Tokyo (Day 2)
We wake up after a proper night's sleep (in a bed as opposed to Singapore airport's floor like the night before) and we're feeling fine as fresh huckleberry.
The first order of the day is breakfast. We decide on Harajuku, an artsy type district that looks cool. We make the 45 minute trek out there on foot so we can try and get a better feel for Tokyo. We walk down a pretty main strip for the most of it then turn off into semi suburbia, where this cool little district is hiding. Lots of cafes and boutique little shops around.
But we're hungry and ready for a late brekky. What do the Japanese eat for breakfast, you ask? We're still not sure but fried chicken and rice and taco cheese salad bowls sure hit the spot.
We continue walking through the districts, lots of richy high end stuff. Now we're starting to see the big masses of crowds which we'd expected to see. Jeff's on the hunt for Japan's soccer team shirt so we head for the 4 story soccer store. Along our way we stop so Jeff can play a game of table tennis (he gets whooped) and we stop off at Tower Records and buy a book. We eventually make it to the store, purchase the soccer shirt then it's time for a coffee stop.
After we've fuelled up we're headed for Shibuya to see THE crossing. It's pretty hectic as is most of this district, people everywhere. It's got a real Times Square feel to it. We continue meandering along, there's so much to see everywhere you look.
Courts spies some cheesy-deep-fried-on-a-stick type street food that we must try. It's like a dagwood dog except with a mozeralla stick instead of sausage and bits of potato in the coating. Drool.
Time to put the feet up after a million kilometres of walking. We make our way to a beer hall we we sample a number of Japanese craft beers and they're pretty good!
By now it's dinner time so we're off for some food in a different district a quick train ride away - Ebisu. We're on the hunt for ramen, but we end up at a pretty legit local looking food hall. Small holes in the wall types restaurants with only a few tables and chairs and bar seating. We park up at one and are told the table is reserved, which we've realised means thanks but no thanks if you're a foreigner. We wander around for a bit more until we're invited into one - hooray! The menu is all in Japanese with limited pictures, so out comes Google translate and we mange to order some chicken karage, ramen and a few beers.
Refuelled once again, we head back to an electronic darts bar we saw on our way to dinner. We order some drinks and get chatting with a young group of locals. They explain how these new fangled electronic darts work and we've got ourselves a game!
Courts loses and our new friends treat her to a shot. Another couple of rounds of drinks later and we're off to karaoke, naturally. A minimal charge for all you can drink and sing - sold. We suck but our new friends cheer us along nonetheless. They all sing perfectly. We get kicked out at midnight, probably a good thing as our friends have to work tomorow. Great bunch of people and we promise to keep in touch. We then make our merry way home.
