The East

Continuing with my post about my vacation, this is about the second half of my journey - in Tokyo.

I woke up in Kyoto very sick. The deer sembei I tried the day before had finally kicked in. When I was finally feeling well enough to go outside, I tried again to find geiko and mail my key. Despite being Winter, Japan likes to rain a lot. So my quest seemed even more futile. I tried harder than last time, but there were none to be found at that time of day and week and in the rain. I did manage to bump into my friends I had gone to meet when my vacation started on a random street in the middle of nowhere.

I eventually gave up on the geiko and set off for Tokyo.

I was already annoyed that I had booked a capsule hotel. Sure it was cheap, but they were annoying. I had hoped this one would have been better. Nope.

My friend met me at Tokyo station and led me to the hotel. It was a bit difficult to find initially, but we got there. She went up the elevator with me, but then refused to go any farther because unlike the last hotel, this one was for men only. I talked to her about the staying in Tokyo situation and how she had mentioned I could stay with her / her friend. Which was all kind of confusing. So it sounded like she wanted me to spend the first night in the hotel and then the next day she would find somewhere free for me to stay. So I cancelled and rebooked for just the one night.

The huge problem with this place is that you have to lock your shoes up to get in and then give them the key to get to your locker. And do leave you have to do the reverse. But everyone is doing this all the time. So there's always huge lines and the staff are already busy. The other problem is you only get a tiny locker. Anything of any reasonable size has to be checked into the cloakroom. Again though, the staff is very busy and you have to wait in line.

Again, the capsule hotel had no outlets. No doors, just a curtain over your pod. And they were fairly short.

However, this hotel had the bonus of naked men walking around everywhere. At first it was just up by the bath, but then they seemed to fan out to everywhere. At some point, I saw a naked man with a towel around his shoulders standing right across a thin desk in front of a woman sitting at the desk on a phone. Why women weren't allowed in the hotel, but female staff was okay was a mystery (and why they wanted to work there).

So my friend brought me to a bar-like place to meet her friends and her professor. Her professor was pretty cool and liked my Japanese and said she wanted to make me into a samurai and would mail me a katana. She also made me her son. Also, during the course of the night, I explained why I was sick. The sembei I had eaten yesterday in Nara had made me very sick the next day. After I explained my story I pretended to give everyone one. However, the professor decided she would eat one. So she took a bite twice as big as mine. I have no idea how she turned out the next day, but I can't imagine it was good.

The next day, I went ahead and scouted out the Chinese embassy. I didn't want anything to go wrong. However, it turned out they were closed on weekends. And with the holiday beginning as soon as the weekend ended, it was impossible to go. I considered changing the flight to Hong Kong and then getting my visa in Hong Kong, but I ended up deciding none of it was worth it and I would go another time and canceled the flight.

I was supposed to meet my other friend. Because I really wanted to see Akihabara anyway, I told her to meet me there. However, because I had only booked one night at the hotel and the hotel was packed, they wouldn't hold onto my luggage for me. I decided to bring my luggage to Akihabara and try to find a coin locker there. None were open and my luggage would have only fit in the largest sizes anyway. So I had to bring it with me everywhere. I did manage to find a Denny's which was exciting, but I decided to save it for a late night.

However, the Akihabara was so incredibly plain and regular that I was very disappointed. I felt like Japan had really strayed from its image I had always had of it. The constant lack of technology, the lack of enthusiasm for anime and manga, and the averageness of everything in the country was wearing down on me. I had hoped that at least the infamous Akihabara would have something. Anything.

But all I saw was more of the same.

Eventually my friend showed up and she told me she didn't really know the area so she suggested we go somewhere else. We eventually found a regular Indian restaurant and ate there. Then we went to see Sensouji. Which apparently has nothing to do with war. We got our fortunes and threw money in the thingy.

I woke up early the next day because it was the day I was going to Comiket. The world's largest "anime" convention. I was super excited. Where even Akihabara had failed me, this place couldn't.

I thought.

I decided that though it was not 3AM, the sun was still down and thus an acceptable time for Denny's. Denny's, like most things on the trip, was an incredible let down. The menu was even more mysterious than regular restaurants in Japan. The only acceptable item for breakfast was french toast and even it looked miserable. They didn't even have pancakes. And it's not like pancakes don't exist in Japan; they do have them. Just not at Japanese Denny's apparently.

So I headed to the convention. I managed to find the giant Gundam statue on the way and looked at it for a bit.

What was strange though was how empty the city was. There was almost no one. The entire time I was going from my hotel to the convention, I could count the people I saw on my hands. In fact, since I had gotten to Tokyo, it had been rather empty. Very unlike the stories of people being shoved onto trains with sticks. I could only think it was because of the holiday.

When I finally got to the convention area, sure enough, there were thousands of people. The lines were massive. I had arrived two hours before it started, too. I got in line and it wasn't long before it started raining. Again. Like always.

What had struck me though was the complete lack of cosplayers. Luckily someone on Facebook explained after I complained that they weren't allowed to cosplay until they got inside. Which is kind of weird and strict.

I spent sometime watching people watch people play pachinko on their phone while I got soaked, and eventually we were let in. I finally wore my strawhat I had bought in Osaka.

It was nothing like the anime conventions in Chicago. Eventually cosplayers did turn up, but they were so few, again I could count them on my hands. 20 at best. I have 20 fingers. And they weren't particularly fantastic either. Though a strangely high amount of men were wearing female cosplays, specifically dresses. Even one of the male staff.

The first area I entered was all books, specifically manga. Manga, manga, manga. Nothing I could read or cared about. There weren't any cool banners or anything hanging from the ceiling. Just rows of flat tables with short displays and stacks of books.

I walked around for a while, looking for something other than books, but decided it must be in the other wing. Unfortunately, to get to the other wing, you had to go outside. Back into the rain. And when I got there - more books. Books, books, books.

With the exception of a few stands selling art equipment and a souvenir shop, there was nothing but books.

I tried to get information (which I actually had to pay for) and discovered there was an international information desk. I searched for it and came across a Do Not Enter door complete with red Do Not Enter stripes along the floor. I asked a guard and he reassured me it was through there anyway.

When I found the room, it was a tiny room with maybe ten people stuffed into it. A massive German man dressed as Alucard or the guy from FF7 in a red coat asked what I wanted. Apparently "information" was specific enough for him, so I asked for a map. When I asked about events, the Japanese person in the room told me, "This is the event!"

After that I pretty much left. I walked around and saw the cosplayers which were next to the "open photography area" or however it was labeled, surrounded by a billion photographers, doing poses. And then I left to go meet my friend who had also come to Tokyo.

This third friend was an American I had met in Germany who was teaching English in another city. I found out that morning she was in town and scheduled to meet her after the convention.

It took forever, but I was finally able to meet her. Tokyo train stations are huge mazes with multiple exits and all kinds of obstacles.


I was supposed to meet my first friend later for dinner again so I brought her with for the dinner I had later with my first friend since we were all mutual friends.

We met some new people, ate some rotating sushi, and talked in various languages.


The next day, I went to Akihabara again. This time I found the real side of Akihabara. Well, first I found a Burger King. There were arcades, model shops, and tons of manga shops. And electronic shops, too, of course. I discovered the infamous six-story sex shop, and they had the hilarious things you'd expect to find only in Japan.

I also found a maid cafe.

I was not prepared for the level of awkward it provided.

I went in and was greeted by someone dressed from AKB-48's Heavy Rotation. There were various other maid-like costume-wearing staff walking around. I got put in the "Star Area" overlooking everything. I was told that to order something, I had to make the sound of a Japanese cat and do the hand motion. Despite being hailed as the "#1 Maid Cafe", they didn't do anything maidful, just awkward.

I had already eaten, so I was trying to find something light. There were all kinds of vaguely cutesy menu items. Mostly just things with cat faces drawn on them. The guy in front of me was flipping through an album, which appeared to be pictures of his times there. Another man seemed to be kind of into the whole experience, but everyone else was pretty normal. People who had come to see what a maid cafe was and were also feeling awkward.

I eventually decided on an ice cream volcano (for three people). Some time later, one of the waitresses talked to me for a bit before calling another over. They had a mildly lengthy discussion which seemed to be about forcing the "maid" that was called over to talk to me.

She then turned and talked to me. She asked small talk questions and then told me she was nervous because she was new there. I had no words of encouragement before the lighting changed and she suddenly ran off.

Finally my ice cream arrived after the lights had gone down and the special lighting effects went up. The AKB-48 girl was up on stage, saying stuff, but I was ignoring her until I heard, "You do speak Japanese, right?" When I suddenly realized she had been talking about me. I got dragged up to the stage to sit, surrounded by the maids, and the cook or something came and took our picture. Then I was free to go.

The AKB-48 girl then went on to sing Heavy Rotation, and I finally got to eat my ice cream. Some people awkwardly clapped along and the one guy got fairly into it. I just wanted to go.

It took a while, but I managed to eat the whole thing. Not sure if I'm proud of that.

They gave me a picture with a cat drawn on it, and I was free to go, minus a lot of money.

I met my American friend and her two friends that had arrived. They worked with her more or less, at least the same company. They were also staying at the capsule hotel with me. We explored more of Akihabara and eventually went to get dinner.

Everyone else drank a lot and we got out of the restaurant and ran for the nearest clock tower thing. We just barely missed midnight, but we got there in time to see everyone running around and making a lot of noise. This went on for a while and then the one kid that didn't get seperated from me and I went back to the hotel.

I went back to Akihabara the next day, this time the one kids came with. I was looking to buy things now that the New Years sales had begun. I tried to buy a denshi jisho. And I found a nice black one. It had all the features I wanted and then some (I probably should just use my phone which is free, but now I can feel less guilty using it in class [also it has history quizzes and stuff]). However, apparently they only had pink in stock. I was already spending way too much and had almost no money. But I bought it anyway. Maybe I'll spray paint it.

We explored some more. Met up with my friend. Looked for food.

It was during this time that I found a dönner stand. I was super happy. I didn't even care about the other people with me and ordered one right then and there. It wasn't nearly as good as in Germany, and maybe a bit different, but I was happy that I could eat it again.

When I got back to the hotel, I discovered I could pay a little extra to upgrade and get a room with electricity. This made me also super happy.

The next day was supposed to be my last day. I was supposed to meet my first friend later that day. I decided I should at least see Tokyo Tower since I had gone to see nothing else. And before that I went to Hooters because there's only one in Japan and I wanted to see how it worked in Japan. It was fun and the staff was nice.

I then went to Tokyo Tower. I spend forever trying to get a picture of myself and the tower worthy of a Facebook profile picture. When time was running out, I rushed to meet my friends.

My two friends and her brother met up with me. Her brother was pretty cool. When I told them I planned to depart in a few hours, she said it was impossible during the peak travel season. She said I'd have to get a night bus. However the night buses were sold out for the night, so I'd have to leave the next day and thus arrive home yet another day later.

I didn't much like this plan, but I initially accepted it. I told her I didn't have money so I needed a place to stay. I had checked out and locked my stuff in a coin locker near the hotel. She called some people and told me I could stay at her boyfriend's house.

We then went to the temple I went to earlier, but this time there were massive crowds of people. We walked around and eventually we accidentally got in. We went with the crowd and eventually squeezed into where you throw money. We threw some money, got out, and ate some food.

Then my American friend had to leave. So we took her to the buses. My friend was supposed to go home to take care of things, then come back and meet us. I thought she was going to hang out with me later, so I stayed with my friend. She did come back, but only for a little while before going to meet a different friend. I stayed around the bus place for a while, then left my friend when it seemed like she would be okay to board.

I rushed to the coin lockers because I had kept my friend's boyfriend waiting for too long. However, the train stations are a huge maze. It took forever to find the lockers.

I put the key in and tried to turn it. It wouldn't turn.

I discovered I had to pay AGAIN to get my stuff out. I was able to get my backpack, but when I went to get my suitcase, I was 100 yen short. The machine only accepted 100 yen coins, so my 500 yen coin was useless.

I tried to force the vending machine to give me change, but it didn't work. So I ran to find someone that'd help me. One guy on a phone said no, and two people walking by said "I don't need it". I was really angry at how cold everyone suddenly was. Everything was closing and becoming locked up.

I finally found a shop in the underground passage. I pleaded for them to trade me for the 500 yen. I said I just need one 100 yen coin. The lady goes and grabs another man. He ambles over, counting coins. Says he only has 400. I say that's perfectly fine, just trade. Suddenly the girl has an idea and runs off. She comes back later with another 100. I trade and run off.

I run to were I thought the entrance was, but all I find is a dead end. I check all the exits. They all seem to go the wrong way. I run into a guard, I ask him where the lockers are. He said they were closed. I tell him there's no way that can be. Eventually I mention West and he says I'm in the East. I bolt down the hallway, as the door tries to seal me in, Indiana Jones style.

I try approaching from the outside and sure enough, the way I came in is now blocked. I plead with a policeman to let me in. I tell him my key is still in the lock. Someone could steal my things. He says it's beyond their power and I have to come back in the morning.

I was so angry I told my friend I wasn't going to spend the night at her boyfriends, I was going to check in to the capsule hotel again, grab my stuff as soon as they opened, and take the first Shinkansen home. She was a little mad at me for waiting so long to make this decision, but it's what I did.

Apparently silent mode extends to my alarm and I overslept a bit, but it was still ridiculously early in the morning. Fortunately, no one stole my stuff. I grabbed it and headed straight for the station.

While in the ticket line, I remembered my friend had held onto my present she gave me as well as the food I bought for the office. I tried messaging her and waiting around, but I found replacement food with what little money I had left and got on a train. Despite what she had said yesterday, there were plenty of open seats.

I took the train home and spent the rest of the vacation at home. I asked work for the Monday back so I wouldn't waste a vacation day for when I do really go to China.

All-in-all, I saw a lot, did a lot, spent a lot, and was frustrated a lot, but it was a good trip.