Santa flew 23 missions over North Korea
I know all three of you out there are waiting for photos and videos and stories about my trip to Japan. I'm just not up to it right now. I did take notes though. Here they are, unedited and without comment.
Japan diary
Day 1
Snow in Seattle. 10 hours in an Airbus folded in half. Train ride from Narita to Tokyo listening to Pizzicato 5. Snow amongst the cacophany of lights and noise in Ueno. It's a Blade Runner Christmas. Dinner at C&C curry house. Snacks from 7-11. Home to bed.
Day 2
Wake early, look at shrine. Eat at McDonalds. Check out Lawson. Rest. Motorcycle City. Corin closed. Get brochures at bike shop. Akihabara. Sore feet. Gamers, Animate, Toranoana, doujins, figures. Yamanote line. Little kushi-katsu restaurant for dinner. Cheap oversized watch. Beer.
Day 3
Breakfast at McDonalds. Walk to Akihabara to shoot video. Metro subway to Shibuya. First taste of packed subway cars. Talked to cop at Shibuya policebox who spoke perfect English. R246. Walk to Shinjuku Gyoen. Lots of walking to and in Shinjuku. Lotteria. Back to hotel for afternoon nap. Walk to Coco Ichiban interrupted by guys with video camera for chat. After Coco walk to Akihabara. Buy Yurie, Hazuki, Yomi figures.
Day 4
McDonalds. Ueno Park. Nap. Wait for Yoshimi. Subway to Shinjuku to meet Beni. McDonalds. Train to Ikebukuro. Train to Kichijoji. Beer in Kichijoji Park. Beer at The Hub English pub in Kichijoji. Me, John, Yoshimi, Beni, Akane. Lots of beer. Train home.
Day 5
Traditional Japanese breakfast at hotel restaurant. Shinkansen to Kyoto. Taxi to apartment. Saw Ferrari 250GTO, Bugatti EB110, and Aston Martin DB3 on the way there. Little 8 tatami mat room. Lunch at Micheles. Walk down Kamogawa. Shop at Vivre supermarket. Walk home. Nap. Go downtown and see band Picture Perfect performing on street corner, buy CD. Go to Gael. Drink cider. Talk with Shoji-ojisan. Walk to King Britt for beer. Two grabby boozy guys. Meet Takashige and Tomioka at One Love bar where they play guitar. "Japanese classic!" Six-Gun Tommy. Gave him my hat. "Taisetsuna." Cab home. Sunkus.
Day 6
Slept late. Walk to Kamogawa Shrine. Wedding party. Lunch at Ohsho. Nap. St. Patrick's party at Hill of Tara. Crazy Dave and Mayumi. Daz. New York Tom. Gen-san from ancient samurai family. Stuart and Junko. Genta aka Gen-chan. Cute girl gave me a hug and wouldn't let go. "Good luck." Moved to McLaughlins. More beer. Stewart, Junko, Gen-san, Gen-chan, Daz, Chihiro. Home.
Day 7
Breakfast at Bar Cafezinho run by Mori. Walk around neighborhood. Back to apartment to rest. Dinner at Ohsho. Back to apartment. Watch Peter Graves double feature. Heavy rain.
Day 8
Late breakfast at Freshness Burger at Kitaoji station. Bus to Ginkakuji temple. Walk down Philosopher's Walk. Buy scarf from Kayoko. Small shop for snack and rest room. Nanzenji. Lake Biwa Aquaduct. Walk into town. Girl with sweater that displayed her breasts walking dog. Strike out at Book Off. Lunch at First Kitchen. Walk length of Teramachi shopping area. Full of shops and temples. Animate. Buy Fujieda manga. Shop with Japan and Kyoto patches. Bus back to apartment. Nap. Tried post office for more money. Half success. Dinner at ramen shop. Back to apartment to kick back with Azumanga Daioh and Wild Women of Wongo.
Day 9
Late start. Lunch by myself at Ohsho. Nap. Long walk down river to downtown. Drinks at The Hub waiting for Stuart. Drinks with Stuart and Junko. Kaiten sushi. Ate horse bacon sushi. Dropped off LPs with Hako at Ing. More beer. Train home.
Day 10
Supposed to go to Nara and visit The Housewives, but stayed in the apartment due to blistered foot and general lethargy. Bus to Beni's for dinner. House is traditional but run down, set into a hillside behind a shrine. Wilkinson ginger ale and vodka. Caught last bus home.
Day 11
Train to bank to check on funds. Wait for an hour on downtown street corner looking at cars. Train to Arashiyama and Sagano. Soba for lunch at little shop. Walked through bamboo groves. Visited Tenryuji shrine. Bought postcards of original art from great Oji-san. Found Sagano site from GT4. Walked down stone staircase to small park. Rested. Walked down to river. Visited Togetsukyo bridge. Took Keifuku streetcar back to town. All new stuff for John. Many photos and videos. Walked across Kyoto to Mos Burger for dinner. Mos rice burger. Walk to Gion, look for and find GT4 side street. Lots of photos. Walk to Hub for beer. Take bus home. Stood all the way. Beer, chips, MST at apartment.
Day 12
Late start. Lunch at Nipponichi ramen shop. Subway to town. Tezuka museum. Higashihonganji temple. Go to top of Big Stairs at Kyoto Station for view and rest. Jacked up by the man while waiting for Thom near Astro Boy statue. Girl with hair below her knees. Sake bar. Fukurodori, Nigori, Juyondai. Chicken, scallops, tuna and beef sashimi. Exchanging sake. Invisibly awesome. Meet Shin and Ikuko playing with dog named Hanako. Go to 1 Coin standing bar. Beer in rain. Leave Thom and go to King Britt. Meet Beni. More beer. Taxi home.
Day 13
Rest day while John goes to Kobe for date. Walked to store. Came home. Watched MST3K.
Day 14
Another late start. Walk to MK Taxi for all-you-can-eat buffet lunch. Rude postal workers. Walk north along river. Tightest parking job ever. Walk back to MK for facilities. Check out used car dealership. Walk around neighborhood near MK to look at cars and houses. Rest near bamboo grove. See 117 coupe for 470,000¥. Drug store for sodas. Back to apartment for rest. Walk to Vivre for dinner. Long walk back home via Lawson 100.
Day 15
Bus to Kiyomizudera. Meet Michiru, a fan of John's singing, on the bus. Climb mountain to Kiyomizudera in rain. Stop for tea, rest and a look up a beautiful goth's short skirt. Walked all around shrine in the rain. Got omikuji, did the love rock thing, drank the water at the spring, tried (and failed) to lift the heavy iron thing. Lunch at Ohsho. Walk around Teramachi shopping district. Bus home.
Day 16
Walk to Kinkakuji in the rain. Photos and video of Golden Pavilion in the rain. Epic quest for a western style toilet in the rain. Walk to McDonald's in the rain. Split up. I went home in the rain. John went to downtown in the rain to buy tickets back to Tokyo. He then went to Beni's place for sento and dinner. Spent the night there. I had a bad stomach.
Day 17
Still have a bad stomach. John returned to the apartment. Begged out of sake night with Gen and Genta. Did a little grocery shopping. Staying in. Genta surprised us with a visit, bringing food and medicine for my stomach. Slept afternoon away. Rain slacked off so went for short walk down river and back. River flowing heavy, swollen with rain. Visit from landlord. Due to miscommunication we are one day short on rent. Will have to pay when we return.
Day 18
Short of funds. Check wallet and find $66. Walk down river. Play with dogs. Stop at bank to exchange $ to ¥. Get taiyaki and takoyaki. Walk to Kyoto Gyoen National Garden. Little kid sets off alarm at castle. Relax in rest building. Walk around Saionji estate on castle grounds. Buy biwa ema for house. Cross bridge at Kujo estate. Manga museum. Walk underground parking lot to curry restaurant in underground mall. Walk around town. Get book covers at Animate. Muji department store. Karaoke too expensive. Rest at Seattle's Best Coffee. Walk all over the shopping districts. Finally find Gamers. Go to 1 Coin Standing Bar, the absolute last place my aching feet want to be. Meet Kevin. Ross, a random Canadian joins us. Stuart and Junko finally arrive. Leave Ross. Ramen at Ippudo. Back to 1 Coin for a final beer. Back to apartment.
Day 19
John got paid. Packed up and left apartment. Taxi to Kyoto station. Search for locker big enough for luggage. Trains to Ichijoji. Lunch at Speakeasy. Visit Tom's bar. Meet Kenichi from John's old band. Train to Hieizan. Cable car. Rope car. Meet dad, mom and daughter making the long walk up from abandoned ski lodge. Gave them energy drinks. They gave us chocolate. Walking group. Clay discs. Back down the mountain. Train to Demachiyanagi. Eat at Falafel Garden. Subway to Gael Irish Pub. Crazy Dave. Miyuki, Hiromi and Nadine. Beni. Taxi to station. Catch night bus to Tokyo
Day 20
Cramped on bus. Sleep fitfully. Catch train to Narita. Check bags in. Breakfast at McDonalds. Find place to charge phones. Hanging out at airport looking at shops. 8 hours later, finally on plane, folded lengthwise.
Day 21
Flight home was much quicker. Retirement flight for Captain Robert Boyd. First flew in 1974. Flight went quickly. Arrived at airport expecting to have day off. Turns out I'm working. Welcome home.
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