Kawagoe has this tree, that I thought had a lot of leaves, and they were all birds--even the birds here have an all-bunched in mentality!
Outside the train station at Kawagoe, close to where I live. Kawagoe is like a small accessible Portland next to my Salem, the Kasumigaseki. It has the the Crea Mall shopping district, which is Engrish haven, as well as a number of small shops and restaurants. A 320円 beats $20.00 in gas money!
Yeah. I'm in Japan, oh am I definitely in Japan…
Saw this outside of a Pachinko (Pinball casino) parlor, it’s what I though of Japan when I was about 10, along with the samurai roving the streets and giant robots fights being commonplace. As I’ve grown up and began living in Japan, it’s scary how right my early presumptions can be.
Only $40.00? Do I have to kill the cow myself?
Blue. Suede leather. Fur lined. Want. Want. Want. You can get away with such crazy fly style, I’d be a fool not to capitalize on some of the fashions available. How many blue suede, fur-lined shoes do you have? Problem the same number as me, because most foreign brands stop at size 26cm, a men’s 10 about, and I’m a 30cm. I’ve been politely apologized to Getting the coolest shoes in Japan–in my size–might take the duration of the year, but oh will it be worth it! Money is of no concern; do you see the blue on that leather? The fur on that lining? Style means a lot here, and it’s so good to be in a place where I don’t stick out wearing what I want. Well, at least it’s not my fashion that makes me stick out…
Went to a kaiten zushi (conveyor belt sushi) in Kawagoe, at 105円 a plate
From right to left (just because): tuna (maguro), ikka (squid babies), and blue pickled eggplant (it’s already Japanese).
What cool guys, what smooth shooters, what splendid gentlemen, what absolute fools… my best friends!
Modeling their bland green tea pudding, Daniel and Chris and Alyssa and I ventured and found every-thing-is-a-bock-o’-five heaven for anyone who likes seafood. and found just how much flavor uncooked meats can manifest in your mouth. The best–tuna. Who knew.
I think my art has reached a new level. And that level is delicious.
Known as the octopus pancake, okonomiyaki is made by the patron, who is sat at a table with a grill in the middle and given a bowl containing anything from squid, octopus, shrimp, avocado, bacon, cheese, fish flakes, or all of the above. Stir it up, throw it on, finesse the shape and thickness and enjoy your company until the all important flip time comes around; don’t mess that up and you’ll be eating the Japanese equivalent to our pizza in no time! I went out with my host-bro Ike-kun and some of his friends, so I was the sole foreigner pretending I know Japanese and trying to get the flip right. Mayonnaise is loved by most all Japanese folk, and I took charge of this one, rendering my opinion of the English-incapable Japanese DSi with newly discovered mayo-art skills. The lesson here: be careful about by electronics and buy decisively, universally delicious food instead. Good, huh?
What is this? A rite of passage?
Three hours. Four days a week. For THREE hours, a majority of days from the week. 3/4/7. Your mind wanders. For instance, it’s hard to take the class serious sometimes when you are still having trouble arranging basic conversation and the sensei is teaching the different verbs for collecting red arrows in one’s open skull, and losing all the red arrow’s out of said skull.
"What? What's that? I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am"
It took forever to slag through the bureaucracy necessary to acquire a cellphone. Fed up with the race and suspicion he may be a Korean spy, Chris just started using his computer. And it’s got all the features: camera, mp3 player for you tunes, makes you look like an idiot, internet capabilites, etc…
And here I was thinking I'd have to wait a year for steak, but first week and I'm already chowing cow. Now what's to miss?
The best America has to offer, drinking suds and roasted meats, in Japan; PLUS THE REST OF JAPAN! From the left, that’s Slim-san, a German fluent in Japanese and contributor to Japanese commercials making no real sense. His name’s Slim, but if you point out the obvious, his not being so Slim, he hits you. Found that out the hard way. Then there’s Henrik-kun, my Swedish makeshift host-bros, Alexander from Occidental, Monrique the soon-to-be 2nd Lieutenant, and me, thinking America doesn’t have too much to offer that I can’t find here.
カラオケ!!
The gem of Japanese socializing, and the most fun you can have with your clothes on, yes it is the necessary experience of Japanese karaoke–REAL karaoke. There is vast contrast between American and Japanese karaoke. In Japan, you pay a flat sum for unlimited amount of songs and drinks (sometimes alcoholic, sometimes not) per hour. To give you an idea, I drank my body weight in Boss coffee and melon soda, sang switching between the TIU/JSP room and my host-bro’s duet next door, and the grand total after two hours: $12.00. Try going out clubbing on a budget like that, and try having fun at the same time; then try cold fusion because if you can manage that, then you are mostly likely the reincarnation of a forgotten divine figure. It staggers the mind how much more money it seems like you need to play to have an unequivocal form of fun in the States, and most of those dollars turn into alcohol anyways, and then you find yourself at a house or in a dorm room with people you wouldn’t hang out with otherwise, drinking until you trick yourself into having a good time. Here, it’s a dozen bucks and 160yen train ticket to Karaoke-All for all the laughs and smiles and general merriment one could ask for. One thing I noticed, it’s important who you go with. Finding like minded people not only ensures that the people are approaching the experience on a similar level, with comparable attitudes towards drinking and loudness, but also gives some idea as to what songs are gonna be going. If you like Michael Buble, and you go with some folks that have drastically different taste, then you’re going to be looking for an early check after the fourth (bad) Dr. Dre cover. The point I’m making is that karaoke, REAL karaoke, is an experience that has something for everyone, that everyone should do–and do with other people, though people with matching mindsets to maximize the potential that little booth holds within.
KARAOKE, like it was meant to be--Sideways!
Slim sang violent anime covers, Ayumi and her firends took J-Pop to another level, Sam and Nick brought back the songs that should never have come to start with (can you believe they have the milkshake song in Japanese, lord), Tatsuya proved himself with Stevie Wonder, Monrique busted mad rhymes, and Nathan sang like the school girl he is to Japanese female leads and did a disturbingly good job, while I near wet myself in glee to find a selection of songs from Third Eye Blind and Sublime. There are about 1000 English songs, a lot of popular and some surprisingly obscure (Man-O-War? Oh hell yes!) in addition to every Japanese song a Japanese person ever sang, all queued electronically, with tacky and mismatching random videos playing in the back ground (the Red Hot Chili Peppers background video featured what appeared to be rejected advertising film from the 1983 X-Games). The addition of some Asahii and another carton of gin brought out the some of the best, but more of the worst musical talents the room could muster, but you were either laughing with, laughing at, or getting laughed at the entire time. A remarkable experience, something that makes the week worth slogging through so you can let it all hang loose doing something viably and truly fun and entertaining with select folks who feel the same.
So there’s a brief briefing on the intro to my introduction to Japan. Here’s hoping to keep the good times rolling here in the Land of the Rising Sun (although the sunsets about 6pm).
The next installment, the much anticipated Engrish has some true diamonds of Japanese pop culture that just… it makes you just… well come back and see! Following that will be the trips to Yokohama and Akihabara, so I’ll see you soon!
