今日の日本語の言葉: eki (駅) - station
This word is brought to you by the thoughts that have been running through my head. Every station that I've passed on the train that I've actually gotten off at before or have heard about have been developing their own personalities. ^_^"
Today was quite an average day until the evening. I woke up, ate breakfast, and chatted with Anna. We wrote, discussed Hokkaido and a few other things we might want to do, and then I left for school. Not much generally changes in the morning because all the interesting things in Tokyo generally happen from 11:00 onward, which makes it difficult, since I have school starting at 1:25. That might seem like a lot of time to you guys, but if you guys have actually been on the train in Tokyo, getting between stops is faster than anywhere else, but there are still plenty of stops in between all the interesting places and school.
When I got to school, I immediately pulled out my sketchbook and started drawing. My teachers have gotten used to the fact that I draw (which is something I'm not even used to yet, considering I really don't do it that often; I just happened to have gotten back into it right as school began, so that's all people know). They got a kick out of the fact that I was drawing the stations, and Taguri sensei (today's regular class sensei) even took some time to tell me about some other interesting stations when she had free time. We had a test, and I finished in about ten minutes, so the rest of the time was spent drawing or talking to Taguri sensei about various stations. My mind is going crazy with ideas, and I hope you don't mind that I pour them all out right here.
After school, I went to Harajuku with Saya. My host family was having dinner at a friend's house, so it was either I went out with friends, or I went home and hung out alone. We've been meaning to go to Harajuku anyways, so this was the perfect opportunity. All the stores on Omotesando (the main shopping road of Harajuku that I've taken pictures of before) close at 8:00, though, so we really didn't have much time.
I'm just going to do a general summary here and let the pictures speak for themselves. Harajuku is a very fashionable area, full of weird and quirky ideas, and obviously I had to take part in it myself. Thus, what follows is a collection of the cool and interesting things I've found. The place is so interesting that this is my third time there, on the same exact road, and I still had a blast discovering so many new things.
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| I wanted this whole collection! |
Harajuku has a neverending line of umbrellas. If you ever need a cute state of the art umbrella, this is where you go to find it. And if you know me, you know I never get tired of umbrella (and rice, and noodles). So Harajuku is so perfect for me in many ways (you'll see later why it's even more perfect). I find that one bear umbrella holder a bit creepy though, since it doesn't actually have a face...
I went into Claire's, finally, to see what it was about. All I have to say is that it's so different here than it is in America (or at least on the east coast). There would be no way they would be selling chains, collars, and Christmas clothing like that in American stores. What I find interesting is that Japan (or at least Tokyo) seems to have less of a problem with revealing legs and even a bit of butt than with revealing cleavage. You can reveal the former without the latter, and have no problems, but if you do it the other way around, even a little, you get interesting looks. Why is that?
I walked by this place that advertised apple pie milk tea. Of course, I had to ask what it was, and it turns out it really is apple pie in milk tea. I didn't have money on me at the time, though, so I couldn't try it. I'll definitely be back to do so before the season ends though. How could I not? It's one of those things where it could be amazingly delicious or utterly terrible—and I have to find out.
Japanese bags are so interesting and so cute. They like their bags looking like candy and books, which are two things I like when done well (and in Harajuku, it definitely is done well). That little book of a wallet is especially adorable, and I just kind of wanted the whole set of book looking things. Wouldn't that just be so cool?
I decided that I needed some money, so we wandered in search of an ATM (I had some money at home, but hadn't placed it in my wallet when I left that morning). We didn't find one that worked (my card works best at post offices), but I did find a cool looking wall, the swankiest Mc Donald's I have ever seen, and a 7/11 that sells cups of ice! Why don't they do that in America? I can't tell you how many times I've been asked for cups of ice while working at Momogoose or Pinkberry. Sheesh!
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| Swanky shoes for a swanky Mc Donald's |
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| Such cute toys for the happy meal! I want mini smiling taiko drums! |
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| This is directly for Anna, who I think would get a kick out of "Ishi" so chill |
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| This is what Arashi would look like as old men. So perfect and amazing (especially Matsu-Jun on the bottom) |
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| Welcome to the hallway of hot men. |
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| Arashi is so funny sometimes. Why the hell are they dressed as popcorn? xD |
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| I don't know who this is, but he's so adorable. I hope he's an actor so I can go home and watch his things. |
In the same store, I found Arashi members watching over me like the wonderful bad-dancing sweet singing angels they are as they hung there from the ceiling, and a poster of some Korean actor who looks, to me, exactly like what Asian Robert Pattinson would look like. Tell me that isn't the case. He's even got the pursed lips look down.
When we finally left that store (I want to go back so badly; I never want to leave), we headed over to the backpack and bags store across the street, which looked so cute from the outside. I wasn't disappointed when we got inside either, and I found what has to be two of the cutest wallets I have ever seen. One is a London double decker, which sang out in sweet tones to the Anglophile within me, and the other was a mini old-style briefcase, which sang out to the steampunk lover within me. This store was heaven too! I was so sad I didn't have any money (and that I already have a great wallet which Aaron got me. Maybe two... or three... wallets wouldn't be so bad... -_-"
After that store, it was 8:00, so everything was closing down. That meant that we had to leave, but on the way back out to the station, we at least could see some very cool art on doors and gates and stuff. Even when closed, Omotesando is so artsy and quirky, I love it!
We stopped by Doutor, which is a coffee chain here in Tokyo. Saya wanted some coffee, and I just wanted some water. Neither of us were really that hungry (we had gotten some snacks earlier in the evening from Vie de France), though that layered crepe cake really tempted me. If I go back to Harajuku (or if I encounter it elsewhere), I think I'll get it. It looks too good to pass off!
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| My camera decided to be artistic when I wasn't looking, and I suport its ambitions, so I'm keeping this picture. |
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| They have a sticker that warns you of heat as it also keeps it warm for you until you're ready to drink. =] |
I've also drawn Yoyogi-kun today, which is on the other side of Harajuku from Shibuya. Basically, Harajuku is between Yoyogi and Shibuya, in location and in their life background (I told you my imagination has been running wild). Yoyogi has been a musician from a very young age, and couldn't imagine doing anything else other than street performing at parks. On his spare time, he also weight lifts, and is especially good at baseball and running track, to the point where if he had a passion for either of them, he could actually go quite far.
He's been head over heels in love with Harajuku ever since freshman year of high school, and they've been best friends for as long as either of them could remember. Yoyogi knows more about Harajuku (and vice versa) than Shibuya knows about either of them, considering the guy was someone they both met only after entering high school. But the three of them quickly started getting along very well, and soon enough, Shibuya and Harajuku were going out. Yoyogi still curses his timid fear of ruining their relationship with a confession, and thus he lost his chance, but Shibuya's one of his best guy friends, so if Harajuku had to date anyone besides the guy himself, Yoyogi was glad it was Shibuya. They still get along very well, and are practically inseparable (like how when people I've talked to in Tokyo think of Shibuya, they also lump Harajuku and Yoyogi in there as well, as it works when they think about Harajuku, etc.).
I hope this gives you a greater idea as to what these stations are like in actuality. I try to capture their spirit as much as I can, though it's tough to lump so much together. I think that now I've drawn the Corner Trifecta (as I like to call them, since they're on a corner of the Yamanote line map when displayed on the train), I'm going to draw to other good friends, who are both good-looking, rich and fancy businessmen who try not to associate much with the Corner Trifecta but end up getting dragged into things with them anyways. See if you can guess who they are (and no, they're both not on the Yamanote (though they're both famous places known for businessmen and high end living)).
また明日、
マギー
Ishi so chill is still the play thing of the tobacco industry trying to get youngsters to think that smoking is cool!
ReplyDeleteAlso, there would probably be a backlash from customers in the US if retailers try to sell cups of ice. The populace has grown to expect ice to be free.
Nah... I don't think so. Matsumoto Jun (the guy's real name) is always adamantly against smoking. He was just acting in a play (I later found out) where he was trying to be a mob boss. So maybe? But Matsu Jun himself is completely against smoking, and so is Arashi.
DeleteYeah, America has grown to expect too many things to be free... -_-"