Crossing Bridges: Tokyo - Ikebukuro and Akihabara
The next morning, I was slow to wake up. I was so warm and cozy in my bed, I almost forgot where I was. I rolled over and looked out the window. When I was greeted by the unfamiliar sight, I sat up. Then I remembered where I was. The day before wasn't a dream. I was actually here. I was suddenly filled with a new found excitement as I threw the covers back and jumped out of bed. I turned on the TV and watched whatever Japanese program was on (I could never figure out how to find out what I was watching. I'd just channel surf until I found something funny or the news). I let my friend know I was up and ready to go for the day, and we met up to have breakfast downstairs. When our tummies were full, we said goodbye to the staff at the front desk (who were some of the friendliest people I'd ever met) and walked down to the train station. As we passed the bookstore, I made a mental note to stop in later.
Our Tokyo adventure for the day started in the district of Ikebukuro. Ikebukuro isn't a district that's really well-known outside of Japan, save for those who enjoy the anime show "Durarara", which takes place here. Since my friend and I were both fans of the show, we decided to go check it out. Not long after we made it to Ikebukuro did we find the first signs of "Durarara" life. And in the spirit of Japan, it came in the form of a vending machine.
And of course, we had a little freak out moment when we found it. We each ordered a drink from the top level, which gave you a random character on the labels. We were pretty happy. We wondered around Ikebukuro for a little while, drinking our "Durarara" drinks. Then the wind started picking up, and it was some of the craziest wind I've ever felt. The way it whipped around the tall buildings seemed to make it go faster and stronger. At times it was so strong, we could lean forward and the wind would hold us up. Our hair got messed up, but it was worth it!
We found a manga bookstore to take refuge in when the wind became too much. We explored the store, laughing with delight when we recognized a song playing over the loudspeakers or seeing a series we liked. Then I found my jackpot: a shelf containing the (at the time) complete series of my favorite manga, "Noragami." So of course, I bought all of them.
The cashier looked genuinely confused when I waddled up to the counter with my giant stack of books, but she definitely had one happy customer!
In the middle of the day, we went back to the hotel to regroup and drop our goodies off. At some point, I discovered that the vending machines located across from the station had Dr. Pepper, which is my all-time favorite drink. Seriously, I have an addiction. So I got a can of it to go with my lunch and made sure to remember to grab another one to go with dinner. Then we were out and about again, this time heading towards Akihabara. Akihabara is known for being the pop culture capital of Japan. It is a district in Tokyo known for its many anime and manga stores, as well as the cute idol culture.
There were so many different stores it was sometimes hard to choose which ones to go into. We wandered around, popping in stores that caught our attention. And of course, some shopping was done. We were probably the happiest people in Tokyo that day. We stayed there until the sun began to set, and decided it was time to head back. We took our happy but exhausted selves back through the twists and turns of the Tokyo subway system. I grabbed my evening Dr. Pepper from the vending machine. We ate dinner in my friend's hotel room until it was time for bed.
I hopped in the shower then hopped into my pajamas. I turned the TV on and sat in bed. My eyes started drooping and the shut the TV off. I slid under the covers and brought them up to my eyes. I drifted off to sleep and awaited the dawn of our last full day in Tokyo.
Our Tokyo adventure for the day started in the district of Ikebukuro. Ikebukuro isn't a district that's really well-known outside of Japan, save for those who enjoy the anime show "Durarara", which takes place here. Since my friend and I were both fans of the show, we decided to go check it out. Not long after we made it to Ikebukuro did we find the first signs of "Durarara" life. And in the spirit of Japan, it came in the form of a vending machine.
We found a manga bookstore to take refuge in when the wind became too much. We explored the store, laughing with delight when we recognized a song playing over the loudspeakers or seeing a series we liked. Then I found my jackpot: a shelf containing the (at the time) complete series of my favorite manga, "Noragami." So of course, I bought all of them.
In the middle of the day, we went back to the hotel to regroup and drop our goodies off. At some point, I discovered that the vending machines located across from the station had Dr. Pepper, which is my all-time favorite drink. Seriously, I have an addiction. So I got a can of it to go with my lunch and made sure to remember to grab another one to go with dinner. Then we were out and about again, this time heading towards Akihabara. Akihabara is known for being the pop culture capital of Japan. It is a district in Tokyo known for its many anime and manga stores, as well as the cute idol culture.
There were so many different stores it was sometimes hard to choose which ones to go into. We wandered around, popping in stores that caught our attention. And of course, some shopping was done. We were probably the happiest people in Tokyo that day. We stayed there until the sun began to set, and decided it was time to head back. We took our happy but exhausted selves back through the twists and turns of the Tokyo subway system. I grabbed my evening Dr. Pepper from the vending machine. We ate dinner in my friend's hotel room until it was time for bed.
I hopped in the shower then hopped into my pajamas. I turned the TV on and sat in bed. My eyes started drooping and the shut the TV off. I slid under the covers and brought them up to my eyes. I drifted off to sleep and awaited the dawn of our last full day in Tokyo.
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