Konnichiwa Tokyo!

So much to see, so much to do, so much to taste, so much to buy, so much to experience. Tokyo is really the land with everything. Although I’ve been there before, the city itself never ceases to amaze me. The bright lights, the flashing neon signs, the porcelain featured (or made up rather) girls, the clicking of stiletto heels running up the subway stairs, the men with perfectly manicured eyebrows, just to name a few interesting observations.

The subway map drove me nuts! But thankfully we had local friends to act as guides, making the experience less painful. I’m sure alot of you out there are just as fascinated as I am with the Harajuku cultures and sub-cultures. A visit to Yoyogi Park, I stumbled upon a group of Denim Elvis’s and a group of Black Elvis’s. No they were not Black as in African American; they were just dressed in all black. And the Denims were dressed in all denim. They all dress up as Elvis and dance in the park all afternoon. Like, are you for real? Yes, that’s what they do every Sunday. It’s quite entertaining really. Apart from the Elvis’s, there are groups dressed like vampires, groups dressed like Little Bo-Peeps, groups dressed as punks and many other interesting themes. I admire how these people can get all dressed up, catch the sub and parade themselves around in public. They are in a world of their own. I’m not kidding.

Food is another big highlight of Tokyo. I got the opportunity to taste a wide array of fine Japanese foods. One of the most memorable meals was at an Izakaya restaurant in Shinjuku. Everything on the menu was Y270. That’s like AUD$3.50! The beers, the sakes, the dishes, everything was Y270. By the end of the night after filling my belly with more food and alcohol than I can imagine, I walked away spending less than AUD$30.

Shopping is also great in Tokyo. Things can get quite expensive if you shop in a departmental store. However, UniQlo is pretty reasonable in price and ofcourse there are the street stores in Harajuku. Here, the variety and fashion is crazy. Like I said so much to see, so much to buy. Just remember the sizes here are pretty tiny. Japanese fashion is interesting. When one person wears a particular outfit, the entire nation will follow. This is why Japanese girls all look the same. They all have the same long curly locks, heavily made up face, long fake eyelashes, platform heels, mini jumpsuits, miniskirts, leg warmers and garters. Yes, garters. Dont ask. Sexy though.

Sumo wrestling is a must see when in Japan. Watching it live is nothing compared to watching it on tv! Amazingly, so many naked men running around and yet it did nothing for me. Hahaha. The actual match only lasts for about 1 minute. As soon as they knock each other out of the ring or someone hits the grown, the match is over. We were so fortunate that BBs got us box seats and we were like the 10th row from the front. Thanks BBs! It was so fun!!


Mt Fuji and Hakone is a must see destination when in Japan. Look up 1 or 2 day tour packages. The tour will take you by bus to My Fuji, then a cruise along Lake Ashi, a traditional Japanese lunch and finally to Hakone where you can enjoy the many Onsens (hot springs) in the area. I was in a hotel with its own Onsen which was nice. Rules and regulations you must abide by when entering a Japanese public Onsen:

1. You are not allowed to wear anything in the pools
2. The tiny 50cm x 50cm hand towel you are provided with is not allowed in the pool
3. You are not allowed to have any tattoos (WTF?)
4. You must shower and scrub (WTF?) all your bits before going in the pools
5. Men and women are not allowed to share pools

Apart from that, the whole experience was wonderful. The pain of scrubbing my bits in front of a dozen or so naked women and a 70 year old naked grandma staring at me kinda gave me the creeps. Well the sight of the 70 year old naked grandma scared me more than her stare. Trying to hide my tattoos wasn’t too bad. Mine are not all that obvious, but Babyface and BBs were a laugh when they tried to cover their tattoos. Can’t describe it, it’s just one of those you had to be there moments.

Back to food and back to Tokyo, I had the privilege of tasting the culinary sensation of Les Creations de Narisawa. A French restaurant in Tokyo, fancy that. Chef Yoshihiro Narisawa has a creative flair in food preparation and his restaurant is now ranked number 24 in the world according to S.Pellegrino’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Not much of a French food fan myself, but I was impressed with the meal. The “nature” theme to the menu was interesting, the meal was tasty (especially the rabbit dish) and the service was impeccable. For those who have a bit of a sweet tooth, the dessert trolley was superb with choices of cakes, cookies, macaroons, mousses, so many things.

My last shout out is to my dear friend Obasan. I hadn’t seen her for over 10 years and man she looks exactly the same!! I love you Obasan! Was really great to catch up with an old friend. We picked up where we left off all those years ago, like good friends do. It was just like the good old days in GC, Concorde Hotel, the apartment (whatever it was called!), Metro gang fight, the Melbourne tattoo shop. So many memories. I look forward to seeing you again real soon!!

As you can see, there’s so much to see and do in Tokyo. I can’t wait for my next trip to Tokyo. Will have to make a special effort to visit Osaka and Kyoto.