Side Street Adventures

This weekend I don't have anything planned.  Last weekend I remedied an open schedule with a solo adventure to Enoshima Island south of Tokyo which was a success.  Despite it being a day trip, expenses quickly mount up in Japan, especially when you are near Tokyo. I spent $35 just in train tickets, plus $20 for food and $25 in souvenirs; a day trip cost me $80.


View from West side of Enoshima Island

 It's about time for my loan payments to be deducted from my bank account, so I'm looking for a cheaper entertainment option this weekend in Tokyo.  My number one cheap choice: going on a walk around my neighborhood.

It sounds simple, and it is, but I get more out of these side street walks than many other excursions I make around the city.  Plus, you get the added bonus of exercise if you make it long enough (another thing that's expensive in Tokyo are gym memberships).  Tokyo is an old city, old enough to be developed before grid-patterned city planning was popular.  The result is a maze of streets, both large and small.  I'm always discovering new ways to get to my favorite grocery store, and I usually encounter something new and fascinating on these adventures. 

I have yet to get my bearings in Tokyo; I have no idea where north is, and I don't know if it would be useful to know.  I get turned around when I enter a new alley, but that makes the adventure that much more exciting.  I do stay around my neighborhood, so when I pop out of the maze work of alleys, I can identify where I am rather than becoming completely lost in a new area.  I make sure to wear comfortable shoes and to bring along my camera, and then I see what I can find.  In the past I've come across interesting architecture, interesting stores, a hidden pond, beautiful gardens, a park, a great restaurant, a tea shop, a handful of shrines, friendly cats, English-speaking natives, and great views of the area I've called home for five months. 

Just one of the thousands of alleyways in Tokyo, and a happy fat cat enjoying the sun in Ueno Park

I've discovered how fun it is to look at something like you've never seen it before; it's difficult to disassociate yourself, but once you get past the familiarity it works wonders.  Soon you notice things you've never 'seen' before.  Even though Enoshima Island was new and exciting, I'm just as anxious to step out of my apartment for an affordable adventure around Bunkyo-ku.