First Tokyo Outing

With my first weekend off since the move to Japan, I headed into Tokyo to meet with an old Amsterdam friend (who happens to be Japanese and visiting Japan while I'm here, yay!)

I was very proud that I made it to Tokyo by train all by myself, and found our

meeting spot in Shinjuku. There are a million exits at each station, and I had to

find the East Exit (as opposed to the south east exit, east terrace exit, etc) - so it's not as easy as it sounds.

There are the famous bar alleys in Shinjuku; many American bars from the war years.

We had Japanese curry for lunch in Shinjuku, then took the metro to Harajuku. We visited the famous temple, where I participated in a ceremony: throw in a coin, clap twice, bow once, reflect, bow twice.

We also saw a bride getting her wedding pictures taken. This is a paparazzi shot so it's a little blurry.

More famous than the temple are the Harajuku girls. As a fashion capital of the world, Harajuku showcases some crazy styles. This Harajuku girl is actually a boy (and I'm eating a crepe - very popular street food in Harajuku).

The 100yen shop (dollar store) in Harajuku sells mens panties. Here's proof:

A department store selling traditional Japanese goods.

Amazing donut shop, though the donut turned out to be frozen yogurt. Nothing is as it appears...

Yuka and I finished our day at a restaurant in Roppongi Hills where we had Shabu Shabu - thinly sliced meat dipped and cooked in boiling broth at our table. There is a partition in the pot so we can also cook vegetables. When the meat and veggies are finished, rice and seaweed are added to the broth to make a final, delicious dish.