Tokyo Culture & Counter Culture

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We treated ourselves to a lie in. With no alarm, we emerged the floorbound futoned furlongs rose at 9.30. Even your humble omniscient narrator slept in - it is Sunday for heaven's sake. Quested for breakfast croissants but had to settle for long life pastries & bananas. Further faddling decyphering Tokyo's cryptic metro fares (there are actually 3 or 4 competing subway companies), before heading out to Yoyogi Park, home of Tokyo's "Coz-play-zuku" - disenfranchised kids vamping it up and posing for gaggles of voyeuristic tourists. The kids' kinky costumes, black lipstick (worn by both sexes) and S&M accessories are a stark contrast to the dignity of the other besuited park visitors, but besides group giggling, the goths are absolutely harmless. Preferred finger gestures may be two fingered, but it's peace symbols every time.

Goth gapeing was preceded by a walk through gentle rain to the Meiji-Jingu shrine; a serene cortyard, tremendous toshii gates of japanese cypress and a multitude of wooden prayer tablets. We happened upon a wedding ceremony and added to the voyeurism of the day.

We spend the afternoon wandering the trendy boutiques and cafes of Harajuku, feeling distinctly under dressed in our Vietnamese no brand shorts and faded boiled t-shirts. Key characteristics of a socially acceptable Tokyo yuppie; clear plastic brolly (nope), snazzy 45 quid t-shirt bearing meaningless Americanism (nope), pretty Japanese gal with nice legs under a stunningly sexy designer short skirt on your arm (erm, nope!) We attempt to acquire a t-shirt, but Americanisms aren't us. Instead, Cav commits multiple fashion faux passes by wearing his salmon pink poncho out of fishing season in what is clearly an umbrella town, thus eliminating our already slim chance of attaining the pretty local gal accessory.

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Photos

Them were the days
Yoyogi reminds Stace of his Gothic youth

A familiar face?
Imagine our surprise as cousin Brendan and the Ferndown posse emerge from the throng. Lovin' that new look man!

Untitled
There's nothing we can say - the picture says it all!