Feats of Strength

     Today I transferred from the center of Tokyo to the southernmost end of Tokyo, Tsurukawa. If you straight line it, there are 15 miles in between the two. That's right, Half of Tokyo is 15 miles across. That is a large city. And if you go the fastest route, J-rail, it only takes 45 mins and 3 transfers.
     The feats of strength started right away. I had to drag my bags for 10 blocks because the 2 stations close to my hotel didn't intersect with the station I needed to take to get to Shinjuku. Once I reached the correct station I quickly realized there were no elevators (or several very hidden ones) and 5 floors with millions of stairs in between. Me being painfully not Japanese means that I had to scale several sets of stairs several times before I got my suit case heaving self to the right platform.
     Fear not intrepid reader! I did make it. and with hours and days to spare. Here are pictures to prove it.

When you can't go up anymore you go down... and sideways... in all directions. Under the Tokyo streets is a maze of shops and tasty food.

 Just a dude chillin' sketching Tokyo Station. There was 20-25 people out there sketching it up.

 Some shots from my train window.

 Yep, they still have pay phones in the future. Crazy.

 I dont always use soft AC. but, when I do I know it means I will be sweaty.

This is my new home for the next 9 days.

 It even came with the cutest set of keys ever!

Here is my final room. This is actually an apartment that you can rent by the day. It is twice the size of my 3-star hotel and 1/3 the price. 15 miles away isn't looking so bad now is it.

Don't lettest thou's eyes deceiveth thou. That bath tub is 1/2 the average tub size and 1/2 again the height. 

 That sneaky couch is actually my queens sized bed.

8" wide Full length mirror, just as I requested. I like to look at 1/2 of all of me at once. 

My first order of business was buying this creepy guy from a vending machine. Job done.

Then I wandered around and enjoyed Japan's super manhole covers and my purple shorts.

 This is a trail. I wandered on it.

 They like bikes.

 This statue likes tomatoes? 

The bugs here are too big.

 

 

 Scooters are nearly as loved as bikes.

  Surprisingly the store still had plenty of $40 grapes.

And now, the cars I saw today.

 Lifted on Ray's wheels no less.

 I know it's not Japanese but it truely is the most beautiful car ever,

 Oh so many minis here.

Finally a short time lapse I made of the light fading at sunset. I stuck my camera out the window and forced it to take a picture every minute for 2 hours.