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Published: December 17th 2008
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The blog web site didn't save my entrie so I have to do it all over again. Now I use note pad to make sure I have a copie.
Friday nov 28th
I arrived in Tokyo late friday evening. Lucly I had someone waiting for me and who was offering accomodation for the week. Through a long time friend who studied in Mcgill, he put me in contact with one on his japanes friend a girl that also studied in Mcgill. This helped me a lot so I could spend my budget on food and activites. Also it remove some stress of arriving in a new country without any knowledge of the language.
On the way to her home, we stop for a bite in a japanese bar Yakitori in Ebisu
Saturday nov 30th
For the first day we when to a small town near Tokyo called Kamakura. We visited temples, shrine, beach and had a walk in the forest. (Hachimangu Shrine, Zeniarai-Benten, Sasuke-Inari, Daibutsu and Hasedera temple). For lunch we ate japanese crepe that you must do yourself on a heating plate at your table. At least they give instruction on how to do
it...in japanese.
For the evening we when to see my canadian friend working in Japan for more that six year. We meet him in Sakuragicho in Yokohama. We when for a izakaya restaurant.
Sunday dec 1st
We wakup late and decide to climb the stairs of Tokyo Tower. After we went to shop in the Sony building but I didn't buy anything. For the night my japanese friend brought me to a Irish bar (What's a dicken's in Ebisu) there was live band. The ambiance was great.
Monday dec 2nd
My friend had to work so this was my first day alone. I decided to go to the fish market in Tsukiji. After on the advise of the lonely planet I had to eat sashimi in a nearby restaurant. The resto had max 10 places. There was quite a queue in front of the recommanded one. So I joinded the queue. Soon a lady come out and speak japanese showing the number one with is finger. Everyone in the queue looked at me so I concluded there was one seat available. Once inside I was welcome by the chef and asked me if
the normal menu was ok. Not to know what to take I said yes. All that stress already reduce my appetite. My stomac didn't really appreciated the raw fish at 10am when he normally expect light occidental breafast. And there was quite a number of pieces in the normal menu. At least I found out what I was eating with the help on my neighbor a young girl that speak japanese and my lonely planet translation section.
After that experience I when to Arihabara electronic market and the Ueno park. For the night I meet up again with my japanese friend to visit Roppongi and eat.
Tuesday dec 3rd/h2]
For my second day alone, I went to walk in the neighborhood of Shibuya. Luckly I was able to contact a couchsurfing member who meet me. We walk up to Harajuku neighborhood and to the Meiji-Shrine. After work, I meet my friend for dinner and after we when to the cotton club to see a performance of the group jefferson starship aka jefferson airplane. http://www.cottonclubjapan.co.jp/. By chance those ticket were offer by the compagny otherwise I couldn't have afford this night.
Wednesday dec 4th
My friend took some days off to visit with me. So we went to the neighborhood of Shinjuku and the Shinjukugyoen. After for a nice view of the city we went to the Tokyo Metropolitan government observatory. After all that sightseeing we when to see a movie.
Thursday dec 5th
We when in Odaiba to see if there were live show being film in Fuji television. Unfortunately there was nothing at the moment. So we whent nearby to a special toyota dealer. We pass quite a few hours in the dealer. There was car simulator you could try for free and they had stand explaning hybrid technology. If I had my international driving licence I could have tried a car on a closed circuit. For luch we tried Corean BBQ Yakiniku.
At night we joined the Canadian expat meeting night at the Hodgoblin pub in Shibuya after went for Karaoke.
Weekend dec 6th to dec 8th
For the weekend I had to go to the Hostel, I choose K' House in Asakusa. Great place. I meet a sympatic guy from holland and we decided to explore the Tokyo nightlife. For this we have
to stay awake the whole night since the metro close a midnight and open a 5am. Don't even think of taking a taxi too expensive. Friday we went to Roppongi. We tried Propaganda (good music and ambiance), PanicGas (bad, meatmarket,felt dangerous for fight), A831 (good lounge, relax, can talk to people), Motown ( to meet, music ok, has some class)
Saturday night we when to Shibuya and we meet the girl from couchsurfing I meet previously. We went to her favorite club. It was a better evening than in Roppongi.
Sunday for my last night in Japan another couchsurfer member contacted me to invite me to a dinner at a friend house. So I went to Shibuya again to eat chinese hot pot. That was a great evening I will definitly continue to use couchsurfing.
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