Day 3 Saturday - Yasukuni Shrine -> Ichigaya --> Ueno Ameyoko --> Harajuku --> Tokyo Bay/Odaiba

Yay ! I got the Tokyo Metro card.. which means for just like 1000 yen , i can zig-zag around the entire metro network as much as i want. exactly what i need. so i started off the morning by heading straight into the heart of controversy .. the Yasukuni Shrine , which everyone makes so much hoo-ha about the Japanese prime minister visiting. it was just one stop away from jimbocho so it was quite convenient. the weather was a little nippy but ok.

Yasukuni Shrine

the first entrance into the shrine.. i bumped into this over-enthusiastic man (not that one above) who was trying to sell the idea that the japanese troops in nanjing were actually doing people good and improving the people's living standards ( he actually had on display rows of pictures of happy chinese kids and civilians receiving the japanese troops with much enthusiasm ). in my mind, i am like ,the war is so over - and there's no need to pull all that merino lamb wool over my eyes because the world can see the invisible rifles and bayonets behind these poor chinese kids' backs if they dun smile like a geisha for the soldiers.
if not for the controversy(which i didn't bother going into) , the shrine is a lovely place as you can see above. pleasant place to stroll...
now this is also another character.. holding a tape-recorder chanting Japanese military anthems .. sigh .

Ueno - Ameyoko
Ueno is like next to Asakusa, and it offers a lot of great cheap eats and good funky stuff to buy. i bought like a billabong fur-jacket and an OP body-hugger which all looked pretty funky. price was ok .. about 200 bucks each i figure. haha who cares ? i am on holiday! and i freakin' didn't do like 7-8 calls per month for nothing!

Above is the eatery where i just threw in my coins and got a nice bowl of uberlicious tempura udon. there wasn't any place to sit , but it's ok. i gave my meal ticket , i got my bowl , i stood at the counter and slurped slurped slurped - like the way you slurp ******* hehe - (the louder you slurp , the better apparently in japan haha ) ... and i am done! return your tray and everyone in the eatery will start screaming "arigato gozaimashita"! and you are supposed to giggle back "gochisoosamadeshita (it was a feast!)".

Harajuku
Ok i wasn't so much into harajuku because of the funky hairstyles and clothes - anyway most of those dress-sense maniacs had already left for a funkier part of town when i came in the late evening (you can walk up from ginza ) . I stumbled upon - another of lonely planet's recommendations - Marion's crepes ! WOnderful wonderful - thin crepes encasing a delicious prism of thick , rich cream with a dash of chocolate chip and fresh strawberries - again along with the line of japanese convenience, you don't need to sit down and eat it with a knife/fork - they just wrap it up and you eat it the same way you eat a wrap at taco bell's ..
Harajuku - and featuring a branch of Murasaki Sports - the place where i purchased my winter garb at Ueno -

Tokyo Odaiba