| Objective: | Status |
| 1. Eat Japanese Food |
Failed Acquired stomach virus on first night, resulting in an array of geros (vomiting) and geris (diarrhea) coupled by fever that lasted until the last day of my trip. fuck. |
| 2. Work |
Success Did roughly 30 hours of test grading to offset the cost of my russian airlines ticket since my visa was still valid. Russian airlines turned out to be satisfactory and only slightly ghetto. No TVs on the seats in front of you, or beer available, but still, respect for flying me in the air in a chair there and back. |
| 3. Hang with Friends |
Success Largely successful despite lack of mobile phone. I should have rented a phone at the airport for the week. Instead I inquired at the AU/Docomo/Softbank shops in Shinjuku. Softbank had the best deal, but it still would have been 4500 to purchase the phone, 1000 yen for the charger, and then 3000 yen of credit on top of that. Not worth it for one week. |
| 4. Buy boxer shorts |
Failed |
| 5. Transfer Money Home |
Success Transferred the remaining money in my Japanese Shinsei bank account back home using the Japanese post office. They only charge 2500 yen (same as golloyds, but golloyds has a long registration process to get an account). |
Managed to sneak uncensored amateur czech pron mags into the country through the airport to give to my Japanese friend as a souvenir, despite getting my bag checked at the airport.
Observations:
1. Fewer Gyaru (gal)
The gal breed of Japanese human being seems to be dying. Much more of the oshare (luxurious) type girls than tanned gal mentalcases. I didn't encounter a single yamanba the entire time.
I wanted to buy the illustrious Egg Magazine, but couldn't even find it on convenience store shelves. I had to buy NUTS instead. ZAN NEN
2. Fewer Gaijin
There were fewer foreigners. I heard that a lot of the French left following the radiation threat. Others I'm sure have left too. Can't really decisively say leaving is unreasonable. My testes may have been radiated.
3. Fewer Lights
Increased efforts to save energy = fewer lights in urban areas such as Shinjuku. While I used to enjoy seeing the dazzling walls of brilliant advertisements lining Tokyo streets, I understand the effort to save energy. Ganbare nihon.
4. Chicks Less Hot to Me
When I lived in Tokyo for four years, I was into Japanese chicks. I live in Europe now, and so does my wong, so to speak. I would have never thought that my tastes would change so radically, but I guess the male wong is fairly adaptive and openminded. I found that a lot of the girls I would have previously oogled at were in fact really artificial looking, with their natural human faces covered by layers of make up and other "beauty" products. Chicks still dressed radly, though, e.g. like hookers.
It was fresh to be able to walk in Tokyo again and wear whatever you want. You'd have to wear some seriously tweaked shit to be regarded as a freak.
5. Many Businesses Folded
It seems like many companies have gone under in the past two years. I went to visit my favorite teishoku restaurant (teishoku is like a "set" meal that usually includes a main dish, rice bowl, pickled side, and miso soup) in Eifukuchou, only to find out that the place had closed down. I used to visit it twice a week, even though 1/3 of the time I ate there gave me diahhrea. It was called "天高大森", basically meaning "Heavenly Sized Portions" by with different characters because it was run by Morimoto, a wrestling-loving giant. Now the place is gone has been replaced by some fucking scarf store.
6. Everyone has an iPhone
Sixty percent of my friends in Tokyo, regardless of their social class, were rocking iPhones, gaijin and Japanese alike. Flipping through photos, totally engrossed in it. I could barely even have a conversation with them. I'm still holding out.
sayonara