Konnichiwa Chronicles: Top of the World

If there's one place in Tokyo that Mark and I visit most frequently, it must be the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku. We've both been here a couple of times together, and a couple of times individually. Mainly because it's just across Shinjuku Washington Hotel - the place where we usually stay.

I'm not certain if it's THE tallest building in Japan, but it's definitely one of the tallest. From the top, you can see a complex maze of buildings, streets and the odd tourist landmark here and there.



They say that on a clear day, you can see Mount Fuji from TMG. Even though I've been here a lot of times, I haven't been lucky enough to see Japan's most famous natural landmark. But one nice thing about visiting this place quite often is seeing this building under construction. The first time we saw it was when it was just a bunch of frames. The second time, it was half-finished but still covered in a protective net. Now, it looks like it's completed. (Actually, we thought it was. But when we passed by this afternoon, we found out that it's still a work-in-progress.)



Another reason why TMG is worth visiting is because of the cool toy and gift shop on the top floor. Mark bought his Mickey Mouse watch here and the reason for this visit was because he needed to buy another watch for his friend. He got what he wanted (a nice Mickey Mouse watch with a yellow strap) and I got a picture with this huge machine that dispensed rubber bouncing balls.



I've definitely had a lot of fun and have a lot of fond memories from TMG. So among the many places that we've visited here in Japan, this has got to be among those at the top.