Ok here are some mails to friends I have sent out. Please excuse any badmouthing ect. as these are private emails.
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Well I just had a walk around Ueno park and the surrounding area and took a few shots with the camera that I have attached.
It is such a different world over here that it is hard to explain. The atmosphere is really cool and there are so many things to grab your attention. Most of the people in the park viewing the cherry blossoms were drinking sake and beer so I joind in for about and hour then took a walk down to the shops.
I have not slept since 6am Friday but still feel wide awake. what a cool city.
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Hi there guys. I just thought I would give you an update.
I have been in Japan since Saturday and I am staying just by Ueno park in NE Tokyo. I have to say that is a massive culture shock that I am struggling to overcome due to the language.
I know only very basic Japanese and as a result I am quite shy about using it. The locals are great though and very helpful even though I cant read a darn thing !
I spent Saturday afternoon (yes the same day I arrived) in Ueno park enjoying the cherry blossoms with the locals which was a great feeling, I had to pinch myself a few times as it did not feel real, the fact that I was now sitting in Tokyo.
I eventually gathered the courage to do some essential shopping and managed to find shampoo, shower gel, shaving cream and soap. I also managed to get coffee, milk, sugar and a cup and flask WOOHOOO! You may laugh but all of the packaging is in Japanese so I might have bought dog shampoo.
I am constantly asking myself if I am doing the right thing, as living in a totally foreign country with no language skills is a massive struggle. I cant tell you how many times I have felt like changing my return flight to a closer date but I keep reminding myself that it is only a challenge and one that I should accept seeing as how I made it for myself.
I have yet to find a place to eat that I can become a local at, I think I ordered horse meat and chicken shin!!! on a skewer although I cant be sure what it was. It is amazing what you will try when you dont know what it is. I think I am going to find a maid cafe so the pretty maids can take my mind off of the menu
and I guess they will give me good dreaming material.
I managed to buy a Suica, which is a prepaid travel card all by myself so the next main task is to get a mobile phone although the shear choice makes this a daunting prospect.
On Tuesday I might try using a bathhouse which is a same sex naked type affair that involves giving yourself a good scrubdown before enjoying a long soak in a communal bath fed by hot springs. I am not too sure about doing this but what better way to meet the locals.
I'm going to sign off now and practise some basic Japanese as I really do need to.
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Hello all.
Spent today in Akihabara. The PC shops are mental x 10, they can sort you out with anything PC wise and all top notch too. I bought some robot bits from a robot shop no less and there are 5 robot shops within 200 meters, they are punctuated by various maid cafes with some damn hot maids with squeaky voices calling you "master" COOL!
I must have spent 5 hours and a shot load of money in a five story arcade (fifty quid at least). Every floor revealed new temptations and I ended up getting this Japanese guy to coach me on a mad video game, he was using his phone to do translations on the internet and hitting buttons for me. Allot of the games require you to buy a smart card that you insert to keep a record of your level-ups and scores and some games use pokemon type cards on a intelligent surface to play the game.
I then went into a store devoted to all things Anime/Manga and film. FIVE FLOORS OF IT. One whole floor for anime figures, one for robot/gundam figures one for sexy figures and the top floor was for cosplay with maid and schoolgirl outfits. I have never ever seen anything like it. I had to sit down for a while when I found my way out as my brain was overloaded with all that goodness.
Next I found a vintage console shop with every console and even brand new cartridges and spare parts, It was stacked high with vintage goodies of every description and the top floor was dedicated to ancient arcade tables, all playable.
The electronics shops are the nuts too. They do a better job then RS and offer a shocking selection of tools and components. I dont know what the Japanese build in their spare time but they will never need for parts. I even found a shop selling valves of every type and some of them were fetching over 200 quid.
Well thats it for now.
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On a whim I got directions to the local bath house (sento) from the local police box. The policeman spoke good English but I tried to do the conversation in Japanese and I did it.
I ended up one street too far and asked a guy on a bike where the sento was and he kindly took me there.
I went through the front door and knew from reading about it to take my shoes off and put them in a locker, unfortunately I wound up going thorough the woman's door and was quickly told to use the other door by the desk Clerk.
I paid my entrance fee and entered the dressing room full of naked Japanese men and proceeded to go native. I picked my locker and disrobed taking my locker key with me into the washroom. It was then I realised i had no soap (to drop) or towel so I ended up asking the locals where i could find them. They laughed and joked and eventually pointed me in the direction of the desk clerk, who for a fee supplied me with the appropriate goods.
I grabbed my goods (not those) and made my way back to the washroom, grabbed my stool and bucket and tried again. the water was supplied hot and cold and fast flowing, so I got a good soap up and scrub down and rinsed myself off and made for the hot spring bath.
Let me tell you something I have always known. Women seem to tolerate hot water more then men. This was born out when i tentatively immersed myself in the hot spring water. F$CK was it hot. It was hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hot hothothothot!!!! Fortunately I know how to cuss in Japanese too the enjoyment of my fellow bathers I cussed quite allot. After about 4 minuets I had too remove myself to the washroom and douse myself in much less hot water.
I think that I am going to do this in stages as after an hour and a half my legs and feet are still stinging (women may know better then me) but I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, just that I feel mildly cooked.
BTW I dropped the soap (over 3 meters at one point) and had no trouble from the natives, perhaps this is a western thing?
All the best.
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***I included pictures with these posts so some context may be lost***