Our First Weekend in Tokyo

We had almost no time to recuperate from our interview and day of travel when Chris arrived home ready to hit the town.  We hopped on a train bound for Shibuya, the heart of Tokyo nightlife.  We brought with us a backpack full of clothes and toiletries, knowing we'd be out far later than midnight, the time most of the trains shut down for the night.  Just outside Shibuya Station, near the busiest intersection in the world, we met Chris' girlfriend Yoko and friend Matt.  We wound through the busy side streets of Shibuya, surrounded by buildings bursting with innumerable vibrant signs.  The combination of the darkened sky and the tall, glowing buildings creates the illusion that you are not actually outside, but rather in a cave decorated exclusively in neon.

Shibuya at night

We met another one of Chris' friends at a restaurant and had a quick bite to eat in order to prepare for the evening's main event: karaoke.  I must now make a very important distinction between Japanese karaoke and its sickly US cousin.  In Japan, karaoke is a popular activity enjoyed by many people.  It is a time to lose your inhibitions (alcohol helps), belt out some classic tunes, and build comradery.  We passed countless karaoke joints on the way to our destination.  Did I mention karaoke is big here?  We stopped at a convenience store to purchase drinks and were soon on our way.

Chris and me singing.  A Disney duet, most likely.

We signed up for a two hour session that quickly grew to four hours.  In Japan, parties book small, insulated karaoke rooms that are outfitted with all the equipment one could ever desire.  The night flew by as our group sang everything from Journey's "Don't Stop Believin" to "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from Disney's The Lion King.  I'm sure it wasn't the creators original intent, but Disney songs are the best karaoke songs.  The highlight of my night was singing "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast at the top of my lungs, joined by a room full of old and new friends, all of us at that special level of inebriation that renders all of life's problems insignificant.

Left to right: Matt, Jessica, Kathleen, Brad

Before we knew it, it was 4am.  We took a cab back to Matt's place in Meguro and hit the inflatable mattresses.  The next day didn't start 'til after noon (for obvious reasons), but I'll let Kathleen explain it in the next entry.