(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 ♥