There was much more to Tokyo than this...but by Golly Gee Wizz Bonkers this was a fun part, but not the best, keep reading and see what I mean. Pictures here!!LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, IT IS JEREMY WHITE'S LAST NIGHT IN TOKYO!! AND WHAT IS HE GOING TO DO?! Well, I'm not quite sure, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to be resting it up....but that could always change;) (read about Day 6 to see what I decided to do).
Time to rewind. I got to Tokyo last Wednesday April 29th. I go back tomorrow to Tottori and let me tell you, a week in Tokyo is enough. Obviously you can't see everything, but as far as my geekyness and curiosity of Tokyo is concerned, I am well satiated.
On Wednesday I arrived and didn't really do too much. A friend of mine from high school who has been living here for three years met me at the train station and took me to look around a bit of Tokyo. At this point I wasn't sure of the difference between the blue line to Ueno and the Yamamoto line to Harajuku, I was just following her while at the same time wanting to just lay down and go to sleep, traveling takes a lot out of you (especially when you were up at six in the morning because your bus left at 7:15).
She took me to TGI Fridays (yes, TGI Fridays!) and we ate and then she took me to my Hostel (which is named the NINJA, how cool is that?!) and I got some much needed sleep.
Day 1:The next day I decided to do my first big of exploring. FYI, this is probably the first time I've every done something like this, which is to say, I never just rome around somewhere alone just to explore. But I gotta tell you, that is a heck of a way to learn a new city and to experience a new culture. Anyways, for all of you geeks out there (and nerds and otaku too) I spent the day in Akihabra (yes, be jealous). For those of you who don't know the difference between Akihabra and Shinjuku or Shibuya, let me fill you in, Akihabra is THE place for electronics, Anime, video games, arcades, and collectible figurines. Akihabra isn't a building, it's a district in Tokyo. I walked around Akihabra all day. I played Tekken 6, Street Fighter IV, I bought an authentic Goku outfit, some Final Fantasy VII figurines and some Dragon Ball Z figurines. I beat a guy (who was Japanese) in both Street Figher and Tekken 6, I felt very good about myself after that.
Interesting story. Remember how before I told you that the DVD shops in Tottori were really just "adult entertainment shops", well folks, I did it again, and seriously it was a true accident. I saw a BIG building that was six floors that looked like it was an anime type of building. I took pictures of it (it's the big Green Building in the pictures). So I decided to go inside and have a look around, after all, it was in Akihabra. As I walked in I realized I was not in Jeremyland anymore, I had officially stepped into "toys for adults" "instructional videos for adults" and "posters and dolls devices to use for adults only" shop. Six floors.... I decided "Hey maybe it's just this floor" and so I went up...nope...the entire six floors was dedicated to this *ahem* "theme". So after the second floor (or was it the third) I made my way down and out. I didn't feel too dirty as I did see quite a few couples looking around.
I bought a pair of glasses (that make me look pretty smart) that have bit of UV protection in them. They are pretty cool glasses. The reason I bring this up is because of the fact that I went to ANOTHER Arcade and played Dance Dance Revolution X, the problem was I was stuck on beginner mode, I couldn't figure out how to get it to Standard mode. Anyways, I put my glasses inside my backpack where I figured it would be safe. After my semi-boring time on DDR (because of the difficulty mode) I picked up my backpack and headed to the next floor. When I went to go look for my glasses I realized they were not there. I had JUST bought them that day and I was just talking to myself asking, "Jeremy..come on..really? You JUST bought these? What the heck?" So I began to retrace my steps, floor by floor to see if I had left them. You should have seen the way people were looking at me when I went back over to the DDR machine and tried to poke around looking for where exactly my glasses could have fallen. I would have said, "I'm sorry I'm looking for my glasses." But the only two words I know in Japanese from that phrase are "Gomenei Sai (which is sorry)" and "Watashi no" (which is my). So I'm missing some pretty crucial words for the understanding of what it was exactly that I was trying to do.
I head downstairs to the first floor and play charades with the attendance to tell him I had lost my glasses. He understood a bit of English (like a lot of people in Tokyo do surprisingly), and I was able to tell him I had lost my glasses and ask him if anyone had turned them in. After a bit of waiting I found out no one had found them. I almost gave up when I decided to retrace my steps ONE more time. I headed up each floor and tried to remember exactly where I had gone after the DDR machine to see if my glasses could have fallen here...there..anywhere!! All of a sudden, on the fourth floor sitting on the counter, where an attendant should be, are my glasses! WHAT?! NANI! SUGEI!!! Yay! I put them on and just smiled the whole way down the elevator. I found the attendant who was nice enough help me earlier and he looked at me and said, "Congratulations!!" All I could do was smile at that point because I thought I had lost my glasses forever and then this guy, who barely knows any English just told me congrats. It was a good first day in Tokyo after all!!
Still staying on the first day (Thursday), I went inside of a hobby collectors shop and found *drumroll* a TON of Final Fantasy VII; Kingdom Hearts; and Dragon Ball Z stuff!!!! I asked one of the workers there if they shipped things and unfortunately he said no. This is probably a great thing because if I would have bought half of the things I wanted to buy that were too big with me to take home I would have spent a LOT of money (one figure I was looking at that was SWEEEEEET was over $400...but mom it was AWESOME...I didn't buy it don't worry). He told me that if I was REALLY interested in figurines and statues and busts that I should go on the second floor. He shouldn't have told me that...I went to the second floor and people...literally..my heart pace sped up and it seemed as if I was slightly hyperventalating, yeah, it was that serious. They had the most AMAZING things (the $400 figurine..yeah..it was there..and I took a picture of it). Seriously, whenever I have my own house, I'm getting a "trophy" case JUST for stuff like this. I am going to be serious about collecting some of this stuff when I actually have a place to put it all!! Geez! It was AWESOME!
So yes, that was my FIRST day in Tokyo, and by golly it was good one.
Day 2:So the next day I know for sure that I am going out. Going out to a gay club no less too. And if you are shocked and you have all these questions as to why (and no it’s not because I’m gay you jerk ) then, dozo dozo, please keep reading.
I woke up and had no plan in particular other than to go to *da da da da * POKEMON CENTER!!!! So I asked the lady at the front desk of my hostel and she gave me direction on how to get to the land flowing with Pikachu’s and Naetles (Turtwig for all you English speaking folk, which frankly is EVERYBODY reading this). Well, I hope on the train and get to where I am supposed to be. I ask around when I get off of the train where the Pokemon Center is (I swear the “where is” phrase has come in handy so many times since I’ve been here, it’s wonderful). They directed me toward Pokemon Paradise (not the name of the place, just a name I came up with for it) and I was off. As soon as I saw the big letters P-O-K-E-M-O-N I immediately lit up with a smile only known to those of you who have seen me graduate and or those of you who have seen me with a realization that “Hey, I am actually in Japan.” It was one of those smiles that was literally ear to ear and had I kept smiling like that I would have been sore. So I walk into the store, mostly filled with kids and younger teenage girls, and I go nuts, I grab a basket and just start grabbing little Pokemon things here, little stuffed Pichu’s there, some Pokemon badges and postcards here, a keychain for my phone there. All the while just taking in what is actually a small store by most standards. It was amazing though because I had made it to the one place in Tokyo that I really really wanted to go. Was it as amazing as I had hoped? No, but was it amazing, absolutely :-P.
From that point on I had a PDF of “things to do” in Tokyo on my iPod touch and for the rest of the day all I did was look at that PDF and then say, “Ok, I’m heading here, then I’m going here, and I might as well check out here.” So first I went to one of the most popular temples named Sensoji Temple. It…was…AMAZING. The problem is I didn’t actually get to experience the Temple on the outside because it was still under construction, but the good thing is that it was still gorgeous walking around leading up to it. There were SO many people (as you will see in my photos). I was there by myself, but it was not hard finding someone to take a picture of me underneath the entry-way, on the road leading up to it, or even inside if I had wanted. Being the ridiculously “I’d love to be in THAT moment” guy, I turned on some eastern flute tunes (you know the kind you hear at the spa) and I just walked and looked at this wonderful bit of artistic goodness known as the Sensoji Temple and all it was made up of. I gotta say, it made me really feel like I was in Japan (which I was…duh). After I bought my Pikachu shaped lollipop thingie at a kiosk (which ended up breaking by the way…sadness) I was headed back to the station to go to the Edo Museum, which is a museum all about Tokyo’s history (see mom, I actually take in all the cultural things too, it’s not all Pokemon, video games, and partying for me ;).
But anyway, on my way out a guy said hello to me. I took out my earbuds and said hello back to him. He started talking to me and asked me if I understood Japanese (in Japanese) and in Japanese I told him I only understood and spoke a little. As he is still holding my hand from the first shake, he then proceeds to say “Are you from LA? NY?” I told him, “No, I’m from North Carolina.” (this convo is taking place in English by the way). After I told him my name and where I was from he then proceeds to turn around and lift up his shirt so I could see his back. Immediately I knew what was going on. For those of you who don’t know, tattoos in Japan are considered highly highly highly inappropriate for one huge reason. If you have Tattoos it signifies that you are part of the Yakuza. And if you don’t know who the Yakuza are, go watch a movie, they are the Japanese Mafia. So I saw his Tattoo (which practically covered his entire back, but looked rather old in my opinion) and he turned back around and pointed at himself and said, “I’m Yakuza, Japanese Mafia”. At that point I patted myself down,…wallet…check…keys…check…change..check…all my stuff in my backpack..ok..check..phone..phone…ok check.. So at that point I was trying to get away from him as fast as I could, but I didn’t want to be obvious about it, I didn’t know how many Yakuza were around watching us and I definitely didn’t want this dude coming after me.
So I engage it a bit more small talk and he keeps saying, “Nice guy? Nice guy?” and I wasn’t sure whether he was asking me whether I was a nice guy or whether he was a nice guy , so if I remember correctly I think I said , “Yes you are a nice guy” and then he said to me “You are a nice guy.” And he is smiling the entire time. After we said our goodbyes, I walked with a little more pep in my pace back to the station. I had just tried to be recruited by Japanese mafia….oh man..that makes me so cool!!! :-D The only reason I know is because I asked my friend who has been living here for three years and she said, “You don’t have to know Japanese to say ‘Give me your money’ plus you are tall black and scary and they try to recruit foreigners. “ So yes, Ladies and Gentleman, I Jeremy had the possibility of being Yakuza. What have you done with your life? Ok anyway, moving on.
So I head to the Edo museum, and I only have an hour before it closes. So I’m walking rather quickly, while still understanding that an hour is a long time. I see replicas of modern Japanese houses, theaters, old Samurai Warrior family emblems on a vest of some sort and all sorts of other things. It was actually really cool and I’m glad that I went (don’t worry mom, I saved the ticket for your scrapbook). After I left the museum I decided to go to Harajuku to go to the Meiji-Jingu shrine. As I got off of the train however it was getting dark and not to mention I ran into an army of emo’s, punk rockers, and hip hop Japanese people who all seemed to be coming from one central location. Apparently, this little backstreet that I just ended up following people down, had a lot of shops, a lot of narley Japanese people, and it was a lot of fun. I bought a Marvel Comics backpack while I was there and I just walked around and enjoyed the atmosphere. The Shrine would be there another day and I decided people watching and some more potential shopping isn’t all a bad thing. It was a lot of fun.
Ok people, I know you are probably still wondering, “Why did Jeremy go to a gay club?” If you said cause I’m gay, you suck because that’s not true. If you said because I want to be gay, you must not know how much I love women. And if you say because I have this weird fetish for seeing a guy on a guy, then you are just sick. Think logically about this, why would I go to a gay club? First of all, I didn’t go out of sheer randomness, my friend (who is a straight girl) invited me. Are you even more confused? Ok, here’s the answer. When I was told that we were going to a gay club, I immediately said “Cool, but you know I’m not gay right?” and my friend said, “LOL, yeah! I am taking you there because their partying there is so awesome that all the straight people go as well.” Well I have to admit, it was a fun time. Sure I saw some things there that I would have rather not seen in person, but I did get to dance with this really cute Japanese girl who was straight. It was funny, I kept getting asked, by GIRLS, no less, if I was gay. This one girl in particular I asked her if she was lesbian and she said no, then she asked me if I was gay and I said no. Then I asked her if she had a boyfriend and she said no, then she asked me if I had a girlfriend and I said no. Then we proceeded to dance for the next hour. It was a blast!!! Oh, by the way, the clubs stay open really really late because the train and subway lines don’t start up again until 5 AM, so yeah, I didn’t get back to my hostel until 7 AM because we had some Wendy’s afterwards. Talk about being tired…
And that my friends…was day 2…
Day 3:Day three started late because I got back so late. I didn’t wake up until about three and then I met up with Amy and Becca (because they had got in that day) and Tom (who teaches at an Amity very close to Tokyo). We just walked around a bit and then decided to meet up later to go to dinner and then we were going to go to a club that attracts a lot of foreigners that night. The club was crazy. This club had a rule that I had never heard of before. The cover was free (that sounds great right?) but you have to keep a drink in your hand the entire time or you will be asked to leave, or buy another drink. Needless to say, I had to get pretty creative, because one, their drinks were expensive, and two, I wanted to stay in the club but didn’t always want to be drinking. The last two hours I switched between holding up a drink that was on the table that I was sitting at with these girls I met (more on them later) and me finding an empty bottle and filling it up with water so that it looked like an alcoholic drink.
Anyway, back to the girls. OH! But before I talk about them, I have NEVER been in a club where (A) it was so packed that the entire crowd moved if like a mouse on the floor on the other side of the club shifted it’s weight just a tiny bit. It was insanely wall to wall and (B) there was actually a guy who came in a wheelchair twirling on the dance floor. I don’t want ot come across and prejudice because I was proud of him for doing his thang, but DUDE, there’s hardly enough room for ME let alone a wide wheelchair!!! But I mean, obviously I didn’t get mad or anything, that’s just mean.
Ok so back to the girls. All night I’m using what little bit of Japanese I know to impress the ladies (heh..alllriiight). When suddenly I said SOMEthing to this one chick (she doesn’t remember exactly what I said and neither do I, it has less to do with the alcohol and more to do with the crazyness of how we met than anything). So I walked up to her and said something in Japanese, I don’t even remember, it was probably like, “Are you ok?” because she had tripped or something, I don’t know. But anyways, all I remember is her saying back to me in perfect English and answer to whatever question I was asking. To which point I busted out with a Japanese version of “Woah” and said, “ETO NEI!!!!” even though that really means something like “hmmm (like you are thinking).” Her and her friend started laughing. Not a “Wow he’s stupid” laugh, but a “Aww that’s cute” laugh, trust me on this. So I attempted to speak more and more Japanese to her at which point she said, “I’m not Japanese.” And I was like , “Gomenei..I’m sorry.” I come to find out, her friend is Japanese, but understands English and she is a Vietnamese Singaporean who actually speaks three languages, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and English. You don’t understand how happy I was to find someone at that club that wasn’t a foreigner (westerner or European) who could speak English, it was amazing. We went to a room with a lot of tables in the back of the club and we just talked and talked and talked for about an hour. At which point I gave her my info and we planned on meeting for dinner on that Monday :-D. I left the club with her and her friend and they showed me how to get back to the rail lines (and yes, it was 5AM again). I went back to my hostel and had an awesome sleep and relished in the fact that I had just made a new friend…
Day 4: Sunday was Sunday. I slept in (thanks to the no guilt I felt because I was on vacation and because the girl I had met the night before from Singapore..hey that rhymes…told me she looooves to sleep too…so it just confirmed that it’s alright for me to sleep too). I didn’t sleep in as late as I did Saturday, but I slept in. When I woke up I decided to go see the famous Emo Harajuku girls (I know Paige, I know…it’s on). They were cool and all, funky even….but what really made my day was something that someone else on that bridge gave me. About eight people gave it to me and I also gave it back, it was probably one of the best gifts in Tokyo that I didn’t even think to ask for or look for. Ladies and Gentleman…I got a FREE HUG!!!! There were people standing on the bridge where the Harajuku Emo girls were and they were holding up signs that said “FREE HUGS!!!” At first I was a bit skeptical. I thought maybe they’d reach for my wallet or something (hey, I love this country, but I was in Tokyo and a lot of foreigners roll through there, it’s not like Tottori, I was a bit more wary of my stuff, give me a break). So I’m looking at them and saying out loud, “Really though? A free hug? Really?” So I walk up to them and received a free hug. It was so very pleasant and wonderful. And you know what else I got…a smile. It was turning out to be an awesome day.
From that point I went to the Meiji Jingu shrine. It was a cool site to see and I had fun just walking around in their park leading up to the actual Shrine. Yet again, I put in my ear-buds and turned on the Eastern Flutes and Strings to really give what I was seeing even more feeling. I also bought a poem that an Emperor had written. It basically said don’t sway when life throws you in certain situations. Remain rooted like an oak tree in the middle of a storm. Really it was saying hold true to my convictions even when times get tough. I had to say that was pretty appropriate because God knows I’ve had to do that many times.
And yes, I went out later that night, I meant to only do Karaoke, but my friends caneled on me so I went with another friend and her friends back to the same packed club as the night before. Two things were different, one it wasn’t so packed, and two, to have a drink in my hand so they wouldn’t hassle me, I just bought a big bottle of this fruit drink that was only like 3.5% by volume. It hardly had anything in it and it tasted like Welches. You woulda thought it was don-Perrion the way the Japanese people were looking at me. It wasn’t NEARLY as expensive and they didn’t hound me the whole night and the alcohol content was low, so it was great. Anyway.
Day 5:I woke up the next morning and my only plans were to go Karaoke and meet up with those two girls I met on Saturday (the one who is Japanese and the one who isn’t, she is from Singapore and she speaks English awesomely). I went to Ueno park before I met up with the girls and while at Ueno park I saw some Mexican singers, a Juggler (who is Japanese) and something else that caught my eye, a lake where you could go on a boat. But this wasn’t just any kind of boat, you could ride a SWAN boat!!! So I knew that Amy and Becs were there in Ueno park as well, I called them and asked if they wanted to ride the Swan with me. At first Amy didn’t want to do it at all, and me and Becs kept saying, “But it’s a SWAN boat in TOKYO on a wonderful lake!? Who wouldn’t want to ride in a Swan!!?” Amy wasn’t having it, but she reluctantly came with us anyway. We all took turns peddling and driving and ripping on each other for how bad we drove the Swan boat and how bad we peddled while all at the same time waving to all the couples, kids, and parents who were enjoying themselves on what I am going to affectionately call Swan Lake.
That night I went to Outback Steakhouse with the two girls from Saturday. We had a great time. It’s funny because the Japanese girl acted like she needed the Singaporean girl to translate everything I was saying too her. But when I noticed her laughing about an episode of Family Guy I was talking about I knew that she spoke and understood English, but that she would rather just speak Japanese. She used to live in America and she has traveled all over the world (the Japanese girl), so she had me fooled at first, but now she doesn’t ;).
That night I went to Karaoke with Brady, Becs and Aimster. It was fun, we burned calories and sang our hearts out to the point where I actually got tired.
Day 6: Last day in Tokyo. I decided to head to Akihabra one last time. And I am so glad I did. First of all, I beat a couple of Japanese guys in Street Fighter IV and almost was able to have my name forever engraved in digital form if I had beaten Street Fighter IV the game, but unfortunately I lost in the last round to the Boss character Seth. Oh well, at least I beat some Japanese guys I played against. However, I am not so good at Tekken 6. I thought I was good, but if I’m good then these Japanese guys I played are God. You know the feeling you get when a situation is completely and utterly out of your control no matter how many buttons you press or how many times you move your joystick? Yeah…that was me. I got in a win on one round, and then I managed a few hits here and there…but, if I remember correctly this guy got at least two perfects on me. If not two then definitely one and then his life was only down a little bit for the one that I thought was a perfect. It was humiliating, but at the same time don’t talk junk to me because when’s the last time you even had the guts (or the ability) to take on a Japanese guy in Japan in a fighting game (Adam this totally excludes you)?
The other reason I am glad I went back to Akihabra is that I found the video game love of my life on sale and she was not a toy but a statue. I found Aeirs people…I found her!! And she was 20% off. If you don’t know what Aeirs is, look up “Final Fantasy VII” in a google search. She is the one with a long rod that is wearing a long pink dress kinda thing. She is wonderful, but alas, she died in the video game, and that was a sad day (wasn’t it Shari?).
That day I also ran into a band sorta festival thingie in Akihabra. It was mostly the scream at you bands where you bob your head really hard to the rock music. Paige, you would have loved it. I only stayed for about 15 minutes, but I got to be around Emo’s and shake my head really hard too. It was definitely an experience.
That night I had planned on taking it easy seeing as it was my last night in Tokyo. But, yet again, the two girls got in touch with me and told me they were going out and invited me to go with them and their two German friends and two Brazilian/Japanese friends. The Germans were guys and the Brazilian/Japanese were girls. I decided, what the heck, I’ll go out and just catch a cab back earlier than five (because cabs run all night) and my Shinkansen doesn’t leave until 11:30, I’ll be ok. I went out, had a great time and the two girls said they would be coming to Tottori. So yay, I have new friends!!!
I am on the Shinkansen right now writing this on my computer to paste into a post. I will get the pictures up as soon as I can, but tonight I am just going to relax because it’s back to work tomorrow. I actually miss these kids a little bit, but I already miss my Love, goodbye my Love, I shall see you once more….Tokyo.
-Jeremy aka The Pineapple…Brown on the outside and Yellow on the inside. I realize I am not an Oreo…I’m a pineapple people…a pineapple. If you don’t understand, take a second…
