Planes, Trains and Automobiles: Tokyo Drift

[TeeJay]

Okay, as I'm sure folks know, I've just come back from a seven day trip to Tokyo. This trip actually combined three events/occasions into one: Our honeymoon (and as such was paid for by my mum as a wedding gift) Emily's birthday, and, my best friend's wedding. Folks may recall that Andrew was my best man when I got married, so there was absolutely no way that I could live with myself had we not attended his wedding. I also bought a Rolex GMT to take in the hopes it could be used to put some competitive fun into the stag event. Initially, we had considered go-karting, but this didn't come to pass due to costs (both of the event, and the need for public transport) I had suggested an auction of the watch, with the proceeds going to Andrew as a wedding present, but, it was decided that with the amount of drinking planned (and there was a lot ) it would have been too easy for bidding to get out of hand, and someone wind up blowing their budget, so in the end, I wound up actually keeping the watch for my own collection I would still have given it up on the stag if the need arose, but it never did, so it came back with me... Time for some photos, I think...

I had a pretty limited budget, but figured I could use it for some photos:

By this time, the watch had been essentially rebuilt compared to it's 'out of the box' state, including: New bracelet and clasp (combined from two bracelets) new caseback (donated by my project Sub) and replacement crystal. Once it became clear that I might be keeping the watch, I decided to flame the cyclops off. However, I left the flame over the cyclops for a second too long, and the result was a cracked crystal (which obviously had to be replaced) I worked out that the crack was not due to heat per se, but because it was still fitted in the case, the bezel insert would have prevented the crystal from expanding while heating, thus causing it to crack under it's own compression... Oh well... I also worked on the bezel insert a little, by adding a few dings and scratches. I didn't want to be carrying a pristine piece through customs, and some over enthusiastic official thinking it was too new, and a Rolex, and working out it's origins. As it was, I never had any problem, even when I actually handed the watch over to a customs official in Tokyo. Why would I do such a crazy thing? Well, on our trip back, I forgot to take my phone and camera out of my pockets, and having set off the metal detector, when putting my belt, camera and phone into the tray, without thinking, pulled off my watch and threw it in as well. It was returned without a second glance from the officials (and there was even a nice display of counterfeit goods at Narita, which included a Sub ) Oh well, time for more pictures...

Emily bought a new suitcase for the trip, and asked me to decorate it for her, which I was only too happy to oblige:

The rear design, in particular, got a lot of admiration from the female members of staff who saw it

We flew Virgin Atlantic, and had a very pleasant flight:

It was awesome flying over Japan, and seeing how the urbanization flowed with the environment, rather than fighting against it...

Before long, we were on the ground.

Going from the conditions on the plane, to on the ground, the change in pressure, humidity and temperature, was like beaming down to an alien planet, and infact, that's how I felt for the duration of our trip, but, knowing the culture and a little of the language, I never felt unhappy, unsafe, or uncomfortable. Okay, I know that Emily and I would have stood out like sore thumbs, but, as I wasn't seeing myself, I was able to just immerse myself in the culture and felt totally at home However, after getting through customs, I was pretty thirsty...

We took the JR Narita Express, and I was totally struck by how apt a phrase about Japan actually is...

Yappari aoi kuni da! -/- It is a green country!

But it wasn't long before we hit civilization

When we arrived at Ikebukuro station, we first had to drop Andrew's relatives off at their hotel, before he showed us the way to our hotel, the Sunshine Prince, which was about 15 minutes walk. The room was simple, but comfortable, and very enjoyable to stay in This is what Tokyo looks like from 29 floors up:

As Andrew had to work for a few hours, we took the opportunity to grab a few hours sleep before meeting up with folks for the evening. When I woke, this was how things were looking:

That's when it actually sank in that I really was actually in Tokyo! It was like being in Blade Runner, and I have to admit, I was so excited, that pushed any tiredness well and truly into the background, and I decided to set up a quick watch-shot before we went out and met up with everyone:

Something which was nice, and especially special about this, was that I got to catch up with three friends who I haven't seen in over five years, and that alone was worth the distance of the flight. First port of call was a small bar (no pics, I'm afraid) but we then moved on (rather unsteadily at this point ) to a karaoke joint

Even during the fun, there was time for a couple of wrist shots of 'my new watch'

That was absolutely awesome, but in all the frivolity, I nearly broke a finger while tripping over a table There is more sin than profit in wine and games of chance... That's what it says in the Qur'an, and it's now been well and truly proven to me... Emily and I tried to make our way back to the hotel, and, despite actually still being in walking distance, managed to get totally disoriented, so in the end, had to take a taxi back to the complex where the hotel was...

The next day, a combination of fatigue from the traveling (during which I didn't sleep) drinking after only one pot of noodles (so essentially an empty stomach) and hypoglycemia combined to leave me feeling seriously grim when I woke up However, a few bottles of Pocari Sweat, and I was feeling well enough to go out for the 'stag afternoon'... We went to a games arcade with all manner of video games, air-hockey and a batting cage:

After a little fresh air (relatively speaking ) and the adrenaline from four dozen swings, and I was actually starting to enjoy myself again After that, we moved onto a British-themed pub called the Hub, where we had some drinks (I stuck to Cola ) and had a light meal (bite sized Fish N Chips),

After which, I took part in a little foos ball, which my friend Matt and I won

but, the adrenaline and sugar started to wear off, the fatigue started to kick in, and we had to bail out of the 'main event' and headed back to the room...

The following day was Emily's birthday, and we spent that shopping, exploring the surrounding area, and went for another meal in the Hub, before finding an awesome park right next to our hotel...

We didn't meet up with any of the others that day, so it was a quiet evening prior to the wedding...

The wedding was a traditional Shinto ceremony, and truly awesome to participate in. We didn't take any pictures during the ceremony, but did take some before, and at the reception

Before the ceremony, we got a special waiting room

Being a traditional ceremony, Andrew wore kimono and hakama:

There were quite a few guests for Andrew's side of the ceremony. Some, as mentioned, were friends I already knew, but it also gave us the opportunity to make some great new acquaintances

After the ceremony, Andrew was able to change into something more familiar for the first reception...

And it wasn't long before he had an awesome accessory...

After a quick parlour game, it was time for Andrew and Keiko to cut the cake...

Then it was time to move on to the second reception...

And it was great to see Andrew having a good time with his dad and sister...

I've always felt that people I would die for are my family (related or otherwise) and those are three people I would die for without hesitation. Two awesome people we met, and became friends with, were James and his wife Ayumi, who also live in Tokyo.

It would be fantastic to be able to meet up with them again, insha'allah

The next day was spend wandering the shopping mall under the hotel, collecting gifts and trinkets, but there was an event going on as well

I then encountered what appeared to be a HAL unit...

It didn't start singing 'Daisy' or call me 'Dave', so I think I had a lucky escape

The next day, we left Tokyo to head back to Narita for our flight the following day (saved us getting up at 5AM to make the 11:30AM flight...)

We stayed at this Travel Inn, which was actually a more luxurious hotel than the hotel in Tokyo

Then it was back to Narita airport where Totoro-san got a lot of attention from the ladies...

There was a really nice waiting area by our departure area...

And we ran into an old friend...

And then we were gone...

Totoro-san proved a nervous traveller...

This was somewhere over Russia (near the Caspian Sea)

After that, it was pretty much just a case of waiting for the plane, and taxi to get us home. On the flight, I watched quite a few movies... Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Burn After Reading, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Lesbian Vampire Killers, Yes Man and Notorious. Some were good, some less so, and some were awesome...

I hope you've enjoyed the pictorial, thanks for taking the time to read it

[Demsey]

よい時!

[Toadtorrent]

What a fun read. It sounds like a fantastic trip. I haven't been there in years...would love to go back. Weddings are truly a great occasion and excuse to get old long time friends and family together...and what better way to do it than to combine it with a vacation. Great stuff.

BTW...that suitcase looks awesome...it really does!!

[cornerstone]

Great photos!

Tokyo's a fantastic place, Osaka too. Looking forward to going back soon.

[lanikai]

Cho~Sugoi TJ san!!!!

that was a very enjoyable narrative of your trip.. I know you were looking forward to this for you and Emily and your Buddy Andrew.. I'm happy it went well for you !!

thank you for taking the time to share this with us !!

A~C

Lani

[specialvat]

Really enjoyed your account TeeJay, seems a very lively city and certainly one you need full batteries for

[Blobzor]

Great read, but... who is andrew ?

[chronoluvvv]

superb !

so how was that lesbian vampire movie anyway ?

[TeeJay]

よい時!

I'm afraid my universal translator's off-line, but domo arigato

[TeeJay]

What a fun read. It sounds like a fantastic trip. I haven't been there in years...would love to go back. Weddings are truly a great occasion and excuse to get old long time friends and family together...and what better way to do it than to combine it with a vacation. Great stuff.

BTW...that suitcase looks awesome...it really does!!

Thanks, it was a fantastic trip Well, the 12 hour plane flight was a bit of a drag, but it really was a fantastic occasion

Thanks, I'm glad you like it I freehanded the designs with Sharpies while watching Miami Ink, and Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels the evening before the flight

[TeeJay]

Cho~Sugoi TJ san!!!!

that was a very enjoyable narrative of your trip.. I know you were looking forward to this for you and Emily and your Buddy Andrew.. I'm happy it went well for you !!

thank you for taking the time to share this with us !!

A~C

Lani

As above, the universal translator is off-line, R-san, but domo arigato It really was awesome, and all came off without a hitch Well, I did break a pair of sunglasses (and nearly a finger) tripping over the table in the karaoke joint, and get a taxi to deliver us back to the hotel, but other than that, it was smooth as silk And of course, any time, I'm only too happy to document my travels, it gives me something meaningful to do while traveling

Great read, but... who is andrew ?

Thanks, man The third sentence will answer that question for you

[TeeJay]

superb !

so how was that lesbian vampire movie anyway ?

Thanks It was one of the worst movies I've watched Utterly cheesy, but sadly, not really funny, poorly acted, and way too busy trying to be 'ironic' to actually succeed in that attempt... Of them all, the best movie was the Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Infact, I'd say that's one of the best movies I've ever seen, so I'd highly recommend giving it a look

[ubiquitous]

Thanks for sharing your adventure, TeeJay!

I've always wanted to visit the land of my heritage... When my kids are old enough to appreciate it, I'll definitely have to embark on that journey. For now, I live vicariously through the eye and camera shutter of others

Cheers!

R

[TeeJay]

Great photos!

Tokyo's a fantastic place, Osaka too. Looking forward to going back soon.

Thanks Some didn't come out as well as I'd've liked, but never mind I really wanted to go to Osaka, but sadly, we just didn't have the time or cash to make the trip

[MasterOfPuppets]

i really enjoyed reading this!

thx TJ

[Slartibartfast]

Hey TeeJay, awesome write up, well worth doing! I have always wanted to visit Japan myself. One day maybe.

Getting immersed in a completely different culture must be stimulating.

I hope you get to go back one day.

Great read

[TeeJay]

i really enjoyed reading this!

thx TJ

No problem, I'm glad you enjoyed reading it It trailed off a bit towards the end, as once we'd left Japan, there pretty much wasn't anything else to report

[TeeJay]

Hey TeeJay, awesome write up, well worth doing! I have always wanted to visit Japan myself. One day maybe.

Getting immersed in a completely different culture must be stimulating.

I hope you get to go back one day.

Great read

Thanks, amigo Indeed, if you ever do get the chance, it is one worth taking As you say, it's very stimulating to be immersed in a different culture. I guess I didn't find too much of a problem with that, as I have studied Japanese culture quite extensively, and although I can't read Japanese, I can say things like 'yes, no, please and thankyou', and to be honest, that was all I actually needed to be able to speak, as I have a Japanese phrase book app on my iPhone, which I simply used like cue cards for if I needed to ask anything complicated, so the language wasn't really an issue, and although the exchange rate isn't 1:1, the prices were easy enough to take at face value, and not worry about over-spending

[rek001]

That was a truly enjoyable read, TeeJay, thanks much for posting.

So...did you ever find out what the HAL 2000 panel was?

[TeeJay]

Really enjoyed your account TeeJay, seems a very lively city and certainly one you need full batteries for

Thanks, and sorry I missed your comment earlier Indeed, Tokyo is pretty lively, but actually not as busy as I was expecting. You're absolutely right about needing full batteries to enjoy. I think had I adapted to the time zone better, or maybe had a longer stay, I think I would have been able to go to a few other places I'd wanted to visit (such as a shrine in Shinjuku, and take the bullet train to Osaka) At the moment, I've settled back in at home, with no jet lag whatsoever (just standard fatigue from travel) but I'm really missing the easy supply of Pocari Sweat

[ubiquitous]

Any visits to the Ginza district?

[TeeJay]

That was a truly enjoyable read, TeeJay, thanks much for posting.

So...did you ever find out what the HAL 2000 panel was?

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed reading it

We didn't actually ask, but my wife thought that they might have been some kind of fire hydrants or fire safety equipment... If anyone else does know, I'd be most interested to find out

[TeeJay]

Any visits to the Ginza district?

Sadly not, we stayed entirely in Ikebukuro, as we never really had the time or budget to travel further afield. I really wanted to visit Shinjuku, but sadly, it just wasn't a possibility. Maybe next visit, insha'allah

[Demsey]

I'm afraid my universal translator's off-line, but domo arigato

Well, it would certainly lose something in the translation, but if you could bend the ameri-western colloquialism of "Good Times!" around the more

Shinto state of 'eternal well being through goodness' you'd scratch the surface.

If you wouldn't mind, I saved the pic of the 47's 'winglet' sporting the Union Jack. Classic! More an aero-phile and history buff than worldly traveler, I found the photo revealing on many levels. As you would know, the Union colors on a 'jack flag' were reserved for the Queen's Navy. Then of course, the Who I would say one of Branson's 747's come close enough?

Amazing considering not too, too long ago, this was 'state of the art' world travel;

BOT, 'these are the good old days' for sure T'J. Here's to looking back on them when the time comes

[Star69]

thanks for the trip

cheers,

Frank