We’ve become so used to the pace of our little city that we were completely thrown on a recent visit to the capital. Tokyo is teeming with people and nowhere more so than Shinjuku station. Twelve train networks connect there, the station has 200 exists and about 3400000 people through everyday! Because you arrive underground and walk a myriad of ages, it is tough to keep your bearings. There was interference on my phone’s mapping system and I couldn’t help but wonder if an old-school com wouldn’t have been better. However, once you arrive, there are stacks of things to do. 2s1e1u

The station and surrounding area is jammed with trendy fashion shops and boutiques. I beelined for Isetan – a department store catering for tall and western sized people – but after seeing the exorbitant prices (a nondescript denim skirt for about R2000) I was reminded of the reason I buy so few brand clothes. Not wanting to give up on my hunt, I ventured into another clothing store, O1O1. Alas, it didn’t have anything nearly big enough, but it did provide some great entertainment. The six floors are hung rail to rail with cute and crazy little girl outfits for teenage girls and women. Each floor is themed: from frilly pink princess dresses to metal studded, black, goth garb. The walls are painted to suit each theme and it’s worth going to check out the conglomeration of interior and fashion design.

Clothing display at O1O1, Shinjuku, Tokyo.

Dres (especially for cosplay) is REALLY big in Japan and a stroll around Shinjuku presents an interesting array of eye-catching outfits. Other impressive sights are the magnificent skyscrapers. It is quite surreal to look up at the towering architecture.

Tokyo is packed with foreigners so there are many stores catering to us. The World Food and Liquor shop stocks wines, muesli, shortbread and blocks of real cheese. They have Amarula and Ceres fruit juice as well! There are also bookstores, such as Kinokuniya, that stock a wide variety of foreign language books.

Rodney’s latest roll-playing game, Claustrophobia!, was no doubt inspired by our trip. It features garden gnomes on a journey to the center of the earth with little room to move and growing levels of insanity – lots of fun! Check it out at risingphoenixgames.com.