30th September - 24th Oktober 2005
Tokyo, Japan - 18th October
Just got back to Tokyo.
This morning I had my daily sushi meal (its quite cheap here) and went
to HMV again to spend even more money on japanese music. While doing that I stumbled over a
new release called "Kindermusik - Improvised Music by Babies". They even have pictures of
the babies on the back of the CD. Yeah, thats Japan.
Last night Rickard, Hiro, Paul, that finnish guy I can`t remember the name of (can remember now: Juho - what a name) and me went out for
izakaya and a couple of drinks.
Yesterday I spent mostly in Akihabara electric town - home of the world`s latest electronics. You find mobile phones next to
electronic toilet seats (wih heating and stuff) next to spacy vacuum cleaners, MP3-players, laptops, PDAs... everything.
This is a bad place to go for people like me. We might spend all out money or get spontaneous orgasms at the sight of all the
fance stuff. Maybe not so much at the sight of heated toilet seats.
I am quite exhausted by now and slept only for a few hours. Yesterday morning I checked out at the hostel which doesn`t have
shower in the morning. No problem in Japan since some internet cafes here have showers, too. I gave it a try at my
beloved GeraGera in Shibuya. My conclusion is: its convinient - although I still don`t understand why the GeraGera emplyee
whished me "a good time" before I had the shower.
Tokyo -
Sydney
- Tokyo
Ok, its vacation time again and I decided to visit my two favourite cities again.
Now I am trying to organize my remaining time here. The last day at `Travellers Rest` I met a Japanese who lives here and is
returning to Tokyo in a few days. Maybe I am able to catch up with him. To get to know new people every day is one of
the the nicest things of travelling. Ok, I`m off. Got to find myself a capsule for tonight.
Tokyo, Japan - 19th October
A green-tea-frappuccino later I am
back at the GeraGera cafe to write this and some emails. Here in Shibuya the internet cafe even
has a shower. How convinent is that? Of course there is also a playstation next to my computer.
But I don`t feel like playing right now. Another thing about the technophilic Japanese is
their keyboard layout.
Notice something? The "@" is a PRIMARY key! That tells a lot, don`t you think?
Tokyo, Japan - 20th October
During dinner (my first sashimi) there was an earthquake.
It was pretty long and I still get excited about them.
Other than that I am still looking for a cheap accomodation. Couchsurfing
is not popular around here and the hostels say on their website that you should book a week in advance. Guess I have to stick to my good old capsule...
I got lucky and found some accomodation at the Yoyogi Youth Hostel - probably the only one in Japan without curfew which would collide with my nocturnal
visits at bars and clubs.
Other than that I bought two books. The second volume of the manga "Banana Fish" (the one shown below is a different one)
and "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami. Hopefully this one will last longer than those mangas...
I didn`t do too much today. Went for a little walk in the skyscraper district.
Tokyo, Japan - 22th October
Last night Seiichi and I met for dinner (izakaya once more) and a couple of drinks afterwards. Don`t say the Japanese can`t drink.
Anyway the place we went to is "ZARU" in Shibuya. The bar looks exactly the way you would imaginge a bar in Tokyo - very stylish.
Today I`m in recovery and try to mentally prepare for tonight when I meet Rimiko, Hiro and Seiichi again.
Kawai! Japan is the country of the cute kitten.
Tokyo, Japan - 23th October
Anyway I got hungry and decided ti have my daily sushi session (this time steak sushi;
with onion and still warm) - oishi
I finally met Rimiko as well as Hiro and Juho in Insomnia - a Shibuya lounge all in red.
I love the style of that place. As "Metropolis Tokyo" puts it: "All very womb-like. So cozy in fact that as soon as one settles in among the cushions, one might
defied the name of the bar, curl up into a fetal position and slept for the next three hours."
Next stop Advocates, GB & Arty Farty in Nichome for a few drinks. At some point in time Rickard came up with that idea of
going to sleep for a couple of hours and get up at 6am for an after-party at the "Maniac Love" club (the name of that place has no
implications...). It was way after midnight when everyone eventually finished his drinks, said goodbye (lots of hugs and kisses) to the others and
the hungry ones ate, when we made our way to Rickards place.
The "teethbrushers" - Johu and Rickard:
I reckon it was around 3am when we finally went to bed. I had a good sleep but was accused of major snorring when we got up
at 6am.
View from Rickards place:
Still half asleep we went to "Maniac Love" which was still totally crowded at 7am.
Although techno is not my favourite
the music was quite good. And there was free coffee, too! However I didn`t dance since my twisted ankle still hurts. In fact
I limp so badly that I am always afraid someone might shoot me out of mercy. Ok, I stop whining for now. We stayed til
they closed at around 10:30am and met some Japanese. We joined them for Yoyogi park where their friends sold stuff at some
kind of "alternative" market.
On the way we passed Harajuku:
Now I am pretty exhausted and back at the internet cafe to write this and for a shower.
Probably this will be my last post from Tokyo. I`m out...Splette