Day 4 - Toyama Park, Harajuku & Shibuya

Although it was about 35 degrees in the AM, we went out in search of  nice place to get a morning walk/run in...and we quickly found Toyama Park. The park was not spectacular, per se, but the fall leaves were. Remember, Hawaiians love most things we don't get to experience- so fall leaves and frost, were a joy for me.

We let Ryan pick what we were doing that day, and he picked Harajuku, as he had faint memories of our last trip there. We found some lemon flavored karaage chicken at a konbini, and this became one of a few new discoveries I was able enjoy regularly (the other being a cream/strawberry filled mochi...like little pillows of heaven for your taste buds).

Harajuku is definitely eclectic and funky, but never scuzzy or icky...so it's a delightful place for anyone to spend an hour or two... It's also right next to the always serene Meiji Shrine and a short walk to Shibuya, so a nice place to land.

Of COURSE we had our obligatory strawberry crepe! It's a Harajuku-thing.

If you can't find a plastic bauble from these coin dispensers...you're out of luck.

If you've been invited to a steampunk-disco-Vegas showgirl-themed wedding- you're in luck. Harajuku is where you will find numerous options.

We were thrilled to spy a new Kura Sushi in Harajuku, and it's our favorite one- totally done up Harajuku style. I even had a mango-flavored Korean snow ice with my sushi, udon and crepe mille cake (YES, it was double dessert)!

After our sushi, we walked over to nearby Shibuya to check out the Scramble (a fine tradition to visit the Starbucks in the music store overlooking it)...Ryan fawned over Lisa, his favorite J-pop singer.

While he shopped at Shibuya 109 nearby, I got bored and roamed a dept store, where I found this special gem (I'd spied it at Harajuku earlier that day), Strawberry Fetish. This vendor sold candied strawberries made fresh on the spot. You had to stand in a long line, and then wait another 10-15 min for your strawberries to get skewered and coated in sugar. Your strawberries that cost over $1 each, by the way. :-| But...they were delicious, and if I could have bought three more kebabs, I would have.

Our night ended back at our hotel, where Ryan (who is not really a lover of sweets) was bullied into taking a single bite of the Pikachu we'd bought him the day prior. He nibbled an ear and his parents polished off the rest, because we don't like to waste/hurt the planet.