Day 5 in Japan started out slow. Ezra had plans to meet his host family in the early afternoon so Richard and I were on our own. We had planned the night before to sleep in and take an easy morning.
Sleeping in didn't really work. Richard woke up before 9am and went for a walk and breakfast. When he got back to the apartment he instantly fell back to sleep on the tatami mats.
I've grown accustomed to keeping track of time on my phone and so I haven't worn a watch for the past eight years or so. I knew I wouldn't have my phone in my pocket for most of the trip and I had meant to get a watch before leaving the States. Of course, I forgot. I bought this G-Shock in Akihabara. And as you can see, it wasn't until after noon today that we left the apartment.
This is Hena in the elevator with Richard. She's Ezra's good friend from Waseda University and our hostess. She and Mihi rent the apartment that we're staying in.
Hena at the kaiten sushi restaurant we ate lunch at.
Kiaten sushi is "belt" sushi. Similar to the U.S., but with some key differences.
Any specialty dishes that you don't see being delivered on the conveyor belt you can order from a TV monitor that sits above every bar stool. Thirty seconds to a minute after you order your sushi shoots over to you on a small automated sleigh. When the sleigh makes it to you it will beep at you until you take your plate and push the button to send the sleigh back to the kitchen.
The white track above the belt and below the monitors is how the sleigh travels back and forth between the kitchen and customers.
After lunch Richard and I said bye to Hena and hopped on a train for Ebisu. Hena suggested that we visit a beer museum there.
We don't have a lot of pictures from Ebisu because it was raining. We didn't find the beer museum and ended up wandering around for an hour or so. We eventually found a Starbucks which we used as a rain shelter.
After Starbucks we caught a train for Harijuku. I've been excited to see Harijuku ever since we got to Japan as it's the fashion capital of the country. Because of the rain we weren't able to see many of the extreme styles that Harijuku is known for, but we're heading back tomorrow. Hopefully it won't be too wet to take pictures. These are a pair of shoes that I liked at Comso Napoleon. Next time you see them might be on my feet.
Both of us were soaked by the time we made it back to the apartment at Takadanobaba. We need to do like everyone else does in Tokyo and carry an umbrella with us at all times.
A quick afternoon snack before dinner. Ezra is busy tonight so Richard and I are going out for dinner and drinks in Shibuya with Hena and fifteen of her friends. Hopefully some of them speak English...
- Jack
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