07/12 - Memories

Squeeze in what you can

making summer's moments count

for time is fleeting 


Today I took my dad to some of the most interesting areas in the heart of Tokyo, that are within walking distance. First off we headed to Shibuya and met up with my friend Tasuku. Tasuku visited my dad in Calgary when he was in Canada, after volunteering in Banff for a while, so they were both excited to meet up with each other in Tokyo. We met at the Hachiko Statue and it was a really nice moment for all of us. My dad got to walk across the famous crossing with us and we carried on around the streets of Shibuya. We went to a crazy comic book store, called Mandrake, which my friend Simon had recommended. It was very cool. They had so many weird toys and aisles and aisles of comic books and collectibles. Sadly, they didn't have any Samurai Pizza Cats merchandise. Something I was really hoping to find in Japan but that has proved difficult to come across. After that we went to a cool sports shop, where my nose started to bleed. I only mention it because of how helpful all the people around were. In Canada I'm pretty sure they would just be paranoid about you bleeding on expensive sports gear.

Next, we walked to/through Yoyogi Park. It was a nice walk but it was so humid it was a bit hard to enjoy. We did get to have a nice chat and Tasuku and my dad got to catch up as we strolled. When we got to the other side we headed into Meiji Shrine to show it to my dad. Inside, Tasuku showed my dad how to clean his hands ceremonially and prepare to make a wish, as he had showed me around two months ago. It was very nice. I also got to pass on information that Tasuku and Tom taught me when they took me there to my dad.

After Meiji Shrine we entered Harajuku and showed my dad around the crazy shops there. Then we all had a crepe at perhaps the most famous crepe shop in Tokyo. It was really good. Mine even had a piece of cheesecake inside of it. We sat on a bench and enjoyed both the delicious treat and having a seat after a lot of walking.

After that the three of us headed to Shinjuku to meet up with my good friend Yoshi. A different Yoshi than I have written about before I should add. Yoshi was my student in Vancouver and we also played soccer together. He also went to Rikkyo University until a couple years ago and played soccer for the school. It's really cool that I teach at his alma mater. Once we found each other in the absurdity of the crowds of Shinjuku Station, we headed for some food. Tasuku and Yoshi took us to "Omeide yokocho", or "Memory Street/Lane". On the way Yoshi cracked me up with a joke about Oscar the Grouch and I couldn't stop laughing. It was really nice to see him in Tokyo, especially because he now lives in Nagoya but always lived in Tokyo until recently. I was really glad he could make the trip and visit. "Omeide yokocho" was immediately cool. It is a street packed with tons of old style Izakayas. They all have very little seating and are very narrow. They also are known for being the style of izakayas and buildings in Tokyo 50 or 60 years ago. We had a nice meal after squeezing our way upstairs in one of the places. My dad and I were definitely too large to comfortably get through the place and up the stairs and Yoshi was carrying a suitcase with him. To get an idea of how small they are, every place on the street shares a washroom that is near the end of about 40 different restaurant/bars.

Following our trip down "Memory Lane" we went to a different, more standard, izakaya and then to an Irish pub. My dad being Irish and Yoshi recently having studied in Cork it seemed fitting to have a Guinness before the night was over. I had a fantastic day and it was really nice spending time with Yoshi and Tasuku, who, both ex-students of the same school in Vancouver but never having met before, hit it off very nicely.