Last attempt at storming Tokyo

First installament of Tokyo storming.

Time: A few days before my grand entrance back to Singapore

Venue: Tokyo, to be more precise, Shinjuku, Harajuku and Shibuya

Main characters: Me (but of course!), Chou ( the first part and the last part), So-kun ( middle and last part) and the others....

Ok... so a few days before exiting Japan, Chou and I decided to make our last attempt to do last minute shopping in Tokyo. Ok, it was more of my idea. She wanted to go Osaka at first but she couldn't resist the temptation of a Disney land cum sea closure so she chose to go Tokyo with me.

However, since we only had 3 short days, we had to be very strict. We needed a fool-proof plan... btw, just a side note, sometimes i am just so amazed how chou manages her time. We took private lessons together for the whole of a 2 months period and she was NEVER on time! Her record was to be late for 2 hours on a day our lesson started at 12.40pm. She woke up at 1pm and took another hour to make up. But then, she always makes it on time for our trips. AMazing uh. So i call this selective punctuality. or selective impunctuality.

And our plan was...

no plans. Just take us to where our desires lead. ( sounds so worldly.. gosh.)

Ok, so reached Tokyo on the first train and we bumped in a gang of sumos! ( i dunno which collective noun to used because sumos never appeared in our textbooks before)

and I mustered up my courage to ask for a photo! the funny thing was they were stlil smilling and laughing before that. but they immediately turn very stern when I approached. I guess they have a professional image to upkeep uh.

Ok then we went on our separate ways and I went to meet So kun in Harajuku. We didn't take any pictures nor will he appear in this blog because we have taken too many pictures together before. So no special need to take anymore.. . but I met someone!!!

For those who have been in Japan catching the reality show "Ainori" you will realised that this Hero, is no other than Hide!! who has on the show for like 1.5 years? 17 countries. Details of the show pls wait for another entry. Will come soon uh..

Ok.. after the Hide craze.. I mean, really I was excited. I was estactic. I wasn't hysteric though. I have been catching the show since day one I started watching it and acutally I was pretty lucky. The previous time I went Harajuku I also bumped into some other Ainori participants.

I

I think I was a bit too nervous to smile properly. I was nervous becus of So's poor photography skills. He has proven track record. I did not malign him.

Anyway, for those who know So kun, He TREATED me to lunch! How cool is that! He gave me a TREAT!! haa... for the benefit of those who don't, So Kun is one of my best buddies in Japan. He is 30 but he is just like a kid always being bullied by me or sometimes the other way round. But we have always shared a very close friendship. Especially after some thing happened to both of us. Seen 2 people crying for each other? Everyone always thinks he is very petty with money and he also acts like he does by how he scramb;es from one market to the other just to save like 100 yen ($1.40) but I know he isn't all like that. He saves on himself only to splurge on his friends.

Finally after a long walk together, we joined the others for dinner. ABout 8 of us. Some friends' friends, some ex- yamasa students...

Night... chou and I decided to stay overnight at a love hotel.. kekeke.. last time in tokyo so needed some excitment. uh hem...

Love hotels in Japan is well as the name suggested bascially for couples to stay in for a few hours or overnight. I heard that love hotels used to be more bold and flamboyant but in recent years, they have toned down a little because it wasn't reflecting very well on Japan to have such a "attention-seeking" red-light industry. It is still thematic though less of its former glory. I heard those in Osaka are more fun though.

Ok, basically it works like this. You enter the hotel without having to see any staff or receptionist. The photos of each room is being flashed on a board with buttons beside. And you get to choose any room that is available by the push of a button. Side note, I realised the hotel has lots of entrances and exits. Probably to facilitate easy escape in the case of being caught in the act.

Then you enter the room and realised that the doors can't be locked until you swiped your credit card against this machine on the wall. The money is not paid yet and it is only then you come to another realisation. The door can't be opened until you swipe your card to pay again. So, once you go in you can't come out. The assumption is you won't need to go out for nothing again.

Anyway, I really recommend love hotels for budget travellers. It is nowhere cheesy but really spick and span. The basins and floors were gleaming bright. Tubs big enough to accomodate 2 and comes with a massage jacuzzi. But of course it depends on each room though. We each only paid about 4000 yen each. Mind you, this gives you only a budget hotel room in Tokyo but we got a really good bargain I would say. The bath room even came with disco lights. cool combi.

Ok.. last on my list. Did I mention I was in Shinjuku's red-light district Kabuki cho? Hmm.. I must admit it is not exactly the safetest place to be but well, as long as you don't hang out in the middle of the night I guess it is ok. I went there to check out the host clubs. ( guys cabaret). Don't why but recently hosts clubs seems to be so popular that the documentary show on them are so often seen on TV.. and yes, all hosts looked the same to me. ( (I mean clothes and style) . They are so easier recognisable. Long, stinted, set-hair with suits. See the bill boards and you will get what I mean..



Another Ainori participant, Autoro's dentist.


The array of host club pictures. Welcome to Shinjuku Kabuki Cho!