People watching in Tokyo

Harajuku always come to everyone's mind if you want to do some people watching. No, not because of the super pretty/handsome Japanese artistes hang out there. Harajuku is good for people watching on a Sunday because of the punks in all sorts of unimaginable dressing/hairstyle that hang around there. And mind you, this place is super crowded (just like any other place in Tokyo actually) with teenages.



I would like to suggest another kind of people watching, which is to go to Meiji shrine. It's interesting because on Sundays (or probably just about any weekends), you'll likely be able to catch a traditional wedding procession. There, you'll be able to see Japanese couple deck out in their gorgeous wedding kimono with their family members (equally gorgeously dressed up), walking across the shrine courtyard. Everyone looks super serious, while hordes of tourists (me included) will be busy and happily snapping photos of them. Not exactly the kind of wedding I particular fancy, but it's fun to watch. I manage to catch two such wedding procession in the morning that I was there, while my friend Ying witnessed five in one morning, one of which has a very huge entourage of family members.

Another type of people watching was suggested by another friend Kul. Just go to the infamous Yasukuni shrine on a Sunday as well and you may be able to see protests by Chinese/Koreans protesters, complete with their banners, head bands and loud hailers.