(Day 3) Screamer

Schwester, es ist dein geburtstag! Or something like that. Actually, it should be kyo wa oneesan no tanjyobi desu! In any language, September 7 is my older sisters’ birthday. And how fitting that she should be spending it with us, in Tokyo. Happy Birthday Sistre! We slept in (as was her wish) and then dealt with Janellery’s bad credit card situation thanks to some overcharging by Best Buy. Tears flowed and expensive phone calls to North America were made. Super sisters to save the day! Unfortunately nothing was resolved but we did our best to celebrate the day anyway.






Yay! We are so cute sistre!

Around noon-ish we finally hustled on over to my favourite-est of shopping districts, Harajuku.



Well, what do you know – it’s still crazy hot outside! My wardrobe today consisted of my most-hated workout brand, lululemon. I say most-hated because I feel the brand is primarily for (now don’t lynch me people!) pretentious young urban mothers to wear while wheeling their babies in strollers down Robson Street on the weekends, shopping for more lululemon. What? You know it’s true. But of all the sweat-wicking garments available, I fully agree that far-and-away, lululemon is the most fashionable. But this is Tokyo people – no one’s impressed by workout gear. But I’ll deal with that today because I don’t feel like reeking like B.O.

First stop was the most ridiculous store that I’m not supposed to take a picture of (note the little signs with an “X” through the picture of a camera), Johnny’s.



Yeah, I’ve been here before. Do you know what Johnny’s are? No? Count yourself lucky and stay away. No one needs to spend dollars on tiny photos of hot young (and sometimes old) Japanese men. We just gawked and then left. Too many screaming high schoolers…

So the big draw for Sis to come to Japan was to see the GAP store in Harajuku. No word of a lie. This is where we spent several hours on her big day. Our birthday gift to her.


Me and B trying to keep busy while Sis got all Annie Leibovitz in the GAP store.

Several hours later, we emerged. Now let’s get moving onto the real goods…







Ugh, I could do nothing right in the Daiso store here in Harajuku. The security guard there was all up in my business – he shooed me away from standing and waiting at the end of an aisle and then shooed me once again as I cracked open the bottled water I bought in the store as I was just about to walk out. NO DRINKING INSIDE. Geepers. I’m in so much trouble here. I’m like a gangster yakuza the way I be drinking water inside and loitering and whatnot. Watch out Japan. I might suddenly do something crazy.


The bizarre bunny head, the trilogy.



Lunch was my choice – a delicious crepe. Crepes, I love you both now and forever.











More shopping…I almost bought some bizarre overalls. Yes, you read that right. Overalls.









After a quickie stop in La Foret, we headed down Omotesando, with its tree-lined sidewalks and designer fare on every block. This is the life…if it were, say, 20 degrees cooler.


My most-favourite hat shop ever – CA4LA.










This lady is a hologram! And I didn’t know if I was supposed to take a picture of her, so I snapped it and ran. See? Yakuza gang member here again.

Hit up the seven-floor LV and went a little nuts inside the elevator. Want to know what an LV elevator is like? Haaa! I’ll never tell! And then we stopped at my personal favorite…tee hee!


This store makes me feel so Gucci-Gucci-goo.







After checking out the wares at Prada (above), we packed it in and headed to Shibuya for dinner. What a surprise Sis has in store!!


WE’VE ARRIVED!

So it was at that very scramble crossing that we lost Janelle. I was leading the charge (as I’m wont to do since I actually know where I’m going), and I turn around to find only Sis following me. I immediately get peeved since I don’t have eyes in the back of my head and the light says walk! I want to walk! But Sis offers to turn around and go find Janelle so I plop myself on the nearest fence to wait.







After a few minutes, Sis returns to my post with a sad little Janelle in tow, crying. Awwww! Sis said she found her clinging to a light post, crying. I think I was kind of annoyed at the time, but thinking back now it seems so cute!!! She was so sad and she said she thought she was lost forever. Ha ha ha…and we continued on to dinner.



We arrived at a non-descript building and headed downstairs, into blackness. The big adventure of the day begins now…Happy Birthday Sis!


Why yes, we are in the inside of a skeleton’s ribcage. Isn’t that normal? We have arrived in the wildest of Japanese dining establishments – the prison-themed eatery ‘The Lockup’. Sis and Janelle were handcuffed and we were led down a long, dark staircase and passageway into our cell.










”Prison life of one night judgement.”

We were absolutely thrilled to be locked up in this tiny little cell and began ordering food and drinks up the wa-zoo. Thankfully some guards came by and took our order and then brought us food. What luxury cuisine they provide in this fine institution…




These are our drinks – Sis’s is the one with the eyeball.





So after eating stuff, the scary shit went down. I LOVE THIS PLACE. The lights cut out in the whole place and the ‘Ghostbusters’ theme song came on. Lots of blacklights and chair-dancing later, a shadowy figure appeared at our cell door. He just stood there dressed in an army jumpsuit with a hockey mask on, staring at us with his head cocked to one side. I think there was some screaming…but it really started when he suddenly whipped the cell door open and was in our cell in a flash, shoving his face inches away from Sis’s. SO MUCH SCREAMING. After making us collectively crap ourselves, he left, but another friend soon came by – another rubber mask and raggedy clothes and screaming too! At us! SO MUCH MORE SCREAMING! Eventually the prison guards came by and shot the invaders down and dragged them away – we had the pleasure of one dying in the entrance of our cell. SO MUCH MORE SCREAMING. Then they brought us my favourite dessert – a honey toast cake.



And then our friend came by again! I initially wanted to scream yet again, but he came bearing gifts…for Sis!!


Aw, so sweet.



After much drinking, screaming, and laughing, we left our little cell behind and headed back into the scary corridor leading to the ground level once more.





Seriously, there’s a guy in an electric chair that goes off when you walk by. Yikes!!



After more wandering around Shibuya, we came upon this:


Like, what? Michael Jackson actually just lives now on top of this strange sign. He looks somewhat frightened.





Oh Shibuya, your lights are so pretty. Thanks for giving Sis such a great birthday.

After one of the funnest nights, we retired, once again, to our little room in Akasaka. Tomorrow we are heading out of the downtown core, but where we are going, there won’t be any less people…Disney, here we come!