(Day 14) Helping Johnny Pay His Bills

NYE. The last day of the year. We’ve arrived. It’s a good time to reflect, no? 2010 began with slightly less than a *poof* in my parents farm house in snowy Manitoba. I was reading my old school diaries to my older sister who was laughing so hard I think she almost peed. It was pretty funny. The year itself was fairly uneventful – no job changes, home changes, friend changes – but I did discover where my next major stop in life is going to be. So while 2011 won’t be the year to bring that about either, it will come eventually. Also, I finished school this year, which is monumental. I get a least a few letters behind my name for that. But right now, I’m closing 2010 in this crazy city, so let’s focus on that for today.

We woke up this morning and casually discussed going to the major Johnny Countdown concert at Tokyo Dome tonight. And then we decided that we should go. It was that simple. Now the small matter to find some tickets… But first, ramen in Shibuya.




Oh Ichiran, let me have your babies.

After lunch, I bought the exact sweater I’m wearing as I write this (though it is actually Marty’s) and then we busted over to Harajuku to procure the aforementioned Johnny tickets. And I grabbed a crepe along the way just for the hell of it.





So…after wedging ourselves into Gorakudoh’s ticket shop (glorified scalpers) along with a bucket-load of tweens, we escaped with two overpriced tickets in hand. Instead of crowding around the display case, we went straight to the counter to buy. And so we beat everyone to the bunch. Hah! Suckas. Then we hunkered down for some Sutaba.




Whoooo! Johnny’s Countdown 2011, here we come!

We were still lazy bones, so we killed time at the killing-time parlour again.


Hallucinogenic qualities.

So eventually the hour arrived and we prepped for the long night ahead. Janelle was pondering our opportunities for imbibing alcohol and was attempting a stealthy sneak-in into the arena.


Good hiding spot. They’ll never notice it there.

So we headed to Suidobashi and followed the masses up and out onto the streets. We then had the foresight to grab snacks before heading inside, so we joined the 40-strong queue at Family Mart. But damn, they are fast. We were out in about five minutes. Then, into the dome.





As you can see, our noses were practically bleeding and we were in the first floor stands – there were two sections above us yet! Turns out they don’t care if you bring food and booze in – only cameras. Oh Johnny. The poor, poor girls who landed behind us must have been a total of four and a half feet tall…though they were a step above, we were still taller than them. They kept saying ‘mite nai!’ (‘I can’t see!’) Sorry, girls.





Now let me put things into context. I’ve been watching this countdown on the internet for a few years now and it really is the event of the year for this stable of Japanese male idols. Hence the inflated ticket prices. But this year had lost a certain ‘oomph’ because a bunch of groups weren’t in attendance. The screaming wasn’t any quieter though.




My baby, stuffed away at their concert in Osaka. They really needed to show more of them on the big screen.

The big moment arrived…



There it is – the first moments of 2011, rang in while breathing the same air as 60,000 other people. Yippee! But I was disappointed with the lack of hugging and general goodwill people show when a new year is born. How sterile these people are…but I hugged Janelle with abandon.


The reason for cheaper tickets this year. Thanks for not showing up, Arashi.


Cute!



Aaaaaand, scene. I didn’t get any close-ups of individual hotties because the zoom is really kind of sad on my lovely camera. And they were moving around wildly. And it was dark. And we were far. So, excuses. And then we all shuffled down to the subway to wait in the congestion for the single train that comes each hour. C’mon Tokyo. If you are going to run the trains all night, RUN ALL NIGHT.

Our next stop was Roppongi. Drunkards littered the streets and the train stations bathrooms were the grossest facilities I have ever encountered. And that’s saying a lot. Puke in the sinks, toilet paper and pee on the floor…if you’ve been to a public bathroom in Japan, you’ll know that this is quite a departure from the norm. Oh and ps, I was sick with a crazy-nasty cold that night and so I didn’t drink at all. And so I didn’t even have the alcohol to temper my grossed-outed-ness.

We headed to Lex to find a massive crowd brimming in every direction. I made it as far as the bar before I turned back and headed outside. Not a single person could move inside. Fire hazard! I was kind of crabby and so we just headed home. Well, not quite. We made it back to Akasaka and then searched for food. We found that Matsuya place which is ridiculously cheap, but the food was crap. Oh well. Happy New Year.

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(Day 5) Met _ _ _

Even after all these years of coming to Tokyo, 99 percent of the neighbourhoods in the city have yet to be explored. Of course they aren’t all interesting, but I’d been hearing about a cool little laid-back place among them for a while – Shimokitazawa – and I decided that today, my last lonely day, would be the day I make the journey on to the this little place along the Inokashira line. You know what? They were right…the place is hip but quiet. I think I’m going to like it here.





I just kind of wandered for a while down the road, checking out the branch of one of my favourite shops that had taken up residency in the area, Raw Vintage. Eventually I decided that I should try to rustle up some grub (lunch) and set about trying to find some ramen or something. I was going to stop in Shibuya on the way down to eat at Ichiran, but I didn’t want to actually walk around in Shibuya…but then Ichiran found me here, on one of the side streets in this little place.


It was like a mirage in the desert.




I’d never seen such an empty Ichiran. Best lunch of the day!


Rad sink. Ichiran has cool bathrooms on lock.

After wandering around for a while longer, through the Daiso and some forsaken second-hand shops, I decided to take the plunge and attempt a karaoke hour by myself. It was mostly a success, save for the poor girl at the front counter who had to deal with me. Sorry!



After singing until I was hoarse and a round of purikura, I was back on the train to Shibuya.




Notice my new Limi Feu jacket? I love it!





Wandering around Shibuya was harmless enough…until some guy decided that he was going to try and follow me around until I gave in and…actually, beyond getting a drink with him or meeting up with again in future days to come, I’m not sure exactly what he was hoping for. I was walking along, minding my own business, when I hear a “Hi.” I turn and see some 40-ish guy walking beside me. He proceeds to ask me the basic orientation questions about myself and then tells me about himself and then invites himself along with me as I shop. Ugh. I’m wayyy too nice so I told him he could come, but I guess I figured he’d actually have something of his own to attend to shortly? Wrong. I quickly tell him I’m shopping for my husband, but this doesn’t phase him – he tells me how lucky my husband to have such a nice/thoughtful/fashionable/beautiful wife and just doesn’t get the hint. I go through one department store in fairly short order and then give him his walking papers. I tell him I have to go meet my sister for dinner (lie) and asks in a sad voice if I don’t’ have time to go for a drink at all. I say no time (lie). He then asks about tomorrow. I say I’m busy (true). And then he asks about the whole rest of the days in my trip. I say completely busy (kind of true). I say bye and bolt. Unfortunately, being the blondest girl in sight doesn’t provide me with any advantage in this situation. I hide the back corner of a Family Mart until I figure I can sneak safely to the subway to make my getaway. I’m not sure if it worked, but if he saw me, he didn’t give pursuit. Although some may think it’s flattering, I just think ew. It’s only flattering if they are good-looking, isn’t it?



Janelle came over after 9 that evening and finally moved in for the duration of the trip. We headed over to Lex that night for Shawnda’s goodbye party and it was kind of a blur in hindsight.

Some boy told me that his 20-year-old buddy thought I was hot and was “interested” in me and I should go say hi. I did, but was dragged away and he kind of looked crushed. Sweet! Does this make me a cougar? Also, some boy with a Moët balloon around his neck tried to kiss me and told me his balloon was “cute”. Some guy with an LV necklace was so thrilled by me and my pitiful Japanese that he kept introducing me to different people as a novelty. We met Eiji who works at Mitsubishi who lied about his age so I wouldn’t think he was too old for my sister and who kept buying us drinks all night. We partied with Haylie who showed me the most reliable way into VIP. I met/stared at/touched Ryo. We said goodbye to Shawnda. And Taka was good to us, as usual. Maybe I should just move here. Can I sleep in the corner of the club or something?

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(Day 2) Like It's Her Birthday

I turned a year older 17 hours early…why on earth would I purposely do this? Because being in Tokyo is a killer way to celebrate. And celebrate we did, starting things off in Shinjuku, where we didn’t do anything except wander the streets (which are gloriously closed on Sundays) and have people trying to secretly take pictures of us in our fabulosity. We did make it to Isetan to enjoy their whimsical Christmas displays and eye-up their cute Chanel shoes but then caved and headed over to Takano Fruits Parlour for lunch buffet. Yum!




Birthday self!






All the baa-chans loading up on Christmas crap.













Holey crokinole can Japanese girls eat. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but GEEZE LOUIS. Whenever they’d put out a new tray of strawberry shortcake, girls would literally jump up and run to grab four or five, clearing the plate so the rest of us non-crazies can’t have any. So bizarre. We got our fill though – more than enough! Tasty.



After wandering in Shinjuku a bit more, I started to get stressed about making it to my concert on time, about a 15 minute train ride away. So I left two and a half hours early. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

I arrived at Suidobashi and the crowds were cray-zizzle. So as it turns out, there was not only a Johnny’s concert that night, but also a Korean boyband’s concert at a nearby hall. CUE THOUSANDS OF FEMALES CONGREGATING IN ONE PLACE. The lineups to any bathroom within a mile radius were enough to make one want to wet themselves. I kiiid. Oh, and there was also a group of people playing dress-up.






Eeeeeeeeeek!

Even walking was difficult. Screeches ringing from the rooftops. Why did I decide to spend my birthday like this again? Oh yeah, to see my boyfriend. Sigh. The things I do…

So I made it into the venue with little interference from the security dudes in the blue jackets. Much-worse looking than the security dudes from my last Johnny’s concert experience. I squeeeeeezed myself into my seat on the floor and noted that Kanjani8 fans are generally the unfashionable, sort of matronly-looking type females – of all age groups, I might add. Me being the exception in this case, of course.

Promptly at 6:00 PM, the fans stood up and started chanting. The lights went dim, the intro movie played, and from the ceiling, they descended. Cue retarded amounts of screaming. Johnny concert security people are militant about their ‘no pictures’ philosophy. Booze, drugs, guns, etc are okay, but cameras are not welcome. But…this is me, right? Don’t sue me Johnny, please. The first few were pretty awful as I wasn’t sure if I was being watched so I was shooting from the neck – literally.


Yep, nice view of the balcony and ceiling.





As you might have noticed from those shots (other than they are really abstract) is that the view from my neck was unobstructed. And how much better it was from my face! When the fans all stood up, once they had finished, I kept going…until I had reached a full foot above the crowd. Thanks, super-tall Jeffrey Campbell shoes and genetic disposition to increased height! I could almost hear the curses of the poor soul who was unfortunate to land the seat behind me…but they were in Japanese, so I didn’t understand.








Totally not sure what is up with the weird psychedelic screensaver-esque accents to the monitors. Ugliest.


















(Sorry, pic-heavy, I know, but I wanna remember and you are likely just whipping through these, not even noticing this message…. :) )








Ack! Cutest ever. Ryo as a reindeer. Cute overload.


Snow!












Chuu~♥

The baa-chan next to me said, “Dare ga suki desu ka?” I told her. I think she was surprised I knew Japanese. Some psycho (NOT saikou) girl in a green Santa hat scolded me for using a camera. I shot her a death stare which she couldn’t argue with. So that was that. After three encores and having to wait to leave the concert (literally trapped), I was on my way back to our little hotel. And I managed to bring a little reminder of the night back with me. Birthday present!




Yes, it is not lost on me that it is slightly creepy to have a giant fan with some guy’s face on it. Really, truly bizarre. But…he’s cute, so it’s okay, right?

This is where the night takes a turn for the…hazy. We went, for the second time, to Lex in Roppongi. The place was dead. I drank. We met some cool, nice people – Shawnda, Koji, Yuutaro, Taka, Vitaly…and we drank some more. Then we danced and drank Moët (thanks Yuutaro). There was a delicious cake made of fruit. And my name on the TV. More people came, including a girl with crazy teeth wearing a babooshka. She smiled a lot. Here’s the night, according to my iPhone.





















Pre-Lex:



Post-Lex:



Home at 5:30 AM. Awesome. Good people. Amazing birthday, all around. Lex ♥

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