Hotel Bellclassic Tokyo Toshima

... and its owner/designer has been part of both the Japanese and Western rock scene since the Sex Pistols hit it big. She wasn’t there, but the shopkeeper I met seemed just as knowledgeable (and really good with English). Anyway, back to my main point, I took one step in, and she said, “Oh a punk!” as if she’s been dying to see someone dressing in the proper fashion. Best compliment ever. After she realized that I wasn ...

... Sony centre, a good place to whitness the technology that we might be getting in the UK in, maybe a year or so. That night we hit Roppongi, nightlife capital of Japan's capital. Constantly evolving as new bar and restaurants open and close; it is positively buzzing at night, and glowing from the amount of neon signs and tv screens overhead. We found a recommended Karaoke bar, in the hope to do the Japanese custom, of having a few drinks, letting your guard down ...

... you seem to get almost guarantee to have your wishes come true. The most interesting bit though was the wooden platters. You buy this beautiful wood piece, write on it what you wish for, and then hang it up among hundreds of other pieces like this. You can turn it either so everyone sees what you wrote or with the back to the viewer. It was amazing to read ...

... smoking shoulder to shoulder in this air purified wardrobe box�@outside, i decided to get the train�@to Tokyo and not let the luggage thing bring me down (I came here to be tested so tried to reframe it as a positive thing and plus it saves me carrying it) It took about an hour to get from Narita to Tokyo and figured i couldn`t check in to the hostel yet so why not sample downtown Tokyo? Mistake. It was proper hectic and it`s 30 something degree`s ...

... understand as she chatted away to me. Amazing how much you learn without even knowing, I mean quite a bit must have brushed off on me since i've been here. My train Japanese for example, is impeccable and this is only due to the fact that I ride on so many trains everyday and am continually exposed to announcements at the stations. Anyway, i'm really sick of not being able to do simple everyday things here such as go and get my haircut, due to my inability to speak ...

... ever. I think my bags (marked "Priority") must have been the last put on the plane because they were the first off and I was sent to the customs inspector. He opened one of my cases and looked at the clothes and said, "okay, thank you." And I was done. We were greeted by our guide, who took us to the shuttle that would bring us to E-Village. (E-Village is a three-building complex that houses all of the foreign ...

... that Andrea and I weren't holding on to anything and we didn't move at all even though the train stopped almost instantly. When the train first arrived we thought no way we'll fit but the people behind us politely and I mean politely ushered us forward into the sandwich position. Andrea swore she would never ride another subway again. She also scared the pants off me by grabbing me by my pocket and I thought it was someone else at first. Anyways, at the jazz bar we met 2 ...

On Wednesday I went with two friends to the Ueno Zoo since none of us have classes on Wednesdays. I have been looking forward to the Zoo for quite sometime, in part because I love zoos to begin with, and in part because the Ueno Zoo is the home of Ling Ling the panda. The zoo was everything I had hoped for and more. =] Since space is at a premium in Tokyo, the zoo is pretty small in area, which also means ...

... s Shinto shrines, built with Japanese cypress and copper plates for the roof. Even though the shrine was destroyed during World War II, the reconstruction has not lost any of the grandeur. Just north of the city, Bonsai Park treats visitors to the zen-like art of cultivating these meticulously placed miniature trees and experiencing the calming of the mind. An essential experience for anyone traveling to Tokyo ...

... in relation to one another. After taking pictures and walking around some more at the temple, we returned to the street where our hotel was located. + There we ate lunch, shopped for a few minutes, and tried to avoid the torrential downpour that ensued. Lunch consisted of noodles topped with dried seaweed that were to be dipped in soy sauce along with tempura, fried pieces of shrimp, pumpkin, and mushroom. The fried shrimp was quite tasty. + After trying to dodge some ...