For Grandma

Nihon - Day 17

Day 17 - Staying Local

Today is miserable again, but will be my last full day in tokyo so I decide to set out anyway.

I headed to the river again today but turned left, as I noticed last time I came out this way that there was a park near by, and into Hama-Rikyu-Teien (detached palace garden) This garden use to only be for the Shogans.

I wandered past a european style garden, very small, and between two large buildings with the most gorgeous statues in it.

At the gate I was keenly offered a device that looked much like an iphone and would be my electronic guide to the garden. The lady set it up so I could wander and the guide would pick up on the sites and start automatically when I was in range of the site to tell me the significance. All the sites were numbered and I was given a map so I could follow where I was going.

After my auto-tour I headed back to the hotel via the Pokemon Centre, which I stumbled across on my way to the garden. This place is simular to the tamagochi place in Harajuku but much larger and busier.
I found my pokemon, despite not knowing its name and it being one of the older original creatures, I even found a squirtle for my bro. This place is a must for any pokemon fan.

Lunch was via Family Mart and was a yummy mushroom pasta dish. I then headed out again.

I headed to Tokyo tower via the garden on the other side of Zojoji Temple, and the cemetary.
The first attraction I went to was on the ground floor and was about extinct and endangered animals (I think). It was filled with cute statues of these animals. There was information all over the place but the only english was the name of the animals. The last room had school childrens colour in on the walls and a box for donation. I put some coins in and a man gave me a sticker sheet to thank me for the donation.

Next I headed to the 3rd floor for the wax museum, having picked up a discount coupon in Aqua City. The whole thing was kinda creepy with its low lights and this life size displays looking at you. Not realistic enough for you to think that they are the real person but creepy enough to totally come alive in a horror movie and kill you.
The first room had people from movies, then in the next room historical figures and great artists and inventors, old leaders (including Ho Chi Minh) and Jesus and his diciples even madam Tussaud was there. The final room held legends of Rock N Roll.

I headed back to the room to sort my stuff and make sure I had everything before leaving tomorrow .

Nihon - Day 16

Day 16 - Ryogoku

Today started in a bit of a mess. I boarded the subway with the intention of heading to Ebisu but then once on the train I decided to head to Roppongi instead. When we all had to disembark from the train and wait for another one I changed my mind again and headed back to the hotel.

I ate lunch at a little quaint resturant place near my station, serving proper Japanese style meals. I ordered a beef dish and it came with rice in the bowl and pasta salad in another bowl and some pickled veg in another, soup in yet another and a bit of orange jelly on a small plate. It tasted nice and was filling despite it being mostley fat. It was however a smoking venue and after the man sitting next to me lit up I decided it was time to leave.

Headed back to the subway the plan was to visit the Edo-Tokyo Museum in Ryogoku and then onto Ueno Park.
Two stops before Ryogoku an actual Sumo Wrestler got on the train.

After climbing the stairs to level 3 of the museum I purchased my ticket then headed up some more esculators for level 6 of the museum building. All displays were on level 5 and 6 but the entrance is on level 6 the exit level 5.

There were a few exibits that you could take photos of and even some you could get into.
English guides are available at the entrance desk, they will walk around with you and explain the displays in English for you. It is free but I opted not to anyway.

There were displays of old Edo houses and bulidings, little moldels of whole townships. If you are in the right aread at the right time some of the displays change and move. A museum staff member stands there are explains what is going on in Japanese. There is a giant replica of a Edo bridge, and a theatre hall. There is life size maniquinnes of an Emperor and his Queen in traditional dress. There is a rickshaw you can actually sit in, and an old style bike. There are restored cars and a Edo house you can walk around inside of. There is even a replica box of gold you can lift up and see how heavy it is. Many of the displays are interactive and the displays you can photograph are clearly marked by a picture of a camera and it says in English Flash Photography is ok. Most of the museum is pretty dark in an atempt to keep the old stuff in good condition.

I didn't go onto Ueno Park again, after the museum I just headed back to the hotel.

Nihon - day 15

Day 15 - Accidently Odaiba

Had a minor panic attack about having so few days left in Tokyo, despite the really bad cold weather I headed out anyway.

The plan was Daimon station but I just kept walking, wanting to see what was ahead in this neighbourhood. I saw on a map that the bay was close by, so I kept walking.
I came apon the ocean. Though it was raining madly and cold as hell it still looked nice. I walked around the bay noticing a train station and wondering where it went. I saw the rainbow bridge ahead and wondered if I could get there, the guide book says you can walk across it to get to Odaiba.

I walked to the bridge and noticed you could not get on it from here, but then there was another train station. What is the harm in getting on and seeing where it goes? Turns out it was the un-manned train to Odaiba. Goody! The guide says you had to catch it from Shimbashi, which turns out is the last stop on the mainland, but there are heaps of other stops.

Still the weather is horrible and all my photos end up dark. Seems the statue of Gundum was taken down some time ago, but I found the statue of Liberty. I walked from one end to the other and made it to Aqua City! A shopping centre and went in search of food.
When I came across a steak place playing Dropkick Murphy's I knew this was meant to be!
Sizzling steak with garlic sauce and I even managed to order a plate of rice in Japanese. YAY!

I bought a few things for the etsy shop at the 100 Yen store and had a look around Fuji TV then with the cold seeping into my skin chilling me to the bones headed back on the un-manned train to the hotel.

Ramen is on the cards for dinner tonight, a lovely big bowl of broth and noodles, oishi!

Nihon - Day 14

Day 14 - The day of rest!

So I have not been sleeping well at night, so I decided to take today off.
Weather suited a day off, its cold and raining.

So today is about take-away from Family Mart + beer of course and TV.
I did manage to catch an old black and white movie that was in English.

The Japanese new programme, Every, is doing a segment on non-japanese lolitas in Harajuku. I have noticed this too. There are HEAPS! more non-japanese walking around than Japanese Lolitas now, kinda dissappointing when you go there on a sunday just to see them.

Hakuho Sho was on TV too, with Sly Stallon. Sly said they needed to do something Sumo-ish and got into a sumo stance, but Hakuho-san just picked him up like he was nothing. Sly looked a bit surprised and I had to laugh.

Nihon - Day 13

Day 13 - Sumo!

Sumo tour isn't until 1.15pm so I headed to Tokyo Tower to check out the aquarium instead.
It was very busy and there was a huge line up for the observation deck, thousands of children it would seem.
A woman was playing drums so I went and had a look only to discover she infact had a monkey with her. They did a bit of an act where the monkey did tricks and acted cheeky.

Despite it being so busy there was no one at all in the aquarium. This made it a little creepy with all those fish and eels and little sharks. And the pirahna were huge and followed you when you walked past their tanks (EEEK!).

I went to eat some lunch at the park before getting ready for the tour.

The tour bus came about 10 minutes late and picked me and another woman up from the hotel. We were then driven to headquarters, just down the road. There were heaps of people doing the tour as well as me. We were all seperated into three groups and given an english speaking guide. We then headed for the stadium via 2 trains, our tour guide held up a flag with a fish on it so we could spot him if we got seperated.

After a breif visit to the small sumo museum we settled into our seats and watched some sumo.

Japan's president arrived towards the end and caused quite a stir.

One sumo wrestler was retiring and his bout would be his last. The crowds went crazy and he played up for them. He won his flight!

There was a brief ceremony before the last 3 bouts took place.

Then on the last bout Hakuho Sho came on. The crowd went nuts for the champion, who had already won the series this last fight a mear formality. After a lot of false starts and sycing they went for it and Hakuho Sho won his 62 consecutive bout. He is only 7 away from matching the record!
Afterwards came a very long ceremony where Hakuho-san recieved many many prizes.

When it was all over I headed to the subway alone, luckily there were afew other people who were going to the same place that I could follow.

I headed straight for Family Mart to grab some dinner then back to my hotel.

Nihon - Day 12

Day 12 - Doll Burning Ceremony

I headed out on a cold and windy day and took the subway to Ueno Park. The stop was not far away from the park at all.

Walking around the massive park, I took many photos and found Kiyomizu Kannon-do admist all the temples and shrines that call the park home. The monks were busy in preperation for the ceremony to be conducted later that day, but it was still early so i headed to the Ueno Park Zoo.

The zoo entrance has a machine to purchase your ticket from. Awsome! Just put your money in Y1000 and press the button relating to the ticket you want to purchase. Then the lady at the gate stamps your ticket as you enter. EASY!
As soon as you enter the zoo there is displays holding maps of the zoo in many different languages. I grabbed an english one.
The giant pandas weren't available but I did see some gorgeous little red pandas instead. Some of the cages seemed a little disproportioned.

I wandered out of the zoo and back to the park. I had a quick look at a brilliant water feature before I realised the time and headed back to Kiyomizu Kannon-do.

I got there shortley after the ceremony had started and the monks were sitting around the table chanting and blessing the dolls. Two other men prepared the vessel the dolls would be burnt in. After about 20 minutes or so the monks then got up and led a procession to a table in front of the vessel. The monk in the middle lit some incense and prayed to the goddess Senju Kannon (of mercy). the dolls were placed in the vessel and a rag on a stick was douced in kerosine and placed inside with the dolls. The rag was then lit and the flames soon grew. The other monks lit incense and offered their own prays then moved off from the table. As the flames ingulfed the dolls more people came to the table and gave the two men their dolls to be placed in the flames, then grabbed a pinch of the incense and lifted in to their forheads before placing it in the already burning incense lit by the monks. They then moved out of the area to let more people in.

It was actually a moving ceremony and I hope those people offering their dolls for fertility get waht they are praying for.

For dinner I was going to try Yakatori but decided to buy something at the Family mart and sit in my room instead. All that smoke made me very tired. I bought a lovely pasta chicken and chilli dish that the man heated for me and two beers, only cost me Y602. Sweet!

Nihon - Day 11

Day 11 - Sunshine City

Got out of the hotel very late this morning. I didn't really feel like doing much today but there was suppose to be a fire drill today so I want to get out of the hotel.

The weather is still pretty bad, wet and windy. The weather chanel says we are feeling the effects of a cyclone somewhere south of Japan.

I decided to go to Sunshine City in Ikeburkuro, and have a look at the Sunshine International Aquarium. Alas, The aquarium is closed for renovations till next year. I bought a ticket for the planaterium instead. Its completely narrated in Japanese but the light show is spectacular. They showed the constilations of Andromida, Persius and Pegasus, and a few others in the same area. Then told the story of Medusa and Persius and Andromida. It was rather lovely.
All in it goes for around 40 minutes.

I headed back to Tokyu Hands store to see if I could find an electronic dictionary cover, but when i found all the covers they had for things I realised I really had no idea what I was looking for. Size, shape etc?

I headed back to the streets which were now lit-up with flashing lights and neons. I saw a maid handing out fliers and a couple of love hotels, but they were not really picture worthy, just pink.
Got more advertising tissues and donated some money to some tsunami appeal guy. I then headed back to the subway.

I got off the train for a connection near the tokyo dome and headed past a lovely garden with water fountains to the next subway entrance.

I then headed back to my room at the hotel.

Nihon - Day 10

Day 10 - Shibuya

Today's plan was to stop off quickly in Harajuku and score some Hangry and Angry and a bunny hoodie then head to Shibuya to check it out. But the plan came unstuck when I discovered Hangry and Angry were closed. Blast!

So I caught the train to Harajuku and went to Richards and got my bunny jacket. The sales lady also gave me a free Patch and a half price arm band that matched the jacket. So I gave her a koala to say thanks (now I'm down to just 2).

I then walked to Shibuya, which was not far away, but headed down another street looking at all the shops and accidently ended up back in Harajuku. Oops! So I walked back to Shibuya on the other side of the road and went down another street. This time I stayed in Shibuya.

I got a little distracted from my mission by a childish delight. DISNEY WORLD! A 3-storey store with just Disney stock. I bought an Alice in Wonderland umbrella, cheshire cat ear phones and a big cuddly Scrump (lilo's doll from Lilo and Stitch).

I was then kinda lost as this was on a different street and I started heading off in the wrong direction. What kind of city guide leaves out the Disney store???

Anyway I eventually stumbled across something in my guide, Tokyu Hands, and bought some more halloween stuff (you would think they don't have halloween in australia - HAHA). I then headed to the subway via Tower Records (also in the guide), as I had had enough of the weather today and headed back to my hotel.

Now I see a lot of Lolita's and Gothic Lolitas and the like in Harajuku, but whenever I am there they are never just standing around, they are always on their way somewhere. I know that they would more than likely say yes and let me stop them and take a photo, but unless they are just standing around it seems rather rude to do so. So I have no photos of the Harajuku youth clothing culture, but you can find many examples by googling it.

Nihon - Day 9

Day 9 - Photo Booths

So my mission today was to find Nanette Lepore and check out the Tarina Tarantino jewellery. Don't get me wrong, they definately had some there, it just wasn't anything I would have bought. So that was a big dissapointment. Then I headed to Harajuku to find Hangry and Angry store, but i couldn't find it. I should have looked in my book because I was so close.

I did however go into one of those photo booth things that are so popular with the teen girls here in japan, and had a blast. It was a little difficult as the machines were all in japanese but it was fun anyway. You stand in a very bright booth to take the photos, these booths are rather large so many girls can fit into one booth. It puts these photos into different frames and shows you each in turn. You then select the photo or photos you liked and then go into the second smaller booth. All the screens are touch screens, but you get pen like things in the second booth.
In the second booth you select your photo and then draw on it or put little sticker things on it. Do this to all the photos till you are done and then press done (or something like that anyway) You then select the layout of your photos to come in a bookmark shaped printing. It will then give you the option of printing more (i think that what it was doing anyway), for Y200 each. It then prints out 2 copies of your photo selection. There are a pair of sissors out the front of the shop to cut up these photos and stick in your photo albulm (or what ever you want).
These places do not allow boys inside.

I had a buffet lunch for Y1300, then caught the train to asakusa and for some reason thought i would walk to roppongi.

When I cam out the train station I was inside the TV building, so I took a few photos of some characters then walked to Roppongi. Only problem was, when I finally got to Roppongi I had forgotten why I was going there in the first place. :-( So i caught the subway back to the hotel again.

I went home via family mart and bought some chips and a bottle of wine, and settled down in my room with my aching feet to relax.

Nihon - Day 8

Day 8 - Wear Kimono around Asakusa experience.

Today started in a mad rush as I had spent too long on the internet and was now going to be late for the tour.

The tour was amazing! I can not say enough about how worth it is really was. The tour is run by 3 people, the camera man, the kimono dresser and the dance teacher. All were so wonerfully nice. The camera man was waiting for me at the Kaminarimon gate, when i arrived he took me to the dance school (not far from the gate). Here I met the two ladies. They had 4 kimonos for me to choose from, of course I chose the purple one. I then chose an obi from the selection and they did the rest.
First the kimono dresser took me into the change room where i changed from my clothes to the under parts of the kimono. I then sat down and let the dance instructor (Ms Yoko Namishima) do my hair. She put it up in a japanese bun then added a hair piece and some beautiful hair decorations. Then they both dressed me in the kimono and the obi. Then I was ready!
We walked out to the temple and walked around taking many photos. Then the dance instructor and I walked around and window shopped while the camera man took the photos back to be developed. She showed me all the places she got her dancing supplies from and a beautiful paper shop.
Many people stopped us for photos. Photos of just me, of just her and of both of us in our kimonos. It was a bit silly, but nice to be the centre of attention (in a good way).
WE then headed back to the dance school and she did a performance of one of her traditional japanese dances as a gift for me, and showed me how to twirl the fan. They then helped me undress, and I got back into my clothes.
The camera man came back and gave me 2 photos and a cd with all my photos on it. YAY! I gave them each a koala clip toy and they also gave me a beautiful kimono bag.

I headed back to the temple afterwards and had a look around, bought a few things. I bought these silly little candies that look like sushi, and two more Duramon dolls.

I then headed back on the subway.
I went back to the hotel to look through my photos and sort my souveniers then headed out to the tokyo tower as it was getting dark. I went up to the first observation tower. Besides the Tokyo haze it was a beautiful site, specially during the sunset.

I then headed to the ramen joint for more yummy ramen, then back to the hotel for an early night.

No idea what I will do tomorrow

Nihon - Day 7

Day 7 - Ghibli Museum

Finding the museum was easy enough. The JR lines are a little difficult to navigate as there is almost no english and I don't have the numbers for the stations.

The outside suburbs of tokyo look a little more like the rest of asia, but Mitaka is beautiful with its expansive greenary.

The museum itself is amazing, a true gem of arcitechture. It looks like its been half eaten by the forest, with the over grown garden on the roof and the creepers across the walls.

The line up was very long and i waited with many others in excitement for what was to come. The people at the front checked to make sure everyone had tickets and let a few in to the counters to exchange their passes at a time. The ticket you recieve in exchange for your pass is a little marvel, 3 frames of footage from actual movie reels set in a beautiful laid out cardboard housing.
I wondered over the museum which has no structure in how you can visit the displays. Each room filled with a little more wonder than the next. The catbus room made me envious of all those under 12 who could climb all over him. The baby cat bus room was also cute, where you could wear a baby catbus over your head and wonder around the room.
Then up stairs in the garden you find the robot gardian from laputa watching over the museum.
I headed back down to the ground floor to check into the cinema to watch the short film being shown. Your ticket is stamped (only 1 viewing per person) and you line up ready to go in. The doors open and the little cinema in the ground fills up. Just before the movie starts the little windows close and the moon in the ceiling lights up. The movie Mei and the Baby Cat Bus was a sweet little film about a girl who befriends a baby cat bus by giving it carmels and is taken on a journey to see all the different cat bus's.
After the movie I headed to the strawhat cafe, but the line up was too long and the sitting room at a minimum. So i decided to walk back to the station and head back to the hotel.

In a last minute decision I decided to get of at Shinjuku and catch the connecting subway to Ikebukuro.

The backstreets here are laided with gaming rooms. I didn't end up locating the aquarium but had fun checking out all the different places that make this the geek-girl central. I had lunch at a cute little place, no one spoke english, and ate my fill of chicken stir-fry, broth and rice.

I am so tired by the end of this day that I never had dinner.

Nihon - Day 6

Day 6 - Harajuku Part 2!

Harajuku again today, with loads of money.
And spend i did! Finding Takeshita Dori again was so easy, no idea how i got lost last time and I can't believe how close the bridge was....... no harajuku fashion though.
I went to McDonalds for lunch and had a salt and lemon burger.
There were so many westerners here today, groups and couples and kids tours (maybe).
I totally blew my budget too, oops!
Kiddyland was insanely busy, so hard to get around the 3 story toy shop, much busier than the toy park at Ginza. It was also hotter than it was outside.
I saw tokyostreetfashiom.com photographers and an Alice from wonderland. I found 6% Dokidoki down a narrow street and discovered Angry and Hangry, two total gothic kitties.
I found it much easier to find my way around this second visit and oriental bizzare was open today, so I went in and got all my souverneirs for the family.
Got home and realised I got a freebie from kiddyland, some rice craker stick.
After my PM internet session I headed out to get some dinner.
There is a wonderful ramen place nearby.
You put your Y1000 in the machine and select what you want from whats pictured, it then spits out a ticket with your order on it. The lady takes this ticket from you and seats you, then reads the order to the ramen cook. You then sit down and wait for your ramen. I was seated next to a german guy who entred just before me and we chatted and enjoyed our ramen.

I tried my card at the Family Mart but it was rejected, will have to find a 7-eleven or citibank soon.

Tomorrow - GHIBLI MUSEUM!!!

Nihon - Day 5

Day 5 - Akihabara and Ginza

Well the plan was for Akihabara anyway, sort of fell apart when i exited the subway and realised I had left my printouts back at the hotel. BUMMER!

I did have a quick look in a big department store though.
On the sixth floor was thosands and thousands of Manga! Also on this floor was tower records, a cd shop. I bought a cosplay magazine and a manga called "cat shit one" with little commando animals on the cover. I wont be able to read this but I just couldn't leave it in the shop, not with a cover like that!
I also bought some JReggae and an anthems cd from tower records.

I then hopped back on the subway and headed back to Ginza.

The subway exited straight into a busy department store and eventually when I found my way out I was right on the main drag of Ginza.
This place also has all the big name shops in it, right on this street. I saw the apple store as soon as i exited the department store, another louis vitton and a Swarovksi store.

I want inside Ito-ya a multi-story stationary store and bought a few things. However, when i came out of the store the entire street had been closed off to traffic and tables and chairs where being set up in the middle of the road.

I headed back down the street, making my way to Shimbashi station and found the Toy Park. 6 floors of beeping, singing, barking, purring, laughing and music toys. The first floor was crazy! so much happy noise! and Halloween! "this is halloween, halloween, halloween".

I put some coins into this bizzare machine that photographed my face then made a little plastic copy of it. You then pick a body from the selection and take your face up to the counter and tell them the number and they stick your little face onto the little body you selected! I chose a pink panda. So strange and so cool!

The second floor had soft toys, disney merch and ghibli toys. I bought a cat bus! (I know...... I'm going to the ghibli museum monday why buy stuff now? well peeps this frees up more money to spend at the museum.) I got some tokens when i paid for my stuff which I assume was for the games part on the top level, but I never went all the way up. Too many toys!

I got some alice in wonderland stuff and a present for my bro and some halloween stuff. I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!

I had some strange, but delicious, burger with potato salad in it for lunch. Then headed back to the hotel for an early day.

They are setting some things up on the street around my hotel, which i assume has something to do with the autumn festivaties, but cannot find any info on this.

Tomorrow is harajuku part 2!

Nihon - Day 4

Roppogi Hills

Before I start the day I just have to add that I am loving my thredless t-shirts!

Spent a long time getting ready to go out today, but finally at 10.45am I'm off to Roppongi Hills.

The complex itself, made of several buildings, is far more confusing than the subways.
I walked around for ages and stumbled across a giant rose, near a lookout over Tokyo, stunning.
I was trying to find the Spider on the map out in the garden when I suddenly noticed he was right there! Hovering above me! How could i have missed him. I am stoked that I found him though, or should that be she... looks like she is carring some eggs way up there.

I wondered into another building and found the Mori Art Museum. Great this was on my list to see. There was some amazing pieces in there, each room had a different one.
There was one room that had a paper mache over head, covering the whole room so you had to duck in places to get through the room. There were a few holes in it and people were poking their heads through, so i thought i'd give that a go, and wow! Through the holes was a winter wonderland with white trees.
Another room held a huge perspect tank with millions of dandilion looking bits being blown around like a soft wave, I would imagine this was signifying snow. It was beautiful.
Then my favorite piece was the water pond. It was white and round and there were water bottles suspended on the ceiling. Every few minutes all the water bottles would let out a single drop on water, into the pond. Simple, elegant, stunning!

After the art museum I headed to the City Sky View and wow is Tokyo big! You walk around the sky view to see every side of Tokyo.

Then I headed off to find some lunch and you will never guess. I ended up at a German bar and grill, haha, with a German beer. Well i thought it was funny anyway.

After lunch i did a bit more shopping, sent my postcard off and headed down to the garden attached to the centre. Many people in this complex speak rather good english. I found my prizes for the colouring in contest I am running at work back home.

Headed home around 4.30pm, stopping by a grocery store on the way to pick up some fruit (oh how i have missed fruit) and something for dinner.

Nihon - Day 3

Harajuku (part 1)

Today it is raining!
the weather report says it should be all day and gives a typhoon warning for Okinowa.

I decided to scope out Harajuku today, see what its like before heading there on sunday for people watching. Despite the fact that this is my first time on the train system on my own, transfering between two different train company lines, it turns out its not that difficult!

I had a little issue finding the english button on the JR ticket machine, but some random (very helpful) buisness man stopped and helped me out. He even wrote my stop down in english and asked the man at the gate what number stop I was to catch the train at. Super helpful!

People are so quiet on the train, and i noticed the no phones sign. People back home would probably just ignore this. The trains are also so clean, as are the train stations. If fact while I waited for my train a cleaner scrapped up something that was stuck to the floor, then wipped the area clean again, Amazing!

Harajuku was great!
Although I was a little dissappointed Kiddy Land has now closed, I was relieved to find out from the girl at the information booth that it would have a reopening tomorrow! Even managed to score an invite to the opening...... not that i will be going, could you imagine all those kids!

I had a look in the 100 Yen shop and the tamagochi shop, where you can connect your tamaggochi to a machine and ....... well i don't know what it does exactley, but I hear this is simular to the pokemon shop too.
I saw the louise vitton, channel, issey myaki, and other big name shops. Had a good look in this gorgeous gothic lolita shop called Kithards. There was so much stuff I could have filled my wardrobe with had money been no object.

Stumbelled across Togo-Jinja, which has a beautiful moat around a ornate pagoda, like something in the final scenes of a romanitc japanese movie. I was a little lost at this point but found my way back to a place i knew, past a gorgeous chocolate shop that was painted like dripping chocolate.

I bought a few things here. I got myself a cool purple skull mug (plastic), a headband with a cool mini-hat and skull detail on it. Some miniture things, A laughing puimkin man (its halloween time in Harajuku!), a little cat thing from a gumball machine, lollilies for the kiddies back home and some things for my sister.

I don't think however that I will ever walk again! My feet are covered in blisters from these new bloody shoes, that I thought i had broken in but obviously not. If I could have done the day over I would have worn the same shoes i had been wearing the last few days again.
New shoes = Bad Idea!

The train trip back is even easier as I now know where I am going. I did miss my connecting train but in next to no time another one came, so no loss there, no wonder there are no seats in the subway, you would have to get up pretty much as soon as you had sat down.

I stocked up on food at family mart on the way back to the hotel, not intending to leave my room again today.

So now I sit in my room watching kids shows eating dinner, and drinking a beer from the vending machine in the hall, wondering what i will do tomorrow (if anything with all these blisters)

Nihon - Day Two

Day Two - the meeting

Today I started the say on the internet and I had a message from The Melbournite. He and The other Melbournite would meet me at the hotel after they checked out at 11pm

Excellent!

I went for a short walk around the neighbourhood, not really very far just down the street and around the corner. I walked past the police station, 2 post offices at least 4 convienence stores and goodness knows how many vending machines. (FYI smokes are cheap here)
You may get lost in Tokyo but you will never go thirsty!

11.30 I was waiting in the reception area from The Melbournites when it struck me that this was rather an odd way of meeting people who are friends of a friend (in a different country).

Around 11.45am they walked through the reception door, they were not hard to spot and I seriouskly doubt i was either (look for the westerners!). They seem pretty cool. We ditched their bags in my room and headed out.

We walked around the area and ended up walking through the Zojoji Temple, behind my hotel and saw the thousands of Jizo statues (Children of the temple statues).

We walked for a long time and talked and it was good to have some people around. They showed me how to work the subway and all about the adjustment machine (new best friend). Where you can buy the lowest ticket and just put it in the adjustment machine at the other end to pay the correct money. This is PRICELESS knowledge!

We then grabbed something to eat at the Family Mart and headed back to Shiba Park, opposite the Zojoji Temple, to eat and chat some more.

We then headed back to the coffee shop at my hotel for a quick drink. i got to use some of my basic japanese and ordered a "nihon-cha" Japanese tea or green tea.

We then went back to my room where they got changed and sorted their bags and then had to go to the airport.

I spent the rest of the night in my room watching japanese TV, very interesting, and had a fairly early night.

The weather channel warns of a Typhoon in Okinowa so it should rain the better part of the week.
I had planned to check out the Tokyo Tower tomorrow but maybe instead i will head to harajuku on the subway.

Nihon - Day One

Day One: Getting There

Headed to the airport around 10.45am, for 2 hour check in.
After checking in and getting my boarding pass we sat at the cafe and ate a bit of early lunch.
I had a ham and cheese crossoint.
After a quick goodbye I went through the door and headed to customs.

After finally bording we waited close to an hour before we could take off as the airconditioning had to be repaired. The in-flight movie was Iron Man 2, which i found funny as we had just watched the first one a few days earlier on free-to-air TV.
3.20pm = EXTREMELY BORED, and getting a little nauseas.
7.5 hours on a plane is obviously too much for me to fly, starting to feel every move the plane makes.

At Narita Airport we board a shuttle to get to the main building, squeezing in to get on the first shuttle.
Then we all line up at immigration with our passports and boarding passes. I am then directed by a man at the front of the line, which desk to approach. I hand over my passport, press my fingers to the pads and look at the camera. I am then allowed to go through to the next lot of desks. The man askes me a few questions, (yes ok, I get it I pack light!) then directs me through the glass doors. From here you have to find the esculators and head down to the arrivals. Thank goodness my airport transfer is standing right at the front and is easily found (best $300 i ever spent).

From here he leads me to the parking lot and I wait in a loading zone while he collects the car then brings it round to pick me up. Its a 60-70 minute drive he tells me. He was really nice, evem offered me his mobile to call my friends here to let them know I'm here.

At the hotel I check in at the desk and head to my room in the annex building. I get a call to my room a few minutes later saying that he forgot to get my credit card at sign in. I go down to give it to him. there is some sort of problem and he askes me if there is another card, I say there is not and start to panic ( i am already so home sick and want to go home at this stage). A realtivly long phone call later and the problem seems to be fixed.

i head back to my room and wonder what to do at 10.30pm local time. I still haven't eaten but am not feeling hungry either. I decide to try to sleep.

After some very disrupted sleep I wake for day 2!

Shopping Post!

So happy today!

Qunitessential gothic item arrived today!

Beautiful black lace parasol

So happy with it!

New Years!

Soooo, this year we thought we might get away from it all for new years. I booked a cabin at PK's in Cape Tribulation far away from the city and the taxi cues and the upperty attitudes of the drunkards that hang out there.

A few hiccups at first, we left far later than we had intended then on arrival we discovered that they had us down as arriving tomorrow!! Without anything further from us the girl on reception changed it all and handed over the key to our room.

It was very basic lodgings with a double bed and an ensuite, no fridge, no cupboards but at least it had an airconditioner.

We dropped our belongings in one corner and headed for the pool.

For dinner we went to the attached "resturant" and both got the chicken parmasians.

It rained most of the night and well into the morning.

The next day we hired a bike after brunch and headed to the beach, it rained a little the whole time but by the time we got to the end of the beach the wind had really picked up and it was bucketing down. So in the pouring rain we rode back to our cabin. When the rain stopped we headed off again on the bikes, this time along the roads to the creek.

We started our night out the front of our cabin with jaggerbombs. The couple in the room next to ours had the same idea and were quietly talking while drinking. Paul took them over a jaggerbomb each they in turn offered us some banana cocktail they were making.

Ten minutes to 12.00 we all headed over to the bar for the count down. We wished each other a happy new year, paul gave me my new years kiss then we headed to the bar to get a drink.

We mingled with the other patrons and had a few laughs.

This chick come and sat next to us and was talking to one of the other guys who was already sitting with us and she told him she would let him cut her hair, so he did! Using the smallest scissors he hacked away at her ponytail and eventually got through.

At around 3am the bar would close, we headed back to our cabin just before. Although we were invited to the beach party by several people, it had started to rain rather heavily again and we thought better of it.

The next day we relaxed in our cabin getting over our hangovers.