Eyes Up

If you had asked me a month ago to leave the apartment without my subway map or my Japanese dictionary, I would have shuddered with fear.

Last week, my friend Mimi was visiting and I think she would agree that I was successful in showing her the most interesting parts of Tokyo - with subway map, dictionary & tourist guidebook in hand, of course.

A few days into her stay, we were catching the train back towards home with 2 transfers ahead of us when I overheard another passenger asking a local if the train would get him to Ginza. It was a great Lost in Translation moment, and I started to think...maybe I could give him my map and tell him which stop to get off on. I should, I bet he would appreciate it.

So that's exactly what I did - leaving me without a map, but with a new confidence in my sense of direction.

That day, we were coming from Hachiko, which happens to be the world's busiest pedestrian crossing. Check out the video below & see how hectic and busy Tokyo can be. (Yes, I trip over a branch about 10 seconds in).

Don't text & cross!