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Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Photos of Ginza, Yurakucho and Otemachi

3 years ago, I participated in the Nanowrimo, and attempted to write a fantasy/sci-fi novel. I succeeded in hitting 50 000 words then, but never really finished the story. And once my childhood dreams of filmmaking became a reality, my focus turned elsewhere. Nonetheless, I've been a little more than bothered that I left the novel unfinished, and being a non-fan of loose ends, I decided to attempt the impossible and actually pick up where I left of in 2005.

So I've actually been spending the last few days writing. I doubt the novel will ever get published (I said THAT novel will never get published, I didn't say that I would never try to get a novel published in the future), but I needed closure.

But staying in my room all the time isn't exactly that healthy, so as usual, I needed a walk. When my friend Jason asked whether I wanted to go to Ginza with him (he had some business to attend to), I immediately said yes. I haven't been to Ginza since I came to Tokyo in April.

However, the hotel I stayed in during my earliest visits in Tokyo (1991, 1992) was in Ginza, and it was during my later visits that my parents switched to Shinjuku. I'm definitely more familiar with Shinjuku, but coming to Ginza, I felt as if I were in a different place. If Shinjuku were Bukit Bintang, then Ginza is Starhill, just like how Jason, who came from Hong Kong, described that Ginza is the Causeway Bay to Shinjuku's Mongkok.

Shinjuku is more chaotic, with more people, more shops and the like. While Ginza's a classier affair. I saw more old-fashioned cafes than fastfood restaurants, plenty of boutiques and shops selling traditional Japanese items (paper fans, yukata, kimono, decorations etc.) than electronic shops. But I was a little surprised to see a huge poster of Maggie Cheung on one of the buildings.


Maggie Cheung poster at Ginza


After going to the bookshops, I hung out at Starbucks for a while, reading my Steven Erikson's The Bonehunters. And then we continued walking down the streets of Ginza.

Street of Ginza


We intended to take the train at Otemachi station instead of the Ginza station. So that it wouldn't take so long, and we wouldn't have to transfer at all.

The view was nice, especially when we went past Yurakucho station.

Near Yurakucho station

Yurakucho station

Outside Yurakucho station


Somehow, I felt that there was something very stylish about this area of Tokyo. Perhaps it was the architecture, or perhaps it was the more expensive looking shops.

I particularly liked the Tokyo International Forum. Its interior looked like something from a science fiction novel. The inside of a space ship, or an alien colony.

Interior of Tokyo International Forum

Interior of Tokyo International Forum 2

Interior of Tokyo International Forum 3


"That's style!" I murmured.

The sun was already setting, and the lights of the buildings were turned on. It's the golden hour , unfortunately, again, my camera's not good enough to do everything justice.

Buildings at Otemachi


And that's the oldest train station in Tokyo. Which is attached to a few other underground stations, like the Otemachi station we were going to.

The oldest train station in Tokyo

On the way to Otemachi station

Magic hour at Otemachi


The last photo would've been insanely beautiful if I had a better camera. Hm.