Tokyo Adventure with Andy, Margaret, and Corrie

To kick off the weeklong vacation, Corrie made the trek down to the Tokyo area. Andy "Dice" and Margaret "Mags" and I met up with her.

We had a wander around the Imperial Palace first. Everything was closed, so it was pretty uneventful. We got some dinner at an Izakaya somewhere. We weren't lost, but we didn't really know where we were. We saw Tokyo Tower in the distance and decided to go to the top.Tokyo Tower is a big TV antenae that is a replica of the Eifel Tower in Paris. Halfway up was a viewing area slash club. I use the term "club" loosely. There was a DJ playing some slammin hits, like Christina Aguiera and Celine Dion. Luckily he stopped playing at some point. Good views, but they charge 800 yen to go up halfway, then another 600 yen to go to the very top. I know I'm being cheap, but it all adds up!

After the tower, we were planning on going to Mag or Dice's place to sleep and go to some shrines the next day. All well and good... but Roppongi was so close! I called up my buddy Eric and said we were near and that we required beer mixed with a dash of cheap clubs, and he was on it. We hit up a few random free places for some drinks, nothing spectacular, just beer and chats, then we went to Vanilla. Vanilla is a club. It's 3000 yen to get in, but if you ask the guy on the street, he'll give foreigners a 1000 coupon that also includes 2 free drinks. It was a crowded, but fun club with 3 dance areas. Techno, hip hop, and another techno area. We danced, the girls got groped by scummy guys, it was fun. We wandered out with the sun in our faces all a bit drunk at 5am.

I wore a tank top under my shirt this day, and it was really hot in Tokyo so I went sleeveless for a bit. I'm not one to show off my tattoos, but the weather forced it. I got a lot of comments, all positive, from all sorts of people. Old ladies, bouncers, random Gaijin and Nihonjin alike. Tattoo has always been very taboo in Japanese society. There is the stereotype that only yakuza have large colorful imagery on their bodies, but I really don't think people are dumb enough to think I am a yakuza or wanna-be yakuza. Actually, I have yet to hear any negative comment directed towards me about the tattoos, though most Japanese probablly wouldn't say anything to "save face." Oh, and I have my first "regret" about my tattoos! I can never wear short sleeve dress shirts to work, and its fucking humid up in Japan! Lolz omg wtf...