15th Oct 2006

So. Last night I decided not to mope around my room or halls and thought is should try and see some sights while I’ve still got time to do this kinda thing, before the University of Tokyo geek effect kicks in…and thumbing though my Tokyo guide, very kindly/generously donated by my brother, and decide I’m going to try and go to Shibuya to hopefully find some trendy Japanese people to take photos of…and to scout out the shops (I think I might actually have a shopping addiction. This is *not* good. Spent far too much money and can’t seem to stop…very dangerous. May be I’ll just have to burn my credit cards…hmmmm…) but yes. Take the metro to Shibuya and spend most of the day wondering…unfortunately I didn’t see any funky people standing around like my guide said they would but there was a sensory overload of huge screens of animated adverts on the side of buildings and big signs all over the buildings too. It was daytime though, so you don’t quite get the full effect.

More importantly I found a sock shop (which Seda, in my lab, had briefly mentioned when we were discussing the joy of long stripy sock ownership and the best place to source the items) which sells an array of foot coverings ranging from sock-ette type things which mainly cover the sole of your foot through toe socks, knee-high, over-knee and leggings…so I continue my addiction for purchasing items and buy some…I need socks. Really. No really I do. Haven’t you heard of the national sock shortage…I mean there are people panic buying everywhere…

After a bit more wondering and a cheap lunch in a little Japanese eating counter type place, which had the wonderful anonymity, and embarrassment reducing, machine which you put money into pushed the button of the food you wanted to order (some actual pictures to help…if not it was a case of matching characters to the picture menu outside…) and it gave you a ticket (and any change you were due). You then sit down at a stool facing the serving counter and hand over your ticket(s) to the waitress and wait for the food…all very efficient…

I also explore Tokyu Hands. A crazy ‘all-under-one-roof’ type department store. It’s nuts. Not only because its split into quarter floors (eg. 1A, B, C and D) which kind of spiral around it’s got everything you could possibly ever want for the home and even some outdoor stuff…However, it’s rather expensive for what it is. On the other hand it is convenient that you know at least one place where you can find picture hooks, chisels, artists materials, nappies for dogs (yes. I thought this was strange…I stopped for a good 5-10mins to stare at them and the picture of a dog’s rear end modelling the ‘device’. Nuts. Can you get anything like this in England? I guess I’ve never really looked…anyway please feel free to email your answers to me), laptops and even some climbing gear.

Actually, the sheer amount of stuff there really wasn’t that exciting. I think I’ve just been saturated with stimulus that my brain has now given up of trying to process all the data it receives from my eye-balls… I eventually wonder out in a daze…