Why Love Tokyo?

Why love a city which can entice a star struck soul and transform them into a pure bastard? This is the million dollar question when pondering any good reason to love Tokyo. The jewel city of the far east can take from a person just as much as it gives. I have met people, not only in the flesh, but also on the net who have developed a right proper nasty attitude due to Tokyo`s overwhelming influence. Maybe they were a bastard of a person all along but I doubt this is the case in most situations. This city of ours does something to people which defies the laws of the `great escape` which many seek in the land of the raising sun. It does not transform everyone into a rotten bastard but it cannot be denied that many who come to Tokyo leave as a asshole action figure with hate-fu grip.

My transformation has went in the complete opposite direction of asshole ally. I came to Tokyo a proper bastard and now find myself mellowing out and becoming a slightly better human than when I arrived. I can be honest enough to admit that I came to Tokyo a hard drinking, fighting, swearing, stubborn, son of a bitch. Too many years of living in the bare bone coal fields of West Virginia had made a brutal keen greaser out of me. I was most likely the last person you wanted to deal with in a social situation. My bad behavior had become a thing of legend in the circles which I ran. Even though I had been making semi-regular trips to Tokyo for several years to spend time with my main love interest I kept becoming worse rather than better.

Yeah, I was becoming pretty bad at times. By the time I finally made the decision to make Tokyo my home I was ready for a change. If I had not made a change of scene and lifestyle I was gonna end up just as my grandmother predicted; either dead or in jail. I did manage to get myself a college degree somehow and I was, and still am, madly in love with my main gal. So, I moved to Tokyo and got myself hitched up with a Japanese gal I have known since I was nineteen. This change of scene and lifestyle has transformed me into a half-way decent person. Yet, this little extra history lesson still does not answer the question of why love Tokyo.

While I cannot answer the question at hand for everyone I know exactly why I love Tokyo. In fact there are many reasons why I love Tokyo. So many reasons that I cannot list them all. Although I can offer up a short list of some of the best reasons that I personally love this city.

1) Harajuku

One of the first places in Tokyo which I started hanging out on a regular basis is Harajuku. I quickly found that I can be exactly who I am without any worries of being judged for being a little different. It is in Harajuku that I made my first friend in this city. Tommy is his name and he took to me like white on rice as soon as we met. He accepted me from day one and I always have a good time with my friend from Vietnam.
Harajuku also caters to my personal taste in fashion. Yeah, I know I can dress a little campy sometimes but I have pretty much dressed the way I do for the majority of my life. I can find the best hair grease, music, jackets, or what ever I desire with ease. It is also very easy to just hang on the street and have a good time doing much of nothing.

2) Shibuya

A lot of people like Shibuya but for me it is a place I can always find a good bar to throw back a few cold brews. While I do not drink near as often as I used to, when I do get a taste for fine liquid poison Shibuya is usually where I head. There is also the fact that Shibuya has some of the best love hotels in the city which is fun to sneak off with my gal from time to time. I can wonder around Shibuya for hours on end and still find something new and interesting to get into.

3) Great Food

While growing up dirt poor a great meal was hard to come by sometimes. Many times I was happy just to have a warm belly full of food. Well, those days are long gone now that I live in Tokyo. I have found that I can enjoy any kind of food from all parts of the world in Tokyo. It is fun for me to explore all the different restaurants in Tokyo. I have found some really great places to stuff my face.

4) Live Music

This has proved to be a big plus for me. I have seen some great punk and Rock A` Billy bands in Tokyo. Hell, the all night Rock A` Billy parties are a real devil of a good time. I have seen some great bands I would have other wise never have even known about if I was not living in Tokyo. I don`t think I could see a band dressed in full clock work orange attire, including the long noise masks, anywhere else in the world.

5) The pure adventure of daily life

I have always said that if you turn over enough rocks you can find just about anything to match you desire in Tokyo. The stuff I have experience in just under a year in this city it a whole books worth of adventures. I have not even wrote about 1/10 of my adventures in Tokyo on this blog. Oh, the stories I could tell!
There is also the fact that everyday I see or experience something which keeps me on my toes. Around every corner a new surprise or off beat experience might be waiting for me. Each day when I leave my apartment is an adventure.



So, this is the best answer I can give with respect to `Why Love Tokyo.` This place is one hell of a city man! I mean some serious shit would have to go down for me to hate this place. If you have been transformed into a bitter bastard by Tokyo just know that while you are puking out hate I am out there having one hell of a good time.

Friendship Key to Maintaining `Balance` in Tokyo

Recently, I hung out with my pal Hamed. I have known him for a few months now. We met though work and have kept in contact. It is always fun to hang out with Hamed because he is kind of on the same vibe as me. We think alike on many things which makes it easy for me to talk to him. This most recent adventure with Hamed has got me thinking about how important it is to have a few friends in Tokyo.

I have read on several blogs the topic of finding or maintaining emotional and social balance a problem for a lot of people adjusting to life in Tokyo. I have almost been in Tokyo for a year, and while I do not feel that I am an expert about life in Tokyo, I can say that you have got to have at least one running mate. Living in Tokyo can be a very lonely and depressing experience for some people. This city has got a way of crushing people under its massive weight of emotional and social pressure. If you are not Japanese this pressure can be enough to send someone into a deep hole of hate and jadedness.

Now there a lot of people who have a large cycle of `friends` yet still find themselves just as unhappy as before. I think that some people get stuck in the `a lot of people know me but no one knows who I am` kind of situation. It seems that there is a focus on who you know rather than what you know in Tokyo. Social networking is the name of the game so many people end up knowing a lot of people and think that they have friends. The reality is that almost all of those people who say they are a friend are actually out to get some type of benefit. In order to have a true friend and maintain balance a person has got to separate friends from those who you just social network with at times. With that said there are some people I social network with who I would not mind moving over to the friend list; that is a topic for another day.

I guess what I like about Hamed is that I have never had a social networking relationship with him. While we did meet because we came up though the same company together I have never felt that Hamed was a point of contact for business or other wise. From the first time I met Hamed it has been very easy to talk to him. Too often I feel some pressure or stress with people I just social network. I have never felt that pressure with Hamed. We always seem to have a good time together and never have any disagreements.

So, a few days back I met up with Hamed for a few drinks and good old hanging out. I really enjoy just hanging out with people. This works best for me because the god of chaos is always watching and waiting to punish me for making plans which are too structured. When planning to hang out with a friends in Tokyo I keep a few ideas as to what to do in my head but I do not write anything in stone. This half-ass method of planning adds some adventure to hanging in Tokyo. I like the idea of never exactly knowing what is gonna happen. I kept the same method in West Virginia which usually led to some strange experiences. I think that now days leaving the details to be worked-out as I go along keeps things fresh for me and adds value to the hang out experience.

My half-ass plan for hanging with Hamed involved meeting up at Shibuya station. While, this was completed with little trouble things quickly ventured off into a totality different direction. The idea struck me to venture over to Harajuku and check out a few things. We made our way over to Harajuku by way of Yoyogi park. It actually did not take long at all to walk to Harajuku. I am always surprised by how close Shibuya and Harajuku are to each other.

I took Hamed to a shop called `Love Me Tender.` It is a Elvis tribute and `50 retro store. You can buy just about any kind of Rock A` Billy CD. The shop also offers vintage outfits and plenty of Elvis stuff. One of the things which gives Love Me Tender its charm is the Elvis statue out front. You get greeted by the king himself at Love Me Tender. Sadly, the shop will be closing its doors forever on Jan. 16,2009. I got word from Jack(who runs another 50`s retro shop) there are two send off parties going down for Love Me Tender. If I find out more I will share the info.

I also dragged Hamed to Jim Sin/Yellow House. This place has been in Harajuku forever. It claims to be the first punk rock shop in Tokyo but I am not so sure about that fact. Anyway, I go to this place from time to time. They have got a great selection of biker jackets, pants, and shirts.

After returning to Shibuya we headed over to this Irish pub for a few drinks during happy hour. It was a nice place but the beer prices were a little high to say to least. It did provide us a chance to just hang and chat. It has been a long while since I had a conversation with a fellow native speaker of English. It has become to real treat for me to talk to someone who can understand every word I say with no problem.

We ended the night smoking spice in an internet cafe. It seems that every person I have shown spice to has gotten hooked. The fun part for me is showing people how to get their hands on this odd little herb. Head shops in Tokyo do not use adverts much and tend to stay low key. Unless someone shows you where they are at it can take some exploring to find one.

So, having a decent drinking buddy and running mate is a very important part of keeping personal balance in Tokyo. When I lived in the country side in the states it was easy to live a more reclusive lifestyle and be happy. In Tokyo the daily grind is much more stressful. It is a must to have someone to blow off steam with.

Eating Burgers and Hanging with Tommy the Painter

I don`t always write about my adventures with Tommy. I have written about hanging with Tommy a few times in the past but most of my adventures with him I usually keep to myself. I decided that maybe I should write about running around with Tommy more often. He is after all the first friend I made in Tokyo. Actually, he was one of the first people to even talk to me. In Tokyo I have found that it is rare for people to talk to someone they do not know. Tommy is different. He is friendly and always enjoys meeting new people. Although, this Thursday I had a dual motivation for heading into central Tokyo.

So, this Thursday I venture out into central Tokyo looking to get into something. I decided to try out this new shop in Omotesando which only sells the McDonald`s Quarter Pounder with cheese. I found out about it from Neil at neilduckett.com. I must give him credit and a big thanks for both finding and sharing this place with the rest of the world. It was a real trip for sure. It is set up to look more like a night club than a fast food place. Painted in all black the place is not as welcoming as a regular McDonald`s. The menu is very simple and straight forward. You get too options to choose from; Double Quarter Pounder with cheese set for 600 yen or Quarter Pounder with cheese set for 500 yen. Well, I just went with the Quarter Pounder with cheese set because McDonald`s really is bad to be eating in the first place. I have to say it was damn good! I have not had a Quarter Pounder since I left the states almost eight months ago. It was as good as I remember. So, if you want to try an odd place for lunch give this one a try for sure.

After getting myself all bloated off of a big nasty burger I needed to walk around a little. It is so easy to go on a little walkabout in Tokyo. There seems to be an endless amount of sides streets and back alleys to explore. I headed into the back section of Harajuku. I do not often go that deep into Harajuku but from time to time I like to see what is going on around there. It is usually not all that crowed in the back section of Harajuku. Most people stick to Takashita street, the bridge at Yoyogi park, or the main side streets across from Takashita. The far end of Harajuku offers some really nice coffee shops along with some mid-scale fashion shops to explore.

The only thing out of the way I saw on my little walkabout was this odd little man pacing up and down the street with a compass and a writing pad. He kept walking and staring at his compass. Ever so often he would stop to write something on his writing pad. I have no idea what the hell he was doing but he seemed to be enjoying himself. He was going at it hardcore. I was wondering when a sparse car would come by and crash right into him? I also wondered if he even cared if a car hit him? Maybe he was trying to map out something. In my twisted thought process I stood around watching him making up little explanations for his strange actions. The craziest one I came up with was that he was trying to decode a special message giving to him by aliens so he could join them in space. After about 10 minutes or so the entertainment factor of watching the compass guy wore off and I made my way to the bridge at Yoyogi to see if Tommy was hanging around.

Sure enough as soon as I stepped foot on the bridge there was Tommy with a smile and a big hug. Now Tommy is a keen type of guy so he started talking at the speed of light about what has been going on since the last time me met. He usually does this until I start talking at the speed of light eventually leading to both running out of things to report on. He always has some interesting news to report about Yoyogi and Harajuku. The weekend festivals and the cops are two of his favorite topics. He is the expert when it comes to knowing the movements and behavior of the fuzz in Yoyogi park and Harajuku. I enjoy listening to him talk about what the cops have been up to as of late.

After helping him store this paintings in a locker in the subway we walked over to Shibuya for a little while. Tommy was hungry so we stopped at one of the many great curry shops he knows about. I think he might know about every good curry shop in Tokyo. Every place he has taken me to or suggested offered damn good curry at a great price. If you want to eat good curry in Tokyo just ask Tommy. Anyway, we went into this place and he ordered a chicken soup curry. I did not order anything but he was nice enough to order an extra side of rice and share some of his curry with me. It was really tasty curry!

After eating he wanted to show me a `better place` to buy that odd little, and 100% legal, herb we enjoy called spice. The usual head shop to buy the stuff is really expensive so Tommy found another head shop with much lower prices. He got a big packet of the stuff for only 3,000 yen; the other place charges over 7,000 yen for the same amount. After buying it we went back to Yoyogi park to hang out. Along the way he bought some beers. There is nothing like hanging out in Yoyogi park after dark drinking.

We went to an area in Yoyogi park over looking the pond. It was a nice view even though it was pitch dark. So, we sat there drinking some beer, smoking spice, and listening to some music from Vietnam provided by a little tape player. We talked a lot about life in Tokyo. We are both in agreement that a person cannot be normal and live in Tokyo. People who try to live normal in Tokyo end up going half crazy. I think this is very true in many ways. I believe that most people in Tokyo do stuff that they do not tell most people about. Just go to Shinjuku for proof.

It was a good evening but I could not hang out with Tommy all night. I had to go home and attend to my gal. She has been feeling a little under the weather as of late and needs me to make her feel better. Good thing I actually enjoy being at home attending to her or it would drive me nuts!

As always I look forward to hanging out with Tommy again soon. I never know exactly what we are gonna get into.

A Very Random Halloween

So, I had full intention of actually planning out my first Halloween in Tokyo. I did a bit of research like a good little boy and thought that I was ready for a pleasant evening. Well, the god of chaos frowned on me for turning my back on him. He sent a jolt of electric current down my spine and demanded that I bend over and do the brown eye smile. As punishment for making plans to celebrate Halloween I was cursed to a night of randomness.

A spell was placed on me and I did not wake up on the 31st until around 2:00 pm. I woke up feeling all warm and happy wrapped up in a thick soft blanket. The gal must have been nice enough to wrap me up into a comfortable position before she left on a little mini-holiday to her home town. For a moment I thought about just drifting back off into a deep sleep. It is real easy to just say screw it and not get out of bed when there is no work to attend. I knew that I had to get up because it would be a damn shame for me to sleep away my first Halloween in Tokyo. I forced myself to get up and took a long relaxing shower.

After surfing the net for a while and finish waking myself up for a few hours I started getting ready to head out. I did not buy a costume, I know that I should have pick one up but I just did not feel like going though the trouble this year. Last year in West Virginia I dressed up as a cop just for laughs. That was an interesting night. There is something about a man in uniform that drives the ladies wild. Although, this year I just dressed as my usual self. I wanted to remain low key and not attract any kind of unwanted attention.

By the time I made it Shibuya it must have been around 6:00 pm. There was plenty of people out and about. A lot of attractive, hungry for the night, types who are like juicy poison apples; they give a lot of pleasure to bit into but can send you on a trip to hell and back real quick. Now I had already slammed down a tall boy of 7 strong on the Joban line so I felt relaxed not even close to rocking a beer buzz. I kept another one hidden away in my inside jacket pocket for later.

It proved to be an excellent night for people watching in Shibuya. So many people in costume! I saw a lot of different creative and entertaining costumes that I cannot comment on all of my favorites. While just hanging at the Shibuya meet up spot it is worth noting two of my favorite costumes I laid eyes on. There was this one really sexy Japanese gal wearing almost nothing. She was wearing a bunny outfit that was something out those old playboy bars from back in the late 70`s and 80`s. It was pure eye candy for sure. I also say this guy who looked just like the joker. A real professional make-up job. It was impressive to say the least. I actually, talked to the guy for a few minutes. He was cool enough. He told me that he had a friend who did make-up for a production company in Tokyo. He was even nice enough to give me a shot from a little bottle of whisky he had stashed away in this coat pocket.

After a while I wanted to walked around so I headed to Yoyogi park. I expected the park to be alive with action but to my surprise it was all silent for the most part. I did talk to a few skater punks for a little while. One of them spoke good English so we talked about punk music and smoke a few cigs.

I ended up at the Hub in Harajuku. The gals working there were dressed up all sexy like in the spirit of Halloween. This one gal had a dead sexy little red ridding hood outfit on showing off a nice pair. I could not help but look at her way too much. I don`t think she cared too much as I was respectful enough to leave her to her work. I was setting at a round table with a couple of white guys on vacation from the states. They were a little rough around edges but hell I am used to that kind of attitude. We struck up a good conversation and swapped a few stories.

Around 11:30 pm we made our way over to Shibuya though Yoyogi park. For some damn reason we ended up at one of the Hubs in Shibuya, It was full to the brim with gaijin and Japanese college gals. Everyone was trying to get laid. This crowd would have been better off going to a swinger club than an English pub but to each his own I guess. I had started to grow tired of the my present company. The more drinks they had the more asshole came out of them. As luck would have it the gal called me which provided me a good excuse to get out of there. I found a semi-calm back street and talked on my cell with the gal for what have must been two hours.

The night ended with me passing out at a really nice internet cafe. I woke up around 6:00 am and made my way back to my apartment to get ready for work. It was a fun evening for me overall. I stayed low key and enjoyed myself in a mellow kind of way.

Under the Rader

For the past few days I have been laying low in Tokyo. My activities have been limited to work, a couple of dinner outings, and a Sunday evening hair cut . In four days I have not had a single drop of beer or other spirits. I have not ventured into the depths of Tokyo after hours in several days. I have really had no desire to be out and about much at all. This does not mean I have not been thinking and planning for the near future.

As I have been kind of living under the radar as of late it has given me time to plan out some decent merry making as a opposed to random chaos. Tokyo offers so much if a person just takes the time to do a little research and touch base with a few connections. While it is easy enough to fire a shotgun into the water and see what floats to the surface; a more refined approach can offer even larger rewards.


Tommy the Painter rides Again!

For example I was getting a hair cut in Harajuku on Sunday when my friend Tommy the painter calls me. Tommy is a real keen guy so talking to him takes a little focus. His mind moves from one thought to the next so fast that it is sometimes hard to make heads or tails of what he is trying to say. From what I able to pick up from our conversation he has been hanging out with some hippies from the mountains all weekend in Yoyogi park. They gave him some hippie stuff and something else as well. Tommy wants me to hang with him at the bridge in Harajuku Thursday. I look forward to another adventure with Tommy.


My First Tokyo Halloween!


This Halloween will be a first for me in Tokyo. I have checked-out the almost endless options to have fun on Halloween. It appears that every bar in town is offering some kind of costume party or all night drink fest. It really is hard to choose which place to celebrate the best holiday in the world. There is way too much vice for one guy to handle in Tokyo on Halloween. Tokyo offers enough vice as it is, but now the whole town will be crawling with goulash drunk city folk who want nothing more than to burn the city to the ground. I have picked out a place but I am still not sure if I will actually go. I mean, I want to be out on Halloween having a little fun but I want to make sure I pick a place that fits my personality. In the end no matter how I choose to celebrate Halloween I am sure it will be a hell of a good time.


Horror Punk at the Earthdom.

My favorite underground punk bar and my favorite Japanese punk band have finally come together. Balzac will be playing at the Earthdom in Shin-Okubo this November the third. Balzac takes a lot of their influence from the Misfits. Despite the heavily influenced Misfits look and style, Balzac stands tall as a band in their own right. I have not heard or seen anything else like Balzac come out of the underground punk scene in Tokyo. They take dark punk metal to a whole new level. I have not seen this band play in several years so I am going to be there come hell or high water. From the looks of things I can most likely finish work with plenty of time to get to the Earthdom. I hope my work schedule does not change because I usually finish work at 6:30 on a holiday but if things stay the same at work I can get off at around 5:00 on November the third. The show starts at 6:30 so I am really hoping to get off work early. Either way I am going to that show! If anyone would like to join me just let me know and I will try to set it up.



So, I may have been flying under the radar as of late but the near future is filled with more adventures. I can only guess as to the tales I will gain and the experience I will earn. Although, that is what I think of life in Tokyo in general.

A visit to Meiji Jingu Shrine

I must admit that I have not really be to any temples in Japan for several years. I first visited Tokyo over four years ago. Back then, I was crazy about seeing all the old temples, shrines and other such sightseeing stuff. Now that I live in Tokyo it is rare for me to visit a temple. I have developed a `been there done that` attitude towards the temples and such in Tokyo. This is a real shame because there are some amazing things to see in Tokyo. With an extreme want to break my some what jaded attitude towards temples in Tokyo I recently made a visit to the Meiji Jingu Shrine in Harajuku.

I often hang out in Harajuku but do not give a second thought to the huge shrine in the area. Something so large and breathtaking is worth taking a gander at from time to time. I do find it very odd that a street fashion and youth punk hang out area has evolved around a shrine so large and beautiful. It is just more evidence of the mix of old and new that is the hallmark of modern Tokyo.

The Meiji Jingu shrine is starting to show its years. The shrine is really looking a little run down. The roofs are starting to sag and mold is taking hold on many of the buildings. Lucky for the temple that it is finally getting a much needed face lift. It is about time I say. If there is one shrine in Tokyo that deserves to be preserved it is Meiji Jingu. It is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Meiji himself is one of the most important leaders in Japanese history as it was he who brought Japan into the modern world.


The process of giving the old girl a face lift in under way




In some ways it makes perfect sense that a raging youth underground cultural has developed around the Meiji Jingu shrine. The Meiji period was all about change and taking Japan in a new direction. Meiji changed many things about Japan and redirected the course of the nation forever. Constant change is a big part of Harajuku. Fashion trends come and go with the wind and there is always something new to see and experience in Harajuku.

It was well worth the effort to visit Meiji Jingu. I felt very relaxed there. It was so peaceful and inspiring. The surrounding forest reminded me of my mountain home in West Virginia. It looks just like the gentle lower areas of the West Virginia mountains. I left the shrine feeling refreshed and balanced. I took many photos to share with everyone. I hope you enjoy!

Wondering in Harajuku and Aoi

My adventures in Tokyo have their moments. When I have off time from work I must do something. I feel like my off days are wasted if I do not get into something. Although, there are times when I just want to relax and take it easy, those times are rare. Yesterday, I ventured out to Harajuku to hang with Tommy and my other art friends from Vietnam.

Now, there are not the type of guys that you call up and plan to meet some place. They are more free flowing kind of people. You just have to know where I hang out and go there to meet them. Usually, they can be found at the bridge in front of the temple in Harajuku. As usual they were there selling paintings and hanging out. They are always happy to see me. They consider me to be not a normal western person; which is the main reason they have taken such a fondness to me. Tommy does the majority of the talking as he is the leader of their little gang. They are really laid back at all times. As soon as Tommy spotted me he gave me a hug and suggested that we buy from beers from the convenience store. I agreed of course and soon we had beers for the four of us. There are few things better than sitting on the streets drinking beer and hanging out. Tommy smoked some spice with me and we talked about random things of life and the universe.

Thin(Vietnam name) paining live on the streets of Harajuku


After some time I wanted to wonder around a bit. Tommy was all for it and off we went into the depths of Harajuku. The whole area carries with it a more relax feel then say Shibuya. People who hang out in Harajuku often are different from most people in the city. In Harajuku they can be accepted and do pretty much do what ever they please. The alternative lifestyle of Harajuku is what attracts me to the area. No worries in Harajuku!

Tommy and I ended up stopping at a cool art gallery. If you have not seen this place it is well worth checking out. If go all the way the end of main street and cross the highway there are lots of little sides streets. Wonder around for a bit and you will find this little gem in Harajuku. Remember a city hunt always has it rewards. Anyway, we hung out for a while and drank a beer. As luck would have it Tommy started talking to a fellow Giajin named Eric from Cali. He was very friendly and quick to make friends. We talked about Tokyo for a while before making our way back to the front of the temple. Eric parted ways and we are making plans to hang again soon. This is proof that Gaijin in Tokyo actually do talk to each other. The situation just has to be right.

Drinking with Tommy at the art gallery



My wife meet me in Harajuku to hang out with me. M.K. states that she is hungry as hell so Tommy suggest a good curry shop in Harajuku. We say goodbye to Tommy`s gang and make our way to a great little curry shop. I am very keen on curry. I love the stuff! This place has some damn fine curry. Even M.K. loved it; although I think it was because she was just very hungry and anything would taste good. Curry must have a proper balance of spice and hotness; and of course the nam must be up to snuff. They really hit all points. The nam was great! I has a type of nam that I have never tired before. It came in mid size slices filled with meat and onions. M.K. played it safe and want for the normal over sized nam. We both had chicken curry and lamb curry. I will have to go to this place again.

Hungry, Hungry M.K. loving her nam and curry


After curry came a little shopping for me. M.K. loves to shop with me for some reason. While this is usually a female habit I have somehow picked up the love of shopping. Maybe, I have spent too much time with M.K. and she has implanted this love of shopping into my head. Either way it is fun to shop around and find cool stuff to wear. We went to the WeGo. It is a cool place that opened in Harajuku eariler this summer. It is mostly a vintage shop with very good prices. I picked a great pair of jackboots and a attractive looking pair of jeans; attractive because they are tight punk style jeans except no holes. A fashion show was in order when we got back to the house.

The Che hat is just for effect. I am not turning red! LOL


Before we went back to Aoi we stopped for a cup of coffee at a nice little coffee shop in Harajuku. It was a good place but they served my coffee in a strange coffee bowl. I guess it is one of those things that can be spoken of as `only in Tokyo.`



Drinking it was very awkward



Well, after a fine day just hanging out it was time to bed down for the night; at least for M.K. My off days are currently Thursday and Friday`s so while M.K. had to sleep I did not. I put her to bed and surf the net for a while until I got board. I decided to wonder around Aoi for the rest of the night. I ended up walking around drinking and taking a few photos. Here is the result: