Shinjuku.

To celebrate the 'last weekend day' before I join the Jap rat race (my schedule won't allow me to have the weekends off) I decided to visit Shinjuku and Harajuku (more specifically Harajuku because that's where all the crazy fashion happens on Sundays) just to see what all the hullaboo was all about. Anyway my plan didn't go according to...plan... because I ended up wasting a fair bit of time at Kinokuniya (I couldn't stay away from the Sydney branch, likewise I couldn't stay away from the Japanese branch) - I needed some jap phrase books quick smart!!! Anyway, I'm glad I did get some travel books because upon consulting I realised in Shinjuku there was a shrine tucked away thats well known for cherry blossom viewing for the locals!

I thought this was a very cool facade...but imagine the dust that get collected on the ridges and grooves. Going to Shinjuku brings back memories of the Jap trip I took with a friend almost 3(!) years ago. Some places were indeed familiar but it looked bigger and more confusing than before (prolly had more time to browse this time around)

This is a karaoke bar that's 7 storey high!! There's a lot of catching up to do, Kworld.

The old with the new. I love it. The 0101 stores (I think it's called marui marui) are very popular, and it's very interesting to see how they divide the styles up. There's 0101, 01CITY, 01YOUNG, 01ONE, and they all cater for different style groups and ages. Instead of dividing by brands, in 0101 they have one level that is called Glamour Stylish and another level Glamour Casual. Personally I don't see any dif, they are all short and bling blinged. Oh yeah, trench coats are HUGE. I can safely say prolly 9/10 of womenfolk will have a trench coat of some sort. Perhaps it's a Dick Tracy/Scully thing. And it's not like the coats protect you from the cold. They are so thin breath can cut through to the bone.

Yep they have those people too. Funny thing was that she looked mean and angry. No wonder no one approached her. There were a lot of people that day, but she managed to have a good 20m radius of empty space.

This is the awesome store I was telling everyone about. All these levels cater for adults who likes a 'certain look'. I'll read out to you what 010ne offers. 5F: Gothic and Mode. 6F: Punk and Rock. 7F: Punk and Gothic. 8F: Lolita.

Still don't really know what I'm talking about? Take a look at some Lolita outfits that people wear out on the streets in broad daylight.

And look! You can look like your own Blythe doll too!!
I was really hungry by then so I popped into a noodle/rice shop and worked the vending machine for a ticket meal. This is egg chicken on rice. It was delicious and was 400 yen. Take that Ichi ban Boshi!!
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the people tsunami there exists a really quiet and secluded area in Shinjuku, until I realised maybe I just came during the wrong part of the day.
Because all those tiny shopfronts are actually the entrance to nightclubs and bars. All of them!

This was the entrance leading away from the shrine. People were having hanami picnics here! The scale was small but it was very pretty. When the wind blows the petals flutters off like white glitter..kinda like the effect of a snowdome, but wayyyy more sublime than tacky plastic.

Before I went off on my excursion I chanced upon a sumo westling practice match at my local school! The competiters were skinny as but it was still a delight to spy on...behind a set of bushes.

Anyway where was I? Oh yeah, I was planning on going to Harajuku but I caught the wrong train and decided what the hell, I'm going home instead (this was about 6pm already) to start psyching myself for my first day of work the next day.

On the train home there was this Asian Amercian girl who was complaining to her Jap friend that her mum objects to everything she buys here in Japan, yadda yadda shoes, clothes etc- but then she will unleash a torrent of fluent Japanese every once in a while (prolly to help clarify what she said in English to her friend). I want to be like her!