Japan Day 13: Department Stores of Shinjuku

Two other interns from Harvard and I decided to boldly venture out to Shinjuku today (with none of us being able to speak very good Japanese). Shinjuku is a ward in Japan that houses the busiest train station in the world. I must say that the station was pretty complicated; there are many subway and train lines that run through it, and it was very crowded despite it being a Saturday. We spent the day in various department stores near the station since the rain still has not ceased. Department stores in Japan are pretty different from ones in the U.S. Since there is not much space in Tokyo, stores have to be built up. As a result, department stores are massive; some are fifteen to sixteen stories tall and with rooftop gardens and playgrounds. 

For lunch, we went to a classy okonomiyaki place, which had a grill at every table for cooking and heating meals. I wanted to try something new, so I got the galbi (Korean-style beef) set. I really like the radish and rice that came with the set. The vegetables were all well-seasoned, and the rice was subtly flavored and with several types of grain in it. 

After lunch, we explored different department stores. Like everything else in Japan, the items sold in the stores were all really chic and cute. There were so many things that I wanted to buy, but, as with many department stores, the wares being sold were pretty pricy. One of the most strangely expensive things I saw today was a melon being sold for ¥20,800, approximately $203! I also saw a huge working toy train set (that had both adults and children playing with it) in one of the store's stationary section!