the food vendors are izakayas specializing in charcoal grilled meats such as yakitori, smoke and rich aromas fill the air of the alleyways. Of course, we couldn’t pass up dinner here!

We were constantly amazed today about how easy it is to feel like you have escaped the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, even just blocks away from the busiest streets. Whether it is a vast shrine or a tiny establishment, the Japanese people find ways to escape to solitude or make intimate personal connections.