Introduction

Konichiwa friends!

Consider this my attempt to make up for the much delayed account of Adam and my trip to Japan. By now -- if you and I have talked about Japan -- you're well aware of the strange, the sublime, and the incredible times we had in the Land of the Rising Sun.

I intend to post a ton of pictures and videos (if I can figure that out) with any descriptions or anecdotes that may come with them. Although, consider yourself duly warned about the surreal tone some of my posts may take. Rest assured that, for the most part, the content will establish the tone. For the most part. This page may end up sounding like Fear and Loathing in Hiroshima :)

Seriously though, I have tried to make this blog entertaining and interesting for everyone. Different people are going to pick up on different things from the postings. I hope you take the time to read them all and please comment. I would love to hear from you. Also, click on any picture to get a bigger version of it so that you can appreciate some of the finer details.

So, off we go!

-- Ibad

Later ATL!

Gabe-atron will testify, I got this luggage for $19.99 from Northlake mall and it has survived 4 flights. The soccer ball stickers have always allowed me to spot the bags easily at baggage claim.

P.S. Big ups to Dr. Alison McAfee (soon to be Mrs. Willingham) for the homemade cookies for the flight. They were yummy in my tummy!

The Gang's All Here!

Gabe and Patrick met us at Narita airport since they arrived in Japan a day before us. We were a little perplexed at first since they were late and we thought that the all-knowing Gabe forgot about Adam and me. Turns out they got on the wrong train or something.

Adam and I were fools for believing this story since we soon came to know that Gabe has a near-omniscient grasp of the Japanese train routes.

(Left to right: Me, Patrick, Gabe, and Adam)

Shibuya ... by Gas Light!

Well, not quite gas light.

But you get the idea. This is the famous "Times Square" of Shibuya and is arguably the busiest intersection in the world. It made for quite an initial experience in Japan.
There were hundreds -- if not thousands -- of people on all sides, waiting to cross the road.
Cameron Diaz is quite a popular figure on billboards and street signage and will make more appearances (we hope?) in this blog.
I found that the only way to avoid getting run over when the lights turn is to seek high ground and avoid the human stampede.
More of the same. Absolutely mental!

Enter the Engrish!

Didn't take long to find this. Just for the record, the eatery didn't look ghetto at all. Unless you use the word ghetto as a compliment. I can never keep up with what passes for cool lingo these days.

Dinner Decisions

Old reliable! As cool as this Mickey D's looked, we obviously decided to try some local flavor.

We were hoping that there would be more McDonald's in Japan and that hopefully we'd get another chance to try some.

Actually, for the ones that might not realize that the last sentence was full of sarcasm, you may be surprised to learn that there are in fact more McDonald's restaurants in Japan than there are banks.

(The above's not true either.
-- Gabe)

So . . . we ended up having a delicious dinner of beef and curry bowls with some miso soup.

This picture is one of those that you must click on and get the full version so you can appreciate the sheer magnificence of these dishes.

This meal definitely set the tone for upcoming culinary conquests.

Downtown!

Patrick, Adam, and I went to the government building since it allows a great view of the city of Tokyo. Right across the street, we saw this procession. We'd come to learn that campaigning in this fashion is indeed all the rage.
The sheer size of Tokyo is incredible!
Well, our rotation doesn't start for a few more days but got to get some pharmacy-related stuff in there, right?

It's a big city, ok?

House of a 1000 Bikes!

One can easily find oneself in the path of a determined bike rider if one is at least not equally determined to evade.

--Confucius (I think?)

Translation: Break yourself, foo'!

We spent plenty of time dodging speedy bicycles in almost every city we visited. I have never seen this many bikes in a country and the fact that bikes are ridden on sidewalks only made them seem more evident.

Of course all the bikes have to be parked somewhere.
Multi-level bike stands are one option.

Another is a seemingly endless field of bike stands.

Here's Your Sign . . .

When I saw this poster in an elevator, the first thought that occurred to me was, "Thank God we flew into Narita airport!"

Because I forgot to bring my leotard to Japan! The last thing you want to do in Japan is stick out.

Budweiser shoes.

Also, I think it's great that they don't have laces.

They look comfortable though.



Sorry to let you down but this store has nothing to do with the stickiest of the icky.

It's just a clothing shop. No, not clothes made from hemp either. It's Japan, ok, cut me some slack. I don't make 'em up. I just post 'em. But, hey, like my neighbor used to say, "Smoke 'em if you got 'em".

Toilet Technology from the Future!

Pressure-sensitive toilet seat. Electronic bidet with robotic arm. Controls for water pressure and spray aiming.

I have decided to leave you with those descriptions and the pictures below. I am confident that even the most unimaginative can picture in their mind's eye the sheer delight that a mere 1.6 gallon water closet can offer if we only let it evolve past porcelain.

Breakfast at Toyoko Inn

No, I didn't misspell Tokyo. The Toyoko Inn may be one of the most common hotels in Japan. We saw these everywhere. It introduced us to the Japanse bidet and treated us to free internet. Here Adam, Patrick, and I are enjoying a traditional breakfast of rice cakes, pickled fruit, and miso soup.

Later, Toyoko Inn ended up our salvation from Juji-Han (No, that's not the villian from Enter the Dragon but not all that different either).

P.S. Toyoko Inn's huge blue neon lights left quite an impression on me that I won't forget anytime soon.

Sushi Roll Out!

Sushi on a conveyor belt might be the reason God made fish. And rice.

Mommy, where do Fish(es) come from?

This is the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market better known as Tsukiji Fish Market. It's the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world.

Fish(es) arrive as early as 3 am from all around the world and a high-paced, no frills auction takes place around 5 am.

By the way, the reason I am doing the whole fish(es) thing is because Brooke was kind enough to enlighten me that saying fishes is okay when one is talking about multiple types of fish.

Who the heck's Brooke? No, that's not yet another nickname for Gabe. Don't jump ahead of the storyteller, folks.

Here's some tuna . . .





. . . and some tuna steaks. Said it before, will say it again, "yummy in my tummy!"


Adam is more than prepared to start eating.






The knife needed to slice and dice tuna might as well be a katana for all intents and purposes.

Creatures of the Deep

The MPAA rating for the above pic is PG-13.
These gigantic beauties need to be transformed into some tempura ASAP.
'Nuff said.


Please recognize that I am endangering life and digit for this photo-op. This ninja's alive and kickin'.

Now That's What I'm Talking About!

Nothing's better than having some gigantic shrimp tempura soup for breakfast at a sidewalk restaurant after visiting the biggest seafood market in the world!

I would later find out that the Portuguese introduced the art of tempura to Japan in the 16th century!

Return of the Engrish

Sometimes you just have to let a picture do all the f-ing talking.

The First of Many Temples

This buddhist temple that we visited in Tokyo was quite a splendid sight.

Unlike temples that we would later visit in other cities, this is a current place of worship and not a museum or tourist site of sorts.

Pachinko: One of the many Mysteries of Japan

Best described as an unholy union between a pinball machine and a slot machine, Pachinko is as widespread as it is elusive. Yes, it IS quite a paradox.

Adam and I tried to play it once and -- upon depositing our coins -- saw a plethora of tiny balls come chiming in, bounce around, and then disappear forever leaving us -- and the machine -- in a silent darkness.

We never did figure out how to play (and more importantly why?).

Who Needs an iPhone?

0.27 inches thick.

'Nuff said.

This Man should be in Magazine Ads!

Patrick proudly displaying a can of Bubble Man II that I talked him into drinking.

Never did ask him how it tasted. On an unrelated note, Patrick hasn't talked to me since that day :)

Harajuku, pt. 1

For those that may not know, Harajuku is the area of Tokyo known for youth fashion and is very popular among tourists. American pop acts such as Gwen Stefani have referenced Harajuku in their songs.

We found some delicious crepe desserts that seemed to be very popular. There were long lines at multiple stands where people waited feverishly to get their hands on these delectable goodies.