Never ending excitement in Tokyo.

I was in Shinjuku yesterday and I can't express to you the fun I've had for the past two days. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is the fourth tallest building in Japan(296 metres high) and supposed to be fully earthquake proof. Up we went to the 45th floor to one of the observation galleries and yo! the view is fanstastic. I couldn't see Mount Fuji, as visibilty was bad (it was cloudy)). Entrance is free!!!

Shinjuku Chuo (Central) Park - not particurlarly picturesque but quite interesting. I was told that a flea market will be held on Sundays. All in it is like a shanty town inhabited by downs and outs.

The "Love Statue" - Just past Hilton Hotel, I noticed a large red "LOVE" statue next to the I-Land Patio. With the sound of gushing water, piping ambient music and shiny metallic furniture, it looked quite surreal to me. What amazed me is it was totally opposite of Shinjuku Station as it had nobody in the restaurants. Quite bizzare for Tokyo.

Quick Tips:

Shinjuku is extremely crowded during rush hours especially at Shinjuku Station, so getting lost is all part of fun!

When travelling in trains, travel light as some passengers can be quite impatient with travellers having big luggage. Entrance is free for Tokyo Metropolitan Building but is closed on Mondays. All days, open from 9.30 am till 5.30 am and weekends till 7.30pm.

Save on tissues and drinks as packets of tissues are given out free in the street everyday for advertising purposes. I've gotten 5 packets in a day! And in McDonald's (some branches only) I can have my free refills of coffee.

Shopping in Japan is expensive, but no worries, drop in at any 100 Yen Shop, with every item inside costing only 100 Yen. It's good to shop for souvenirs here.

Best Way To Get Around:

I took the Shinkansen (bullet train) from JR Akita to JR Tokyo (about 4 hours and 30 minutes) and then took the JR train from JR Tokyo to Shinjuku Station (another 40 minutes).

As a visitor, I bought the Japan Railway Pass for Foreigners before coming to Japan (can be purchased outside Japan only) for 28 000 yen and I can travel in all JR Trains to any destinations in Japan for 7 consecutive days, rather than paying for each station I go to, though there are some exceptions (Log on to: www.japanrail.com/3_passes/index_1/html

The train stopped at Shinjuku station. There are three main exits - East, South and West. I followed the sign "West Exit" and followed the pedestrian walkway. Using a map of Shinjuku West, I did not have any problems sightseeing in Shinjuku.

Will update you with more journals on Shinjuku.

A three star hotel and an economical city hotel in the heart of the most expensive city in the world. Rates ranging from 12 600 yen to 17 500 yen a room per night.

I stayed in a single room for 12 6000 exclusive of the 5% tax. It has all the modern facilities in a city hotel. The decor is nice. The room is simple, a mixture of Japanese and western culture. Clean sheets and towels. A 24 hour room service. And the room provides an alrm clock too!

There are a few Western and Japanese restaurants in this hotel. As the price is a bit too expensive for me, I did not dine here. I was told an additional charge of 1760 yen exclusive of the 5% tax will be charge for breakfast. Accesing to this hotel is easy as I took 8 minutes to walk grom Shinjuku Station on the JR lines. Travelling from this hotel to Narita Airport is about 85 minutes to 90 minutes.The staff here speak very little English but enquires and bookings should not be a problem with some broken English and a few simple words of Japanese.

It is near to some major tourist sites with Tokyo Metropolitan Goverment Building a street way which is the fourth tallest building in Japan and a free entrance to its observation towers.

Worth staying with the best of modern facilities, a good location to JR station, transportation and to some tourist sites, though it might not be the cheapest around.

It is a small restaurant with 3 tables and seven bartools. As I wanted to try a true Japanese food experience, Toryo is worth a visit.

I tried the sahi-mi which is salmon and the fish roe sudhi which was sof and almost milky with a light savoury taste. My husband tried the tempura which has a light crispiness too. The prawns were fresh and there was a wide selection of vegetable tempura - bamboo shoots, squash and green leaf vegetables.We too tried the karasumi, a huge preserved fish roe from the Borta fish. I did not like it as it tasted like a mildly bitter hard cheese.

We paid a reasonable 3000 yen per person. My husband had the famous sake which is 700 yen per glass. I was told the Toryo Restaurant is open from 5.00 pm to midnight everyday. The menu is both in English and Japanese, though the waitress speaks very little English. It is worth trying if you want a true Japanese food experience.

I had lunch here. The restaurant is small but it is surrounded by a Japanese Garden. The food was a big let down to me.

I had the prom taru-taru, served with prawns and vegetable. The prawn tasted like the butter prawns that are common in Chinese Restaurants except the prawns here had little gravy. The tempura was a bit oily to my liking too with too much flour in them. I had the squid sashimi or another kind of suhi. The meat was not at its freshiest thought the sauce was yummy.

In all, I did not quite like the food here but surprising the restaurant was packed with custommers even after lunch hours. The bill came up to 2100 yen per person, which is relatively cheap in Tokyo. Menu is both in English and Japanese and the waiters here speak fluent English.

Shinjuku is famous for its shopping. Isetan is one of the top shopping centres in Shinjuku. The minute I entered its building, I was taken in by the large crowd. People, people everywhere!

It is open everyday from 10am to 7.30pm though occasionally closed on Wednesday. Isetan is huge. You won't believe me if I tell you that Isetan is split into seven buildings which are located very close to each other.

I was in the main building, the Annex building. Various items with fantastic choices. The prices are a bit expensive. I was in the Isetan Kaikan building, too; it contains various restaurants and eating outlets. I did not really like the food here as it was not as delicious compared to other restaurants in Shinjuku. Moreover, the prices were extremely expensive. A bowl of ramen cost me more than 1500 yen. On the eight floor of the Annex building there are the Isetan building of Art and the Fine Art Salon.

What is special about Isetan is it has a I-club which is special services for foreign customers. I did my inquiries at the Customer Services desk on the seventh floor.

I was given a monthly newsletter which contains comprehensive news of sales and special promotions. The receptionist speaks fluent English.

I did not purchase any items or souvenirs from Isetan as I find the prices here a bit too expensive compared to other numerous shops around Shinjuku. A good place for window-shopping .