As last night was our last staying in the area of Shiomi, before we move west to Shinjuku, we decided to go and explore Odaiba close by.

The area is a popular entertainment and shopping district known for its futuristic vibe and attractions and was built on a man-made island in the bay.

It’s home to the iconic Rainbow Bridge, Fuji tv building, a replica of the Statue of Liberty and a life size Gundam statue.

The ‘life sized’ Unicorn Gundam Statue, a full-scale of the RX-0 Unicorn from the series, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn illuminates & moves every morning at 11am which more by luck we managed to see.

Obaiba even has a man-made beach, so with the sun shining we relaxed by Tokyo Bay and enjoyed the views of the city skyline & Rainbow Bridge.

After moving hotels to Shinjuku, on the west of the city we went to explore Harajuku and Takeshita Street. The first was a wonderful shopping area full of trendy shops where the young go to get the latest fashions.

We then strolled down to Omotesando, an upscale tree lined street known as Tokyo’s Champs-Elysees.

The area was a shopping haven with little streets running off in all directions with unique stores on every corner.

We then headed to Takeshita Street home of the famous crepes and the latest youth fashion.

Next stop the Tokyo Plaza known for its distinctive design and a wide range of stores.

The striking mirrored entrance is a famous feature and we managed to climb up to the roof, known as Omohara Forest, which offers a relaxing green space with great views over the city.

The area is a real melting pot of Japanese and international fashion brands, cafes and restaurants. We decided to take in some Japanese food as a late lunch with the obligatory Asahi beer.

Down on Takeshita Street with our crepes.

Here we came across one of the more surreal cafe experiences, a pig petting affair. One for the family?!

Later in the evening we joined a walking tour of the Shinjuku area and met up with the same guide as the city one a couple of days ago.

This was all about the bright lights of this city and the night life in all its weird and wonderful forms.

We visited Kabukicho, known as the largest red light district in Japan, with its neon-lit streets and host and hostess venues , love hotels and bars. It’s a definitely a lively area that stays active to the early hours .

We then visited Omoide Yokocho, also called Memory Lane or Piss Alley. You can guess the reason for the latest one! It’s a throwback to post war Tokyo filled with small old styled Japanese bars. All are very small and you sit up close to the other patrons in these traditional dinning stalls selling grilled chicken.

We then moved on to Golden Gai, a historic and quirky part of Shinjuku consisting of narrow alleyways packed with more tiny bars, up to 200 in total, seating fewer than 10 to each place. The bars are themed, offering an intimate drinking experience with a mix of the locals, tourists and artists.

The red light district was a real eye opener in many ways and showed the complexity of the Japanese culture and their views on host and hostess clubs and the industry that has been created from them. It’s so in your face with bill boards displaying the famous boys and girls offering their services.

It was quite a night, so at the end we were pleased to return to our hotel to get away from the craziness. Tomorrow we are meeting up with friends Christophe and Barbs who are in Japan for a week. We are going to have a look around the Imperial Palace with them and over the next few days see other parts of the city and the rest of Japan.