Japan Update!
I am currently posting from a 24 hour manga cafe. The trains in Tokyo stop at midnight, and to where I am staying (the burbs) they stop at 10 pm. But, I wanted to see Tokyo at night. And I did! Now Manga cafe till 5 when the trains start again.
So, how has Tokyo been?
Monday I toured the Imperial Palace and went to the Ghibli museum and got to see the BIGGEST TOTORO EVER! It was awesome. Afterwards, my friend and I went to the Christon Cafe, which is a Christianity Themed Restaurant. It was filled with religious statues from South America which, well, always did look modertaely goth to begin with. But here it was more so. It didn:t really get the whole Christianity thing, since my drink was called a Succubus Kiss and my dessert was A Cheesecake an Angel Like. Also, apparently, the owner thinks that this is a true representation of Christianity, so that amusing. It was filled with Gothic Lolitas and such.
The next day I went to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. Afterwards I tried to go the Diet Building, but they were having a special legislative session. Afterwards I went to Yasukuni shrine, which is famous for being in honor of the emperor, and the emperor refuses to go there (it is for all the people who died fighting for Japan, including those who fought in WWII. It contained a description of the Rape of Nanjing as a 'glorious battle with no civillian casualities' or something. Tons of ultra-right wing Japanese groups meet there. Nothing weird happened to me though). Afterwards I went to Ginza and was unimpressed (it was just rows and rows of designer stores). That night, however, I saw Elisabeth at the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater. It was awesome. The actress playing Elisabeth, however, messed up three really important notes. Oh No!
Wednesday was Ueno Park. I went to the zoo to see the panda, only to be greated by a sign which said 'Lingling passed away last year.' It was so sweet and weird. Afterwards I went to the Tokyo National Museum which was awesome and filled with tons of artifacts. The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, where I went to next, was disappointing: I paid 500 yen to go see an exhibition billed as Japanese Watercolors, and it was drawings from Mrs. Tanka's first grade class. Afterwards I went to the 8 billion shrines in Ueno and then slept.
Thursday I went to the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which was really great (ity's about the city of Tokyo itself). Afterwards I went to Akihabara and tried playing Neon Genesis Evangelion Pachinko and failed miserably (or won a fortune, I have no idea).
That leads me up to today. I really wanted to see Tokyo by night so I rested all day to go out tonight. I went to the gay part of Tokyo and rememebered that I HATE going to gay bars alone. Then I strolled through the Red Light District, which was a weird mixture of sleezy and clean. And a tranny hooker kept saying 'New York' to me.
And now I7m here! I7ve got 3 hours to wait till the train. Wish me luck! Tomorrow I see the Sensoji Srhine and meet my tour group. It should be a ball!
So, how has Tokyo been?
Monday I toured the Imperial Palace and went to the Ghibli museum and got to see the BIGGEST TOTORO EVER! It was awesome. Afterwards, my friend and I went to the Christon Cafe, which is a Christianity Themed Restaurant. It was filled with religious statues from South America which, well, always did look modertaely goth to begin with. But here it was more so. It didn:t really get the whole Christianity thing, since my drink was called a Succubus Kiss and my dessert was A Cheesecake an Angel Like. Also, apparently, the owner thinks that this is a true representation of Christianity, so that amusing. It was filled with Gothic Lolitas and such.
The next day I went to the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. Afterwards I tried to go the Diet Building, but they were having a special legislative session. Afterwards I went to Yasukuni shrine, which is famous for being in honor of the emperor, and the emperor refuses to go there (it is for all the people who died fighting for Japan, including those who fought in WWII. It contained a description of the Rape of Nanjing as a 'glorious battle with no civillian casualities' or something. Tons of ultra-right wing Japanese groups meet there. Nothing weird happened to me though). Afterwards I went to Ginza and was unimpressed (it was just rows and rows of designer stores). That night, however, I saw Elisabeth at the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater. It was awesome. The actress playing Elisabeth, however, messed up three really important notes. Oh No!
Wednesday was Ueno Park. I went to the zoo to see the panda, only to be greated by a sign which said 'Lingling passed away last year.' It was so sweet and weird. Afterwards I went to the Tokyo National Museum which was awesome and filled with tons of artifacts. The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, where I went to next, was disappointing: I paid 500 yen to go see an exhibition billed as Japanese Watercolors, and it was drawings from Mrs. Tanka's first grade class. Afterwards I went to the 8 billion shrines in Ueno and then slept.
Thursday I went to the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which was really great (ity's about the city of Tokyo itself). Afterwards I went to Akihabara and tried playing Neon Genesis Evangelion Pachinko and failed miserably (or won a fortune, I have no idea).
That leads me up to today. I really wanted to see Tokyo by night so I rested all day to go out tonight. I went to the gay part of Tokyo and rememebered that I HATE going to gay bars alone. Then I strolled through the Red Light District, which was a weird mixture of sleezy and clean. And a tranny hooker kept saying 'New York' to me.
And now I7m here! I7ve got 3 hours to wait till the train. Wish me luck! Tomorrow I see the Sensoji Srhine and meet my tour group. It should be a ball!