I had to work on Monday, so Katherine headed off to Ueno's famed cluster of museums, only to discover that, just like back home, museums are closed on Mondays. Fortunately, Ueno is also famous for its sprawling, tree-filled park, so not all was lost.

I took Tuesday and Wednesday off for some round-the-clock sightseeing, weather permitting. This was typhoon season, and by the time we arrived at Harajuku station, dark clouds were already beginning to loom overhead. We made it to Meiji-jingu, the Shinto shrine at the center of Tokyo, before the skies opened up. We'd brought our umbrellas, but the winds brought the rain in at such an angle that we were pretty much soaked from the waist down.

Back at the station, we debated canceling the rest of the day's activities, only to take notice of the horde of t-shirt-clad pedestrians taking shelter in the station entrance. None of them seemed like they were heading home, so Katherine and I decided to stay put, figuring they knew something we didn't. Sure enough, within minutes the rain wore itself out, leaving a sunny drizzle in its wake. Welcome to Japan, home of the ten-minute typhoon.

Not that we were complaining. The rains never returned, and we resumed our tour of Tokyo's urban hotspots: youth fashion capital Harajuku, hip shopping metropolis Shibuya, electronic gear nirvana Akihabara, and finally Roppongi Hills, where we basked in the incredible night skyline from atop Mori Tower's 54th-floor observation lounge. If you're ever a tourist in Tokyo, pay the 1500 yen and head for the top. It's an breathtaking experience no other city can offer you.

You'll have to take my word for that, though. The reflective windows made it difficult to get good pictures, and my tiny camera couldn't have done justice to such an incredible view anyway. It's just too vast.

Here are three of the pictures that came out the best. More next time.

A lone visitor to Meiji Shrine claps his hands together to scare away evil spirits, and begins to pray.

A lot of gaijin dig Harajuku's Elephant Cafe, most especially the British ones.

In Akihabara, a tiny booth crammed with electronics stuff. One of many.

Not shown: a gleaming wet Shibuya, buzzing with foot-traffic; Roppongi Hills' extravagant polished-metal-and-glass shopping wonderland.