Controversy at the ol' shrine

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Tokyu hands notebooks

Muji - lunch and model home for $200,000 usd

Imperial Palace - but could only see the outside

Yasukuni Shrine - controversial shrine

Italian for dinner at a place nearby the station in Ikebukuro

Namja - crazy ice cream flavors (salt vinella, plumb, double mango, ramen, crab and Dracula (garlic))

Gyoza Alley

After dinner Robyn and I hit the town. East of the Ikebukuro station seemed to be the happening nightlife spot, but also pretty seedy. We had trouble finding a place to drink that wasn't a strip club or "girls bar". Lots of men in suits with walkie talkies on the street approaching single men or groups of men. We thought at first they were pimps that would radio for a girl??? but in retrospect we think they were trying to get men to go into the girls bars. We did eventually stumble into a pub called Hub. Which was like a proper english-style pub but full of local Japanese people having drinks, smoking and carrying on. It was probably crowded because it's one of the only places around where you don't have to pay a cover or seating fee to have a drink. I had a Yamazuki Highball and Robyn got a drink called a Spumoni (which was Campari with pineapple juice (I think) and soda).

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