On the train alone,
Chinese food and friendship await,
in stations and streets.
Fukurō my Prince,
Ikebukuro is yours,
lead your Parliament.
Today I ventured out into Tokyo to meet an old friend, Yuko. This was the first time I took the train alone and it felt quite good to independently find my way to a prominent meeting point. Ikebukuro Station is incredibly daunting though. Within the station itself there are 3 department stores, 8 floors and a basement. and about as much as I've seen in entire cities for dining options. It is absolutely necessary to use maps inside of the stores to navigate everything they have to offer. I feel like if this stationw as classified differently it might rival West Edmonton Mall in terms of size.
I actually blew right past the intended meeting point, but Yuko managed to spot me and race after me (I was easier to spot among (perhaps above) the crowd than most). Ikefukurō-zō, or the Owl Statue by Higshigucki, was where we were supposed to meet, but the statue was surrounded by people so I missed it Read more about it here http://bashoandfukuro.blogspot.jp/p/about-fukuro.html The Owl's command over the hordes of people shows up in my reference to a parliament of owls in today's second haiku.
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