The Tokyo Chronicles: Shibuya, Part 2

Apologies for leaving you with a cliffhanger in part 1! As I was writing out this Shibuya entry, I'd quickly reached 7 pages, far too much for one post. Let's pick up where we left off and dive back into my day in Shibuya.

Cat Street, a trendy area featured in The World Ends With You, was my next stop, and I hoped it would break me out of my funk. But I was stuck in the worst mood I'd been in this whole trip.

Tired and hungry I slowly walked through the very cool area of Cat street. It felt pretty sleek, dotted with some neat shops, but nothing really could hold my attention. I wanted to stop in at Tower Records, then find something to eat. The promise that food would lift my sunken spirits.

Tower Records had a really rad storefront, emblazoned with the slogan “No Music, No Life”, something I could get behind. It perked me up a little, and I went into the ground floor and poked around.

I was surprised how many game and movie soundtracks there were, I considered picking one up for the novelty, but I never listen to CDs anymore.

I didn't have the energy to take a look at the other floors, and my grumpy brain had already decided there wouldn't be much else of interest. I mean, dollars to doughnuts it would just be more CDs, perhaps even some records, yawn.

I could hardly think of anything else at this point, my body craved food. I'd planned on Ramen for lunch, but I had ramen yesterday. It was also getting late in the afternoon, it would be a stretch to say it was still lunchtime, so an early dinner it was.

I'd selected Whoopi Goldburger as my dinner location, so I pressed on, ready for a good burger.

I was greeted with yet another unbelievably tiny restaurant. I walked right past it the first time, it was a few steps down from street level, and the writing on the wooden sign was faded.

I grabbed a seat at the bar, not that there were any other options. There were only maybe 13 seats at a bar in this tiny place, and you could see the full kitchen from where I sat.

A very cool, and slightly intimidating woman slid me a menu. She had short dyed hair, several piercings, and tattoos on her arm, quite the rarity in Japan thus far.

The menu was full of burger puns based on famous actors. I had a good chuckle at the Kevin Bacon burger. I ordered the BBQ Whoopi, with fried egg as an add on, and a lemon sour. I felt like I needed a drink.

The monstrous burger that arrived was a sight to behold and a challenge to conquer. I wanted nothing more than to dig in, but was unsure of how to approach this beast of a burger.

Squishing the burger down, stretching my jaw as wide as I could, and resigning myself to the fact I was going to make a mess, I started to dig in. 

The burger was delicious, even though a quarter of the special BBQ sauce ended up on my plate, and I forgot to say no tomato or pickles, it was so satisfying. The fries were okay, not good, not bad, but perfectly munchable.

When I finally sat back, my stomach full, I started to feel better. Maybe all I needed was a big meal and a drink to break myself out of my funk. There was one more thing I really wanted before I continued exploring Shibuya, a nap. 

I searched for nearby hotels, and compared all the prices around me. It was a Friday night, and hotel prices were more than double what they were in Akihabara.

I found one hotel not too far from Whoopi Goldburger for about $230, more than I'd like to pay, but worth it for the security of a place to stay the night, and a nap. 

The English at this hotel wasn't as good as the one in Akihabara, it was further from the train station and probably saw less tourists. They could still speak enough to communicate through, so I happily booked a room and grabbed my key.

This hotel was called the Sakura Fleur, and certainly seemed to be inspired by (I assume) French hotels, or at least western hotels more generally. The room felt more like the hotels back home, though I have to say I wasn't too impressed. 

The bed wasn't as comfy, and the light switches seemed to be in weird spots. There was also a glaring lack of an outlet by my bedside, so I had to place my phone on the desk area.

The TV was much smaller, not that I planned to watch any. It was more money for a hotel room that was less to my tastes, but nevertheless I took off my boots, dropped my bag, and curled up for a nap. 

A good nap usually does a lot for my mental state, even if I do often wake up groggy, or have trouble sleeping that night. This nap was no different, and while I wanted to sleep more, I felt a lot better. 

Those few frustrating hours dredging around Shibuya began to feel like a bad dream. Pulling my boots back on, I got ready for a night out in Shibuya.

Nightlife in Akihabara was cool in its own way, but wasn't exactly pulse pounding excitement. I didn't have any nightlife planned out on my travel list, but a few quick google searches and I had some ideas. 

I found this cool seeming bar that had $5 dollar drinks, seemed like a good place to kill some time. The other place I found, a nightclub, didn't open until 10, so somewhere to sip some cheap drinks sounded perfect.

I made my way back through the Scramble Crossing, hardly recognizable now that night had fallen.

The bright lights and screens around the crossing reminded me of Times Square in New York, though honestly this felt much cooler. I arrived at my destination, only to not see what I was looking for.

It was a narrow building with stores listed on the various floors. On the sign I spotted what I was looking for, it was located at B1. Maybe it was like an underground mall I wondered. A little worried I might end up somewhere I shouldn't, I called the elevator, stepped inside and hit the button for B1.

After a short ride, the elevator opened up directly into the bar. I bet you can guess how I'll describe this bar by now, small! One of the staff directed me to a stool at the bar, you seem to end up at a barstool pretty often when you travel alone.

He gestured to the wifi password and a QR code for the menu, I already liked this bar. You order each drink through the QR code at your table, and they had quite a wide selection of drinks.

After I ordered my first drink I quickly understood how they managed just $5 per drink, it was mostly ice. I didn't mind since this meant I could hang out longer and try more drinks without getting too drunk, or spending too much money.

In total I think I ordered about 4 drinks, some curry, and fries over the course of an hour and half. It was a great spot to hang out, and I was constantly amused that they were playing Toy Story in the background.

It was about time for the nightclub to open, and while being the first one at a nightclub isn't the most desirable, I figured it would give me time to explore before it got too busy. I was definitely early alright, I might have been the very first one.

After an ID check, a quick pat down, and dumping out my water bottle, they waved through to the ticket counter. It was about $20 for men, and $5 dollars for women.

This by itself gave me a pretty good sense of the vibe. Back home I'm practically allergic to straight clubs.

The men give me weird looks, especially if there's no gender neutral bathroom, and any women I'm with tend to get unwanted attention. But I wanted to see what nightlife in Shibuya was like, so in I went.

The venue was actually rather cool, it seemed almost like a rave setup with a nightclub layout. There was a big DJ booth with several small tables around it. There were multiple bars and roped off areas for VIPs. I also spotted a women's only area, a booth for Insta worthy pics, and a smoking room.

I got two drink tickets with my entrance fee worth about $12 each, so it made the cover sting a little less. I grabbed a drink, they had one of my favorite cocktails, sex on the beach, and settled in at a table.

A half hour passed and the place was still pretty dead. There were a few people half dancing at tables near the DJ booth, all too scared to fully break out into dance.

I love to dance, and when the right song comes on I almost can't help it, at least when I'm somewhere where you're supposed to dance.

Finally, about an hour and a half after I arrived, things finally started to pick up. More people began to dance, a new DJ took over, and it felt like things were finally getting started. It was certainly more fun once more people showed up, even if there was less room to dance.

There's a more communal spirit that begins to form on the dance floor, rather than people scattered to individual tables sizing each other up. 

Smilies began to play across people's faces more easily, everyone starts to loosen up, and shake off the week that they've had. Granted, alcohol usually plays a role in this, but it's certainly more poetic to attribute this to community than booze. 

Things were fun for about another hour or so, until around 1AM when the weariness started to set in. I'd made some light small talk in the smokers room, had another drink or two, and danced enough that my back was sweating. I figured now was a good time to stop and survey the club. It felt practically unrecognizable. 

There were probably about as many foreigners as there were Japanese people. And the white girls were starting to get a little rowdy. The dance floor was pretty crowded, and the feel had shifted more towards a rave than a club. 

I watched as girls formed a circle facing each other, pulling out their phones and small bottles of hidden booze. They cheered as they passed around the small bottle of contraband, believing this was their movie moment.

This felt a lot like home, though I would have been happy to have left this behind. I figured now was a good time to pack it in, while I still enjoyed this experience for what it was, rather than hang around until it soured.

I grabbed my things from bag check, and walked up to ground level. Shibuya had also transformed while I'd been in the nightclub. People chatted loudly as they walked the streets, drinks in hand.

Unlike in Canada, in Japan you seem to be able to drink anywhere you want, and so people were having their own parties tucked away in tiny alleyways. 

On my way back to the hotel, I passed by one man propped up against a statue, struggling to stand. There was vomit on his clothes and stuck in his hair. Another girl was on the phone video calling someone, tears rolling down her cheeks, distress in her voice.

It was quite the scene to behold. While you certainly see these little vignettes back home, seeing it in another country was quite interesting. I finally made it back to my hotel, all smiles, thank you cocktails. I reflected on my day, and all I could remember was the good parts.

The awe of seeing the Scramble Crossing in action. The cool trends showcased at the 109 building. Possibly the best burger I've had in a while at Whoopi Goldburger. A hidden treasure of a bar tucked away below ground with $5 drinks. An experience at a nightclub that I doubted I would be back to, but was pleased I went all the same. 

Shibuya had given me a truly great day, one I'm sure I would hold dear when Japan felt so scary and far from home. I plopped into bed, exhausted and ecstatic, dreaming of what tomorrow's adventure in Shinjuku might hold.