Parcly: At DiverCity I booked and rode on hexaRide, a VR system complete with seat motion (much like a small-scale flight simulator) that was one-of-a-kind in Japan. I had no major physiological problems with the ride, and at one point was even clasping the headset with my left hoof to focus on Motoko and her not-quite-dreamwalking exploits while the right hoof held on to a handlebar.

Spindle: Odaiba’s overall atmosphere is perfect for relaxing, with the public linkways, blue harbour in daytime and many interesting buildings in nighttime that open until late regardless of season, emulating the circadian rhythms of other large cities around the world with cultures different from the Japanese.

We spent about an hour lounging at one of the tables in Aqua City, finishing a full packet of snacks before Parcly broke out of her self-satisfaction loop.

Daiba (Yurikamome) Shimbashi (Ginza) Omote-sandō 表参道 (Chiyoda 千代田) Meiji-jingumae/Harajuku 明治神宮前/原宿

Spindle: When the average working day ends in Odaiba, there’s only Yurikamome out of Tokyo Bay and only one station funneling all hoof traffic into the wider network: Shimbashi. Parcly squeezed between commuters nearly all the way from Daiba to Harajuku, her four hooves dancing on one spot at the mercy of embarkings and disembarkings. She took care not to lose any body part under the pressure.

At Harajuku, Parcly took out a lobster roll from Luke’s Lobster as a reward for the day’s efforts and as an appetiser for…

Harajuku (Fukutoshin 副都心) Shibuya

Parcly: …a great walkover. Shibuya may not have the busiest train station, but it has the busiest pedestrian crossing. Combined with the local geometry of the train tracks, this led to a very long trek up and down stairs, over and under bridges, beside rolling stock and around and around, until I found Gems Shibuya and the izakaya Uokin (魚金). There was plenty of sushi and sashimi to go around, but the many working ponies chatting and drinking on the external kitchen deck confirmed the izakaya status. I ate happy too, though I ordered yuzu rather than alcohol for my drink.

Shibuya (Hanzomon 半蔵門) Kudanshita 九段下 (Tōzai) Nishi-sakai

Parcly: I came back to my accommodation at 23:45. Such is the plight of anypony attending an izakaya – the usual upside is that you’re drunk and ready to sleep through the hangover. Yet I wasn’t drunk.