Harajuku and Shinjuku for an afternoon

crazy posers in harajuku

Random Observation/Comment #58: People in Harajuku are just desperate for attention; I think they’re doing it in the most disturbing way possible – these freaks that don’t care if they’re shmoiling as long as they look badass (and they do look pretty badass).

After Akihabara, RJ and I went to meet up with the rest of group for dinner.Finding someone in Harajuku is a lost cause because the streets are too busy and crowded.Everyone walking around fit into two categories: gothic freaks wearing all black/white with chains, and tourists taking pictures of gothic freaks wearing all black/white with chains.We fit into the latter category.The exit of the train station facing the street with the large crowd of people looked like a large distraction.It’s like people only walk that way because there are so many people walking that way, which makes more people walk in this vicious cycle of confused tourists looking for more rockabilly picture moments.

Instead of getting uncomfortably squashed around following the very tempting shopping path, I suggest walking towards the bridge near the performers and posers.They sit around talking about how cool they are or some shyt like that.I think they try to look as embarrassed as possible, as if this were not a regular occurrence and they’re being misunderstood in their actions.If this incorrect, please enlighten me: Why do you dress up like this and sit in a group, smiling at some pictures and hovering around in your little circles?I mean, are you talking about politics or some foreign affairs?Or would an intense conversation just ruin your image of this badass rocker or cute little maid?Please excuse my criticism and continue following this routine so others can benefit from your oh-so self-sacrificing love of the poser image.Rock on.

The zoo was entertaining for a few pictures, but we eventually moved on in the hot weather to the shrine and toris around the park.It was so hot and muggy that we had to stop half-way through the walk and grab a beer at the restaurant.“Nama o futatsu,” or “two draft beers,” became a very common saying this trip.The walk to Shinjuku was underestimated, but I did wind up buying orange juice and drinking it from a straw out of a carton.I felt pretty ghetto, but I just said, “Word life, New York status” and everything was alright.They recognized.

Shinjuku station is ridiculously big.Think of the Macy’s in the city having a train station in the middle of it.You have a 5 minute walk from one side to another and the top floor is covered in girls’ clothes.Meeting a group is quite difficult when there are multiple exits, but we managed to locate the meeting destination.To get a better view of the only JR exit on this side, we went to the top of the overpass and looked over the lockers to the sea of people below.Although we were looking for a Japanese girl leading some Australian girls, we kept getting distracted by the cute groups of Japanese girls that never stopped exiting the gates.

Dinner was not quite dinner because we went to a bar-type place on the roof of the station/mall.We bought pitchers of beer and ate beer snacks (fries, fried chicken, and bite-sized stuff).The novice drinker had quite a stomach.He impressively drank a pitcher and a half in under an hour and didn’t upchuck.Since the drinking started at 8PM, he was already out by 9.This is the problem with new drinkers – they don’t understand that the purpose of drinking is not to get drunk.The purpose of drinking is to more enjoyably speak with friends and joke around.If you forget the night because you passed out in front of a Walmart, you drank too much.There were worse things that could have been done to RJ to teach him this lesson, but I think a few pictures should be okay.I think he’ll just need more experience in the matter.

Since I drank the same amount as him, but in the span of two hours, I had a nice buzz (but the room wasn’t spinning) when visiting one of the towers for night sight-seeing.The view was a little difficult to capture with the camera because of the glare from the well-lit tourist area behind, but you would remember it if you were there (and not really drunk).Thank you, Yuka, for taking care of him.Fancy pants J.

~See Lemons Drink Sociably

That's what happens when you don't pace yourself