West of the West: First Blog Post! Initial Tokyo Thoughts

Okay, just trying to get set up with a blog here for this trip! I care a lot more about having a medium to write than to share photos, so the Polarsteps app wasn't cutting it for me! I'm also not particularly interested in feeling watched or needing to be connected to home while traveling (at least, not yet!), so I apologize in advance if my posts are not thorough or frequent! My main goal is to have a platform to reflect on things when I feel like reflecting that is not a private journal and does not require me to send out emails to people to share...

So, some initial thoughts on Tokyo:

Tokyo is the largest city (at least by population) in the world, and you can feel it. There are so. many. people. The subway system is enormous and has taken some time to get used to (you never have to wait long for a train though!).
Tokyo is much more racially homogeneous than I expected. I thought it was going to be closer to NYC or London, but in fact I would guess it's 90+% Japanese and 95+% Asian.
Convenience stores are AMAZING compared to the US. I can't believe how many healthy, affordable, yummy options are in 7-Elevens and other convenience stores here. Seems like an excellent public health strategy...
It's beautiful to see a place where women are completely comfortable walking alone at night. It's surprising in the best way!
The food has been a MAJOR highlight. Everything is fresh, delicious (Oishi), and beautifully presented. Good meals are five to ten dollars. I didn't expect to like Japanese food this much!
I have a strong desire to connect with locals, but am having a hard time figuring out how to do this--especially if I'm only spending 1-2 weeks in a place. I have a feeling this will be a central challenge on this trip and am open to advice!
Sayonara for now!