Tokyo

The first few hours in Japan were surreal really. We were ushered through the airport to a huge immigration/customs area. August is a big tourist season for most of the world and Asia is no different. So we waited along with a huge group of Chinese and Korean tourists. Customs was a breeze, the agents were polite and helpful.

After working our way through customs we were greeted and welcomed by JET people from all over Japan. We were then bused from Narita (where the Tokyo Airport is) into Tokyo, specifically Shinjuku, a really famous part of Tokyo. We were put up in a huge hotel called the Keiko Plaza. It was quite swanky. So immediately after settling into the hotel, I noticed that the building in general was pretty warm. It turns out that in general, japanese businesses and buildings are a little warmer than american buildings. The halls of the hotel were not air conditioned. With over 45 floors, the hotel would have trouble trying to cool all those hallways, also, what's the point really?

So after some seminars we were let loose on the city. We stopped into a conveyor belt sushi place for dinner.



The food was really good and it was quite cheap. After that we walked around a bit and eventually ended up in Shibuya, which really impressed me. Shibuya is a really hip area of Tokyo, lots of shops and cool stuff. I tried to stay awake to help my body adjust to the new times. Jet lag got the best of me at around 11:30 or midnight and I crashed.

The second night we had a night out with the people from our prefecture. We went to a Karaoke place. Japanese karaoke is much more comfortable than the american karaoke that I am familiar with. You pay a fee for a certain number of hours and you get a private room where you can act a fool and not worry about anyone but your friends watching you. The american karaoke that I know is in front of everyone at a bar or something.

This is where we sang our hearts out. Well, not me, but some people did.



This is Allan, he is a riot.

The next night we met up with Marc's friends and ate at an all-you-can-eat-and-drink place. It was like 3000 yen for tons of food and alcohol. This is where the picture from the previous post comes from.

So when we finally departed Tokyo, I was left with a sense that the city never really slowed. Every night of the week. Sunday through Saturday, people were partying and running around. The city is incredibly crowded and has grown upward to compensate for lack of space. In the end, it was a fun city to hang out in for a bit, in fact I wish I had a few more days, but I was eager to settle into my new place in Kazusa.