TOKYO
December 11 - 21, 2003

Sun Dec 14: Tokyo Station, Imperial Palace, Meiji University, Shinjuku

Today I took it easy. Stayed at the Oakwood until 2pm! Was up at 8am, when Mike left. Got to talk to Megan on Mike's cell phone briefly. Spent the next 6 hours organizing, researching, watching music videos and Sadaam capture coverage, showering, eating and finally leaving.

I didn't have much of a plan. All I knew was that I needed a USB cable for my camera. But as it turns out, they don't sell the kind I need here. Which is pretty funny considering my camera is Japanese. Fuckin' A.

At this point I should inform the reader that I'm fucking drunk, and typing is no easy task. But first things first.

Tokyo Station

I was headed for Meiji University by way of Tokyo Station, as I heard this would be a good area to look for discount hardware as well as used music CDs. But when I got to Tokyo Station it was late in the day and since I saw the Imperial Palace from the train I figured, what with the nice fading light and all, it was as good a time as any to stroll the palace walls.

Imperial Palace

They don't let you anywhere near the palace except on certain days. But it was nice enough from the outside. While there I met a couple from Melbourne and a woman from Israel. Michael and Sheryl (Cheryl?) were kind enough to take my picture in front of the bridge below the palace.

I also took some pictures of the ducks that were congregated in the river between the station and the palace.

Meiji University

Afterwards I considered going to Tokyo Tower, but instead tried to find a USB cable for my camera near Meiji. But when I got there all I saw was guitar shop after guitar shop, and porno store after porno store. At the first one I saw I bought a porno comic called Psycho Delicious. I think I'll give it to Mike as a present.

I also found a neat little shop that sold gift cards with arty fabric attached. I bought five for Megan and asked about a place to buy a USB cable, but the one I was directed to didn't have one.

I kept walking with no bearing in mind, finally coming upon the JR Line underpass near the Tokyo Dome, which is something I hope to come back to for the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. While there I saw a little stall selling roasted chestnuts, and as I ignorantly hadn't expected to find anything relating to Christmas in Japan, let alone something as quintessential as roasted chestnuts, I had to buy some.

However, they were cold, and I suffered through some while standing over the river before going back and asking for some warm nuts, which the merchant happily obliged me with. (No sexual innuendo intended). I then got on the JR line towards my meeting point with Kosaku.

Shinjuku

Janice at work set me up with Kosaku, who is a business contact through work. He visited L.A. on business only once, and hopefully he'll come again so I can repay him for the good time he showed me.

We went to a shabu shabu place in Shinjuku called Mo Mo Paradiso. I later learned that Mo Mo is the Japanese sound for Moo Moo. And since shabu involves the boiling and eating of beef, well then I found myself in cow flesh paradise!

I'll gladly supply other gaijin with directions to this paradise of beef, but a warning -- I was the only gaijin there, and nothing is in English. So if you go, just say "shabu shabu" and point towards the menu that has "90" or "120". Those aren't prices -- they're minutes. If you order correctly, you get an unlimited supply of food and drink for either 90 or 120 minutes. Kosaku and I went through at least 5 plates of beef, 4 plates of veggies and 3 plates of tofu. I think I had 3 beers (Suntori Malt, which so far is my favorite Asian beer) and one large glass of whisky, which was also Suntori brand -- at least I think.

There's my drunk ass.

And there's Kosaku, with what could only be described as a bemused expression, most likely in reaction to my drunk ass.

After the wonderful meal I told Kosaku that I wanted to take him out for drinks, and he lead us to a yakatori joint, which was underground and nigh impossible to find.

We had hot sake, wonderful cold tofu and very good beef tripe. While I was definitely feeling the alcohol at Mo Mo Paradiso, it was at the yakatori joint that my buzz really, really kicked in.

Back at the ol' Oakwood I was determined not to wake Mike up again. But there wasn't a security guard or front desk clerk to be seen. I stood around awhile, wary of the tinted plastic dome staring me down from above. A woman let me in with her key, but though that got me in from the cold, I still was no closer to bed and my belongings. After sitting in the lobby and walking around looking for security, I finally walked around to the back of the front desk, reached into the drawer where I knew they keep my key, took it and headed for home.

That's the last time I come back to the Oakwood without a key.

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email: ryan[at]monkeyduck[dot]com  

TIPS FOR TRAVELERS

Restaurants:

Mo Mo Paradise

As it turns out, there's a variety of Mo Mo locations. So if you want all-you-can-eat-and-drink Shabu-Shabu, you really can't go wrong!

However, as yet, I'm unable to give directions to any of them as the brochure I picked up is in Japanese. But if you or someone you know can read Japanese, here's the website. Eventually I hope to get directions to the one I went to.

Shabu-shabu, to the uninitiated, is a pile of meat, veggies and tofu, a variety of sauces and a boiling cauldron of water that where you get to cook your own food. (In the states you can get seafood shabu-shabu, but I'm not sure it's common in Japan).

Yakitori joint

Once again, I'm not all that helpful on directions. I'll try and get specifics. But until then, here's the picture of the outside of the downstairs place that we went to:

Look for this archway on the way from the station and the sake/yakitori place will be on the left: