Ancient And Modern

We felt (and probably looked) rather dishevelled and weary when we arrived at Narita airport after a long journey and not much sleep (I got engrossed in the film Conclave on the flight).

By the time we’d negotiated the rigmarole of filling in Immigration and Customs forms and collected our luggage, it was late morning when we caught the Narita Express to Shinjuku station. By the time we’d walked to our hotel and wiled away time until we could check in by having lunch in a cafe opposite, it was mid-afternoon and we were too tired to do the things we’d planned so we had a nap instead!

Before dinner we strolled across the road to see the Hanazono Shrine, an oasis of calm in the middle of busy streets. I liked how the roof of the modern hotel in the background complemented that of the shrine. 

From there we ventured into the Golden Gai district behind it, a warren of narrow alleyways full of tiny bars, so tiny you could just about cram half a dozen people in them,

We had a fun and tasty dinner in a restaurant a few yards from our hotel, where you were supplied with plates of meat and vegetables and cooked them yourself on a tiny BBQ set into the table.

We were so full that we had to walk it off by going to see the bright lights back near Shinjuku station (see extras).