Tokyo, in brief

OK, I know I owe a big post about Tokyo. Truth is that I am very busy enjoying myself here, and then when I get to the computer I am too tired to think about writing.

So far we have seen:

Shinjuku
Akihabara
Roppongi (sort of - just went there for dinner)
Tokyo Tower (in the dark, and rain)

Mostly we have just been wandering around Akihabara, the "Electric Town" which is also a mecca for anime geeks. We have been amassing a fine collection of anime figures. We have inadvertently entered quite a few shops selling what I will call "personal relationship enhancement products". We have seen a geisha. We saw a maid cafe. We have seen gothic lolitas by the dozens, and shopped alongside them for overpriced loli dresses. We played in an arcade. We lost more money to one-armed bandits, aka "crane games". We have been touched by the kindness of complete strangers who stop to help us find our way in this huge metropolis. We have seen gaijin who actually live here, and aren't just fellow tourists.

I am starting to move from thinking "Wow, I really like Japan" to "Aww, no fair that we don't live here." I love big cities, and this is clearly one of the best in the world.

Tomorrow we are meeting up with the delightful French-Canadians we met in Hakone. We are going to explore Shibuya. It should be awesome!