Day 1

The Europeans and I all headed out of Mishima to 東京 (도쿄, Tokyo) before we parted ways there. The train ride was only moderately tolerable as all I wanted to do was sleep but I knew the trip would be short and I shouldn’t really knock out until bed time.

For Tokyo, I originally had a Couchsurfing host but our plan fell through. In then, I for a last minute booking for cheap near 早稲田大学 (와세다대/Waseda University), I travelled my way there and stopped to grab lunch before someone would come to pick me up at 2 PM.

I hate what I do to myself sometimes.

To be frank, my place of stay was a s***hole. The space was cramped even for Japanese standards and everything in the complex seemed to be makeshift from trash. The bunk beds had some duct tape around the connecting parts as support. I was surprised to not see that the place was infested with pests because mold and mildew sure made its way on to the walls and floors of the bathrooms. I sure as hell did not go barefoot once in there.

Getting a shower and some quick repacking done, I made way out to 秋葉原 (아키하바라/Akihabara), abound with electronics, anime, and manga. Truly, the place was a gamer’s haven.

I went into a few specific shops for a good friend of mine, Nafis. Now, if I like Japan, Nafis is head over heels for Japan. The kid actually knows the language and teaches me different aspects of the culture from time to time, predominantly through his tenacious gamer lifestyle. Outside of Final Fantasy, Dragon Ball, and Hayao Miyazaki, my knowledge of Japan falters tremendously in comparison to his. So of course, I would make it my job to get him something from this place for him.

After managing to find something I knew he would appreciate, I started my own exploration of Tokyo.

I took a slight detour to the 皇居 (코쿄/Imperial Palace) through 神保町 (진보초/Jinbocho), a reader’s paradise, filled with as many secondhand and traditional books as one could imagine.

I saw the Imperial Palace… from afar. By the time I reached the park, it was already closed off and the only company I momentarily had was that of all the runners making their way around me for their evening exercise. I would say I got a workout of my own. For all the bug bites I avoided in Korea, I did not avoid any in Japan and they grew tenfold in Tokyo.

To the pharmacy I went to resolve that issue immediately. The evening was still young but it was high time that I go to my first bar in Tokyo. A friend of mine at Juilliard, Asa, recommended Vowz Bar to me. Monks ran the place. Yes, monks. The neighboring temple worked as your bartender for the evening as you would get spiritual over your spirits. The whole bartender-therapist thing was taken to another level here.

By sheer luck, I happened to get acquainted with the young monks’ meditation teacher and we went entered along discussion into the topic. Many know of the virtues of meditation and its overwhelming ability to lift various anxieties, but our chat focuses more on the negatives and unspoken cons of meditation. Serious students often end up straddling the line between blissful mindfulness and death wish. Impermanence plays a central role in the Vippissana tradition. The idea of everything, including one’s being, being impermanent is daunting. You can be as tough as nails but I assure you by having someone tell you that your existence will come and go can really stop you in your tracks. Now imagine the person reminding you of that fact is yourself. Day in, day out. A meditator must commit to this belief of impermanence, among other things, in order to reach a state of mindfulness. When one gets deeply involved in the practice, it can become easy to trap oneself in their darkest thoughts and beliefs. Macabre, indeed, but something that needs more light to be shed on it. This death wish idea is really what keeps driving me to further understand meditation and all its traditions. It seems ironic, yeah?

Of greater significance, in my mind, was the fact that in order to teach children a reasonable protocol of meditation, the practice needed to be moderately diluted but also designed to work with the attitudes and attention spans they have. For me, that task seems more so daunting. The monk elaborated through analogy on the ease of how one, even a child, could find themselves reaching mindfulness. The theory clicked in my head, but would it for children? Something I would very much need to find out in the near future.

After his chanting, I bid farewell to him and the bar and made my way to 新宿 (신주쿠/Shinjuku) to grab some late night sushi. Going through Shinjuku, reminded me of Gangnam with all it’s neon lights, but Shinjuku is notoriously known as Tokyo’s Red Light District. Fittingly enough, it took about a minute waking through before some man decided to come up to me and ask what I was interested in. I mean, like, he could have played more coy with his follow up question but he was very forward and wanted to know if I wanted to get a very-adult-sexual-favor-that-I-will-not-restate-explicitly-on-this blog.

Yeah, I just wanted some sushi.

After turning down three other unwanted offers, I made my way into きづなすし 新宿歌舞伎町店 (Kizunasushi Shinjuku Kabukichoten). The place seemed nice and the internet was kind to it so I started messing around with various types of sushi.

Enough, I thought. I made me way back to hostel. Once there, it took about five minutes for me to knock out.

Day 2

Today was a day I had been waiting a while for. After struggling here and there in search of a ticket, I finally managed to get my hands on one and went to to pick up a ticket to 三鷹の森ジブリ美術館 (지블리 미술관/Ghibli Museum), debatably the most magical place on Earth.

After the pick up, I immediately made my way to 井の頭恩賜公園 (이노카시라 공원/Inokashira Park), which neighbors the museum. I had about two hours to kill an deplored the park area. The park was considered a gift to the public by the Emperor. The pace even had a sunbathing area where people became very liberal with their attire, if they had any, to lay out and soak in some sun.

Right across form the museum was a bird cafe. Throughout most of East Asia, one will discover a propensity of themes cafés. The cat cafe already holds great fame but I quite enjoyed ことりカフェ (코토리 카페/Kotori Cafe). The birds inside were pretty exquisite.

Finally, it came time for me to enter the Ghibli Museum. After being received by Totoro at the front, I made my way inside.

Now, no photos are allowed inside the museum and I’m very glad they aren’t. Inside, you get taken into an incredible world filled with Miyazaki’s magic. It’s incredibly interactive with visual phenomena, gadgets, toys, and more. The museum also contains both sources of inspirations for the company’s works as well as various articles they made and used in the filmmaking process. When you visit, you even get the opportunity to watch an original short. Both the interior and exterior of the museum also mimics various features of Ghibli world. Kids who are tiny enough can enough play and jump onto the ねこのバス (네코노버스/Nekonobasu). I cannot really do justice to the museum with just words. If you ever plan on stopping by Tokyo, this is a must see and make sure you reserve a ticket well ahead of time.

Right after leaving, I headed to 渋谷 (시부야/Shibuya), where En Studio is located. Monica, a Yale friend who studied in Tokyo last summer recommended the place to me. I stopped by for a hip hop class. Now, I already had the experience of learning dance in another language. But I at least understood a reasonable amount of Korean. Knowing no Japanese in an entirely Japanese taught class, body movement really was the only thing that I could use to guide me. It felt good to work up a sweat and let loose after do much travel.

By the time I headed out, it was already pretty dark and dinner seemed the way to go. I headed over to 代々木 (요요기/Yoyogi) for Burger’s Base, home to the Sasebo burger—a burger vouched for by Asa, a friend at Juilliard. It was my first American-esque meal in all of Japan. My expectations of American food in Asia are normally pretty low and the Sasebo burger sans bacon did a reasonable job at satisfying my palette.

The night was still young and I was too far from a beer garden. Another place recommended by Asa was Seikirei Beer Garden. The place resembled a mini-golf course, as said by my pal Jeremy through or messages. Indeed, the place gave off a lavish vibe and compared to everything else so far in Japan, I guess the prices for drinks were actually pretty reasonable this time around. Not w bad way to end the night.