This might be one of the most spontaneous day I had in Tokyo. From the way I began my day to the places I got to visit to, I just went with the flow and followed where my instincts led me to go.
"Woke up early"
I was soooo exhausted the previous night that I wasn't able to do my usual night routine which consisted of arranging my stuff and preparing for the next day's itinerary. With my things still scattered around the room, I slept soundly under the soft comforter of my bed. I woke up early morning, around 3AM I think. I began arranging my stuff continuing the supposed routine that I should have done the previous night. Aside from preparing my stuff and itinerary for the next day, part of the routine that I have established during this trip was writing my thoughts to be used for the blog. This activity usually took the most time and effort for me (more than the part of arranging my things). As I started typing away, I lost track of time. I finished writing passed 6AM already.
My target region for this day was Akihabara. I had a few specific landmarks I intended to visit, but I allotted one day for this activity. I planned to just roam around the area to see what I could find. When I finally got out of the hotel, it was already lunch time. I was feeling a bit cranky and light-headed (due to lack of sleep) so I wasn't really paying that much usual attention on my commute to the train. Good thing Akihabara was just one train stop away from where I was at so it didn't cause me much problem. The wind was so strong that day (so strong it toppled down some bikes that were parked) and I was wearing a dress. It was extra cold and my head was groggy. I was not on my best mood this day. 😤
Visiting Kanda Myojin Shrine
To erase these negative vibes, I decided to visit a shrine first that's near Akihabara. Thanks to Google Maps, I found the Kanda Myojin shrine.
I think this is one of those not-so-touristy shrines because there's not much people and English translations around. I had to go up 40+ stairs just to reach this shrine from the main road. I thought this was a good warm up for my knees for the next day's tour (I'll be visiting Arakurayama Sengen Park, which has 200+ steps 😵). After looking around for a few minutes, I headed back to the main road to explore more.
Going Full Otaku Mode at Akihabara
I've learned from this trip that I work best with a goal in mind, but I wanted to allow myself to let loose and just go with the flow even just this once. I told myself -- let life suprise me! And so I started wondering around the streets of Akihabara.
When we hear Akihabara, we think of anime, right? This region in Tokyo is like "the mecca" of all anime lovers, and it shows because almost all of the stores here are full of anime stuff!
Found these pokemon vending machines. Seeing it now, I'm kind of feeling some regret because I didn't try playing. 😢
Am I too old for anime already? I didn't recognize most of the animes that I saw in the stores, save for a few ones like Naruto, One Piece and Pokemon. I planned on searching for a specific Cardcaptor Sakura merch -- The Clow Book, which I unfortunately wasn't able to find amongst the stores that I visited. There were some stores that had an area dedicated to CCS, but it was just a small shelf. 🥺 Well I still managed to grab some cool stuff like Keroberos and Spinner socks, which are like my favorite things to wear now 😍 (I also tried to do small talk with this lady who was looking at the CCS stuff too, but I kind of felt that she didn't want to talk to people LOL so I just left her alone). I also heard that there were a lot of maid cafes around. During my walk, I think I just saw two spots with young girls dressed as maids calling out to passers by.
I know Akihabara is famous for techie gadgets also, but I wasn't able to really find good stuff around. Maybe I was roaming around the wrong part of the place? LOL I really don't know. My dad was asking me to check out their Android phones. I was also searching for an SD card (to serve as extra for my camera) and I actually found it difficult to spot the electronic stores around. I found Docomo stores, but there were no people around. The signs inside the stores were all in Japanese also so I just lost my motivation to really go around and sweep the stores to find the best deals possible (plus I also found out that it's highly possible that the phones bought here will not work overseas). So yeah, I abandoned the Android phone quest.
M's
If you've been to Tokyo or researching about the place, it's highly likely that you know what store I'm pertaining to. Yes, I visited that store. It was kind of "a dare" for me to go there to, you know, explore stuff that are new to me. Well I'm just traveling solo so I shouldn't feel awkward with anyone. And also no one knows me in this place and it's very unlikely I'll bump onto someone I know there (well he/she should also be awkward being caught in that place too lol).
With my head held high, I unceremoniously entered the store. I know I am old enough to be there anyway. I scanned the store and was just at awe at what was actually there. I know I've seen it over the internet, but it's just so different seeing all those stuff in person. My heart was racing while scanning the items. Apparently the item I was looking for was in another floor. I saw other customers in there and they didn't feel awkward at all, so I told myself I shouldn't be. I saw one couple giggling and looking at the items at one aisle. Well I just minded my own business and searched for the thing I needed to buy. Fortunately, I was able to find the section (I couldn't imagine asking help from the staff lol). I chose an item that I thought my friend would like (yes I am buying this for a friend!!! this is not mine 😅). When I walked to the cashier (he's male), there was one male customer before me. I was curiously looking at the items he bought -- one item is a drink to "enhance performance" LOL. When it was my turn, I didn't feel any awkwardness and the cashier guy was as courteous as any other Japanese that I encountered during the trip. Mission completed! 👍
Here's proof that I actually bought something at M's. The item would remain confidential though. 😉
A Different Kind of MCDO
After that mini adventure at M's, I searched for a place to eat lunch. I played safe this time and headed to the familiar Mcdo fast food. I wanted to see if there was something different on their menu. Well I ordered a teriyaki burger with fries and this green soft drink and headed to the second floor for the dining area.
What I saw on the dining area kind of shocked me. The place was packed mostly with solo eaters! It was a very eerie scene. They're all seated together but they're not talking to each other. I quickly spotted a vacant seat and settled down there. The minutes that followed was one of the strangest moments I had in Tokyo.
Everyone was just looking at their phones and minding their own business. It's kind of sad actually, but I guess this is just part of their culture and they are all used to it already.
Fangirling at Tokyo Dome
Another landmark that I wanted to visit was Tokyo Dome. It holds a special place for me because I know this is where Tohoshinki (my fave idol group of all time) held their record-breaking concerts during their prime years. It meant a lot for me to even just pass by there.
From Akihabara, I hopped onto the subway again to reach the dome. While enroute, I got to do some sightseeing around.
And finally, I spotted the famous Tokyo Dome!
I noticed there were lots of people around. Apparently, it was the day of Ed Sheeran's concert (with ONE OK Rock as front act). I actually wanted to attend this event, but the tickets were already sold out when I checked.
It was just so amusing that I coincidentally planned on stopping by at Tokyo Dome the same day of Ed Sheeran's concert! I super love going to concerts. The pre-show vibe was just contagious so I stayed there for a few minutes walking around and observing the people. I pretended I was also going to the concert and even checked out the merch. 😂
Koishikawa Korakuen
One stop that could still fit on my itinerary for that day was this garden just beside the Tokyo Dome called Koishikawa Korakuen. After all the hussle and bussle that I went through for today, this was my time to unwind and relax with nature.
Cherry blossom trees are all in bloom, and I just couldn't help but take photos of them. Now that an image of this flower is engraved on my skin forever, I couldn't help but feel a special connection with these flowers. I know the number of times I'll see these flowers in person is very small, so that just made my moments with them that day even more precious. 🌸
Just like in Meiji Shrine, I took my time just walking casually around the garden. It was nearing sunset and the garden would close in an hour, but I didn't feel any need to hurry my steps. I just walked and enjoyed nature at my own pace.
The place was very calming. There were only a few people and I mostly heard just my footsteps and the birds whilst walking around the garden. I even saw ducks! They were looking at me curiously. Apparently these ducks are not afraid of people. I saw one man go to that same area, and the ducks were walking towards him. Such a cute scenery!
I can't read these signs, but I'm guessing these are names of the trees?
And here's another photo of me -- proof that I actually went there in that garden.
I got to do some thinking again while walking through this garden, and my thoughts went along mostly on this Japanese culture of being independent. The scenery at Mcdo flashed on my mind again. Are Japanese people somewhat lonely at some extent? I saw an elderly lady also walking around the garden. I wondered why she was walking alone. Is she already a widow? Is she already alone in life? I can't help but think around these thoughts and reflect back on my own situation. I know I chose to be alone on this trip, but I would never choose to be alone in life. But because of my current situation, I can't help but wonder if I would really end up being alone. Uhmm okay, I'm not liking this train of thought. 😅 But hey, one thing that I learned from this trip also is that it's indeed possible to find and like someone even if you've been together for just a day (more info on this on upcoming posts!). He's just out there, okay? I'll just have to find him or he just needs to find me (hello! i'm right here!!! 👋).
Again, I went back to my hostel rather very tired. I just bought dinner from the konbini (I super loved that almond milk drink!) and ate the tarts that I bought at Pablo. That matcha tart was heaven!!!!
I planned to go to this yakitori restaurant nearby for dinner but I was so so tired already. I knew I had to get enough sleep for tomorrow's activity. It's a big day for me because I will be on KKDay's tour bus to go to some places near Mt. Fuji! I'm very very excited to share to you some life-changing experiences I had there! Stay tuned!
It's been a while since I've made something like this on the blog, so I'm happy I finally got the time to do one. I've spent around two days learning the song and the chords on the piano.
It's nice to play the keyboard again. I should do this more often from now on. :D
Song: 10
Artist: Built by Titan
*for some users, you might need to turn up the volume to the highest level... not sure why this is like this, but listening on a desktop sounded fine *
It's that time for all Black Mirror fans to rejoice again -- a new season has been released over at Netflix for this politically acclaimed technology-will-destroy-humanity-themed anthology series. As a super fan of their material, I was beyond thrilled for this and I immediately jumped onto the Black Mirror train as soon as the episodes were made available for streaming.
For season 5, there are there 3 episodes entitled Striking Vipers, Smithereens, and Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too respectively. For my review, I'm listing them them down chronologically how I watched them.
I guess by this time (more than a week after the Netflix release), it's now safe to drop some spoilers... right? 😁
Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too
The teaser for this episode was the first one I got to watch amongst the three. Well it helped that I follow Miley Cyrus on Instagram. 😉 It was a surprise move for Black Mirror to have a prominent pop star for one of their episodes. Was it relevant that Miley herself portray this character in the story? We all know what Miley had to go through in the past recent years, starting from the time she broke up with Liam Hemsworth, her breaking out of the Hannah Montana image and the outrageous behaviors that she exhibited in the music videos / concerts that followed. I was somewhat curious in that aspect and so that's one of the reasons this is the first episode that I went to watch.
I could relate some of the themes of the episodes that could possibly be autobiographical with Miley's. Although I would guess that the target audience of this episode -- the recipient of the warning of the dangers of technology -- are artists, specifically musicians. It's becoming a norm now to have posthumous music albums. One notable example is Michael Jackson's two albums entitled Michael and XScape. What will be the role of technology in terms of producing music if the artist is incapacitated (in a coma, just like in the episode) or already dead? Will the music labels have the capability to milk out more content through technology? Would that be something that the artist would want? Are there bounds both legally and morally and how far they could do with all the artistic materials left behind?
A few days after I watched this episode, I heard that there was a new album by Avicii that came out. When he died in 2018, he was still in the middle of making an album so I guess a lot of material still on the works were left unfinished. I read in one article that his co-producers worked on finishing the album even though it was still hurtful for them. This was his family's wish, to complete and release the album, in honor of Avicii's memory. His co-producers have worked with him so closely in the past that they knew how Avicii would have liked the songs to turn out. Although he already passed on, his music still lives.
Another technology that was shown in the episode is holograms. It's this technology that can substitute an artist's presence in a concert or event. Personally, I find this disturbing and offensive at the same time, because as a fan, I won't be fascinated with going into a concert to see an artificial projection of the artist that I like. My primary goal in going to a concert is to see the artist in person and to feel a personal connection with them. I first encountered this technology during my visit in Seoul at the Coex Atrium. We watched a show wherein different KPOP groups of SM Entertainment performed on stage. It was kind of an eerie experience because in reality, I'm just looking at an empty stage. Maybe other fans would like it? Hmm but it's a no for me I guess. 🙄
Some of the other issues that I have noticed being touched by this episode are as follows:
Ashley Too (the doll)'s true intention for luring the kids to her house was to pull out the plug of the apparatus that keeps her body-in-coma alive. Is that morally acceptable? An AI equivalent of her consciousness made the decision to end her life because she knows she won't allow herself to be in that kind of state even for a second. When the time comes that technology have reached the stage of making cookies have their equivalent human rights (if this concept is unfamiliar, refer to previous Black Mirror episodes 🙂), would they have the right to decide if euthanasia is to be performed to their physical bodies in real life, when the original mind is already incapacitated to express it?
Having robots as friends is a technological setup that is slowly and creepily becoming a reality, just like the Ashley Too doll. You'd want to talk to someone who tells you all the nice things that you want to hear, right?
This is from an actual existing app. Dare to talk with your replika?
Although I liked the plot overall, most people don't see this as Black Mirror material. I agree.
Rating: 3/5
Striking Vipers
I think this is my least liked episode from the Black Mirror series. Although I appreciate the gaming side of the story (one of my dreams is to have a gaming room with a large TV screen just like in this episode... but for now all I can do is daydream 😅), the overall story just made no sense for me. While watching the episode, I felt like I'm being trolled, like seriously is this what's really happening? Oh well, I guess I didn't really get it, whatever message this one is trying to send the audience.
Rating: 2/5
Smithereens
I'm glad I got to watch this one last, because this is the best one on this batch! 👏 The episode tackled a lot of things, and I must say they were able to accurately portray on how a hostage scenario today would progress given all the technology we currently have.
First, I was highly amused on how this tech company was able to get information about the hostage taker way faster than the police itself. It just shows how personal information is so readily available in the internet. Second is how all onlookers and outsiders looked into the ongoing hostage-taking stage. The kids on the bike were taking pictures of the scene, and as expected, the hostage crisis became viral online in no time. People were hooked with every little update, curious on how things would turn out. Through social media, the hostage taker saw all these information from his own phone. Third is getting into the perspective of the creator of a successful social media site. In this episode, we get to hear the opinion of the creator himself on the state of the platform that he himself made. It might be a shade to real-life people (ehemMark Zuckerbergehem). We learn that some apps are made to become its users addictive to it. There's a whole team that studies and implements dopamine triggers in the website so users would always be hungry for more. The psychological effects are super scary. I guess I'm proud to say I'm not part of the zombie race that mindlessly follow the feed from this blue-logo company. I've already f*cked out of it. 👍 Fourth is addressing a more effective way of communicating with someone who is in pain. It's kind of a mockery towards psychological experts, but damn, there's something in this episode that nailed the message. Tell him you are listening, that you know exactly how he feels. 🙄 I just had to snicker internally at how this exchange in the episode happened, and I did feel a sense of triumph when the tech owner just shut his laptop down and went on to conversing the way he wanted to. Sometimes others just want you to communicate with them like a human being. I'm just glad this episode pointed that out.
There are still a lot of sides and aspects that this episode shows the viewers, and these are some of the things that I was able to catch on:
Don't text while driving. I know it's kind of a given rule already, there's officially a law that forbids this activity, but I guess this episode reiterates what kind of horrible things could happen if you do this -- if not you yourself, a loved one can die because of this recklessness.
Don't always be on the phone. Be aware of your surroundings. I see this message all the time when I open my Pokemon Go app, although this holds true also for this episode, especially if you are riding a car through a pool-sharing app like Uber or Grab. You might prevent yourself from getting into a situation if your attention is on the road, and you will immediately notice in case the driver makes a sketchy detour.
I liked this episode because it gave me that familiar "disturbed feeling" after. It was not revealed who got killed after the sniper launched the bullet. The episode only showed the reactions of the people directly involved, the people who were looking at the news feed on their phones showing nonchalant expressions. It disturbed me so much because this is how harsh reality is now. People are not so empathetic anymore. It's so so scary and disturbing. 😓
Rating: 4/5
This season still got me entertained at least, but yeah I can't help but feel a bit dissappointed. I guess Black Mirror has lost its touch on what made their series appealing? Or are they losing creative material? I don't know, but for sure I'd still watch their next seasons (which would still be years from now I guess 😭). I seriously hope this is not the last one from them.
After my visit to the Meiji shrine, my next activity was to grab a quick lunch before going to my next location. Well I already knew where I had to go. My boss, who has been to Japan several times, recommended this takoyaki place named Gindaco Takoyaki. Thanks to Google Maps (as usual!), I saw that there's actually a branch just across Harajuku station.
I finally found the octopus.
I love takoyaki! 😍 It has become a fad of mine to try out the different takoyaki restaurants available for me locally. So far my favorite is Onoda which I discovered when I worked in BGC. I would always eat it as my meryenda with my friends at the office (I actually miss it now huhu). Since takoyaki originated in Japan, I was really excited to finally taste this dish right where it originally came from!
I took this photo after I finished eating. Surprisingly, the line suddenly got this long!
The branch of Gindaco Takoyaki here is only a stall with a small dine-in area on the side. They have different varieties of takoyaki. I went for the original one.
Their takoyaki is bigger than the one I'm used to (Onoda is I think around 2/3 smaller than this). It looked so delicious I chomped the first one in one bite... of which I hugely regretted seconds after. The inside of the takoyaki was piping hot. I didn't have drinks with me then, so I just chewed the whole thing down while trying not to cry in pain 😓. It sure did burn my tongue. But OMG there was actually a piece of octopus inside! I was so happy I think my soul went straight to heaven 👼. I finally experienced the tako in takoyaki 🐙!
A little traumatized to eat the rest, I just let the thing cool down for a bit before going for it. After a few more bites, I was able to actually enjoy it 😋. I really enjoyed munching on the octopus bit. In terms of taste, I think I would still prefer Onoda. If only Onoda had some octopus in it, it would already be the perfect takoyaki for me!
Time to get my first tattoo!
And so after that quick but hearty snack, I was finally enroute for my appointment to get a tattoo at Studio Muscat! I was very keen not to be late for my appointment (we know Japanese people are very particular with punctuality, just look at how their trains operate). Dave, my contact person from that studio, gave me very detailed instructions on how to get to their studio from Shibuya station. Studio Muscat is a 15-minute walk from the station. Fortunately, the directions that Dave gave to me was very easy to follow. I actually didn't get lost (wohoo!). Socials inside the Studio
Upon entering the studio, I saw this lady who was looking at the magazines on display at the waiting area. She had pink hair, with heavy eyeliner, nose piercings, and lots of tattoos down her arms and legs. We instinctively said hi to each other then I took one empty table across the room and settled down with my things. I felt awkward for a bit because I felt like a huge mismatch to the culture of the place 😅. A man then came from one of the rooms of the studio and gave me water (I think this was Dave, but I wasn't able to confirm 😅). I told him I have an appointment at 3PM (it was still around 2PM at that time... I was able to get in early, whew!). Then I heard him ask the lady also, of which she replied she has an appointment at 2PM. She was accompanied by a guy there at the other table (I assumed they were a couple). The guy had yellow wide hole earrings (not sure what it's called) and a lot of tattoos also.
Since I still had an hour, I decided to look around at the studio. There were lots of artworks displayed. There were also some books related to tattoos on the shelf.
The waiting area is just small so after just a few minutes, I was able to go through the entirety of the room. I returned to my seat and fiddled with my phone for a bit. I don't know but after a few minutes, I went with my instincts and just approached the couple on the other table to initiate a conversation. If I was in a different setting, I think I would have been intimidated to approach them. Again, that's the beauty of traveling solo -- you get to be more open to connections with new people!
And so my opening line was -- "Who is your artist?" Of which the lady replied 'It's Haruka.' I asked the guy also. Apparently it was only the girl who had an appointment. I can't remember anymore the next things I said but I knew I mentioned that I was excited because this will be my very first tattoo. I ended up transferring tables to join them as we continued to chat. They said they were from Canada and have been touring Japan since the start of the cherry blossom season (I can't remember the guy's name anymore, but the girl's name is Jiness... not sure of the spelling though 😅). They've started their sightseeing in Osaka and was planning to go northwards following the bloom of the sakura flowers. They were also staying in Tokyo but just bought shinkansen tickets to do day trips to Osaka and Kyoto.
Surprisingly, it was very comfortable talking to them. Both of them were very friendly and warm. We talked about the sakura flowers. They showed me some of the sakura petals they collected and sealed on transparent plastic from Kyoto, which looked a deeper shade of pink compared to the pale-almost-whitish color in Tokyo. They also shared their random adventures in Japan. Apparently the guy knows some Japanese and he's teaching his girlfriend some terms. He reached for his bag to search for a book that he said he'd be glad to give me (told him my Japanese sucked lol), because it greatly helped them in studying Japanese (he had extra copies). Unfortunately he left it at their hotel. I said it's okay, but I was touched he'd go that lengths to give something to a stranger like me. 😃
Then our topic moved inevitably to tattoos. I told them I will be getting just a small tattoo for my first one, a sakura flower on my wrist. They proudly showed me their sakura tattoos, which were so colorful! The guy had several of them on his upper arm, and the girl had them also across her shoulders. They gave me such great pep talk on what to expect, on how the actual process would feel, and what to do for the aftercare. They told me not to worry at all because although it would indeed hurt (because it's needles duh), I'll be able to get through it. Then I asked them if they could still remember the first tattoo they got. It was so fun listening to their stories. The guy just got a tattoo across his whole chest a few days ago. It actually took the artist 9 hours to finish it 😱. He showed me pictures of it on his phone (it looked so colorful!). He told me the most painful was the parts near the nipples because of how sensitive the skin is there.
When it was time for Jiness to go in, the guy asked Haruka if it's possible to also come with them to watch the tattoo process. However Haruka politely said no, and the guy kindly said of course, he understood, no worries. And so we ended up just continuing our chat while Jiness was being tattooed and me waiting for my turn also. He told me he wanted to watch because the design that Jiness chose (a fox with watercolor spots) was very unique. He has never seen a style like that and was curious on how it's done.
They didn't explicitly state that they were a couple, but at this point in our conversation, it became obvious. This guy adores Jiness very much! He talked how he thinks she is mentally stronger than him on the way she handles things during their Japan travels, specifically on how they receive other people's prejudice towards their heavily-tattoed body. One instance he shared was when they were seated in a park. He distinctly saw a man look at Jiness from head to toe several times with such judgment in his eyes. He got very offended and wanted to confront this man, but Jiness calmly told him to just let it go. It's his problem, not theirs. He shared this to me because he wants me to understand that people will make assumptions about others who have tattoos. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but it should not bother or disturb me, because that would be their problem, not mine.
We still were able to talk about several topics, of which I will just outline here:
I told him that I'm just a bit worried how people back at home will react to this. He told me that shouldn't be a big deal. It's not the worst. He told me when he was a waiter in a bar, he distinctly saw a man with tattoos of letters in each of his fingers that spelled out: K-I-L-L-C-O-P-S. I'm getting a beautiful kawaii flower on my wrist so I shouldn't be worried.
He selects his tattoo artist very very carefully. He had one artist he really liked. This artist was always fully booked, he had to wait years to get the perfect timing to have an appointment with him. He was able to finally get his dream tattoo just a few months ago.
Tattoos don't come cheap. It's a lifetime investment so I should find for the best one out there. He said I should be wary about tattoo studios that hold sales on their services. It's something that I'll wear for the rest of your life, so always go after the quality of the tattoo.
He complimented my English speaking skills (oh thank you hihi).
After a few minutes, Asao, my artist, approached me and showed me sketches of my design in varying sizes. I went for the largest one, as Jiness' guy (huhu really sorry I forgot your name) also gave me this tip that I shouldn't be afraid to get larger tattoos. The bigger the tattoo, the greater the details will be on the design.
When it was my turn to go in, I bid the guy goodbye. On my way inside the studio, I actually passed by the room where Jiness was, already in the process of her tattoo. She saw me and happily said "good luck!"
The moment of truth: pain and needles
The rooms in the studio were only divided by curtains. There were other customers being serviced on the other rooms and I could hear the sounds of the needle machines. 😱 Upon reaching our room, Asao assisted me in taping the design sketch on the wrist area. I adjusted it on where I wanted its exact location to be. After that, Asao requested me to lie down on the bed (I actually forgot to take off my shoes first and Asao politely asked me to). Then she started to prepare her equipment. I saw her getting the dyes and testing how to mix the colors. She even asked me to confirm if I was okay with the shade of red. After a few more minutes, the tattooing process finally began.
I can't seem to find the best words to fit the description of that sensation: it hurt, but in a good way. Asao would press the needle machine on my skin, then will lift it up after a few seconds, then will wipe the area with a cloth (based on videos I saw on Youtube, it's to remove the blood oozing out of the skin 😵). It only hurts when the needles touch my skin but it immediately goes away when lifted. I was just so happy that I got to have a female tattooist to do my very first tattoo, because I knew I would be more comfortable with that setup. The studio must have noted that it was my first tattoo because honestly it didn't hurt that much (maybe Asao was just very gentle). I wanted to get a glimpse on what's happening on my wrist, but I couldn't get sight of my skin while Asao was working. I just did quick glimpses in between whenever Asao turns to get something from her table with the dyes and other equipment. I saw that she first did the outlines of the flower and the note, followed by coloring the petals, and then outlining the pistils.
The whole process lasted for an hour. The flower was a bright red, but Asao said that it will lighten after a few days. Then she asked if it's okay to take a photo of my tattoo (of course!). Then I went to this other room with a black backdrop and a guy took photos of my wrist with his DSLR (as of this writing, still waiting if they would post it on their Instagram page).
When I went back to the waiting area, Jiness and the guy were no longer there. With a melancholic feeling, I collected my umbrella and jacket which I left at our table earlier.
They wrapped my freshly-tattooed wrist with some bands to protect from getting infected. They also gave me a print out of instructions and a small tube of ointment for the aftercare.
With my tattoo artist Asao. It was a surprise treat to actually get to have a photo with her. I was meaning to ask David if I could stay for a bit after the session because I wanted to take more photos of the studio. He interpreted it to me wanting a photo with Asao. I wouldn't have asked for it (uh I'm shy) but yes of course, I would be delighted! So yeah, so happy it turned out this way. :D
This is my tattoo a few days after the session, still in the healing process (first photo) and my tattoo more than a month after (second photo).
This design has a meaning behind it, of course. I actually had my whole explanation drafted already, but I think I would want to keep it with me for now. I guess I'll just write that on another separate post in the future (this post is already long I know... but hey huge thanks you got this far. ♥). If you also are interested in getting a tattoo at this studio, I will also be writing a separate post to delve into the details of my process in getting one from them. Stay tuned for that!
Sushi Conveyor Belt Experience
Okay, so it was not technically a conveyor belt, but it's the closest thing I have experienced so far. One redditor suggested this place in our Japan travel LINE chat, and so I went for it! From Studio Muscat, I walked to Uobei Shibuya Dogenzaka! Apparently this is a famous sushi chain in Tokyo, maybe because each order of sushi only costs 108 JPY! I arranged to go visit this place after my tattoo session. It was already past 5PM at this point I guess, and it was still drizzling outside. Walking in the cold with my transparent umbrella, I checked my map to locate this sushi restaurant.
There was no queue when I arrived at the restaurant (thank goodness, because I was starting to feel hungry). A staff gave me my number and I went inside to locate my seat. I saw that the place consisted of long tables with seats facing the conveyor belt where the orders will be delivered. I immediately went for the seat that matches the number that was given to me.
Each seat has a touch screen machine where orders can be selected. You can order three items at a time, of which will be delivered along the belt and will stop in front of you. It was like I was playing a game actually. It was so fun looking at the menu on the touch screen (there's English menu! 👏). You could also order drinks, but those will be delivered to you personally by the waiters (we don't want them to get spilled on the conveyor belts!).
There were 3 lines of conveyor belts, so it's possible to get your order on the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd level. Once the dish gets delivered to you, you get the plate, then press a button on the screen so that the small tray would return back to the kitchen (I assume). It was very entertaining to see dishes zoom past me towards the others along the table! 😆
Can I just declare that Uobei's miso soup is the best one I have tried so far? It was so flavorful! It really was just the best!
I super loved the salmon and sardines sushi (I wanna eat one right now 😭). I liked most of the sushi I ordered, except for the one with nato. I guess I'm not a fan of its texture. 😐
For dessert, I got myself a lemon cheescake! *yum*
All in all, my bill was less than 2,000 JPY, even though I've eaten a lot of sushi! I was so satisfied with this recommendation. I walked out with a happy tummy!
An Unexpected Stop at Don Quixote
I was originally enroute to a nearby Daiso branch to check out stuff there. While waiting for the green light at one pedestrian lane, I saw this somewhat familiar penguin logo I saw online while researching stuff for this trip. I was actually looking at a Don Quixote shop! Well I guess I'll check out the place too, right? Based on my research, this shop is famous among tourists because of the great bargains there. Well I found out it was true, because a lot of people were inside. It didn't help that the aisles were a bit narrow. I had to say a lot of sumimasens while I navigated inside.
There were a lot of souvenirs to buy! I think this is where I bought some green tea Kit Kat (that is a staple pasalubong, especially from Japan!). Although I still wanted to check out more stuff inside, I was beginning to feel exhausted and just bought what I could find.
Visit at my first Daiso in Tokyo
One-hundred yen shops are popular in Japan, and one of them is Daiso. There are Daiso outlets in the Philippines, but of course I wanted to see what the shops are like in Japan!
I don't know, maybe I had high expectations for this shop, or I just visited the wrong branch? The one I visited here in Shibuya only had few items that interested me. Well I still able to get great deals, as I was able to buy here the mini laptop sleeve and the camera pouch that was in my to-buy list! I was actually hesitating to buy the laptop sleeve because I was thinking I might find a better and cheaper one. But yeah I still went for it. Actually I wasn't able to find something similar to this for the rest of my trip so I was very happy I purchased it there and there. That just teaches the lesson, especially applicable for shopping, that if you've seen an item you like, buy it! You might not be able to find something like it anymore.
Tower Records Pilgrimage
It was already dark and still rainy outside, and I still had one item on my itinerary for the day -- go visit Tower Records in Shibuya! I'm a huge fan of music and I still buy physical CDs of artists that I really like. I planned to buy the latest album of The 1975 there because I learned online that there's a bonus track on the Japanese release version of the album. While walking around Shibuya, I saw Jaejoong several times in the ads playing on the electronic billboards. I tried to take photos of it, but failed. 😖 He's actively promoting his music in Japan. Maybe I could check out his albums in the store!
Aaah, my fangirl heart fluttered at the sight of this.
The building consists of nine floors, and different categories are in each of the floors. There's also a music cafe there! I only was able to get a glimpse of that floor (when I was exploring the place via the elevator). I think I was able to pass the floor with KPOP, and then JPOP artists. I was specifically was looking for the The 1975 album so I went to the floor where foreign albums are located.
No music, no life. Damn right!❤
Visiting Tower Records, I learned that Japan do love Queen! Lots of Bohemian Rhapsody movie merch and soundtrack albums were in display.
Lots of Taylor Swift stuff. So proud of our queen!
I went through the shelves where the albums were arranged by artist. By some reason, I just couldn't locate The 1975 albums. 😭 I scanned the numbers before "A" and also went to "T". Oh well, the ending was -- I wasn't able to buy their album!
Shibuya Crossing and Hachiko
Already tired and bit sad, I continued walking towards Shibuya station. Walking around Shibuya at night was something else, like it was an eclectic dream. With light rain falling down, very cold wind, I walked through the Monday night crowd.
I was enroute to check out the Hachiko statue by the station when I passed by the Shibuya crossing. It was very anticlimatic.
I was taking photos of this beautiful building when I suddenly thought -- Uhm is this the infamous Shibuya crossing? As I continued to walk, I looked at the crowd as they start to cross the several pedestrian lanes in different directions. This was it? What's so special with this crossing? At that point I was unimpressed. Maybe I just missed something, but Shibuya crossing was just meh.
Oh hello there Hachiko! What a good boy!
I finally located Hachiko's statue. It was easy -- I just had to find the spot encircled by a crowed near the station. I thought this scenery might have looked a bit silly from a local's point of view. It's a rainy night, and these tourists are crowding around a statue of a dog (nah I'm just bitter I didn't get a decent photo with Hachiko lol).
And that wraps up my third day in Tokyo! It was so tiring, but again I had lots of memorable experience for the day. I think this is one of my most favorite days in my trip in Tokyo all because this is when I got my tattoo! I'm so happy that things went well. There are still A LOT of happy things that I will share with this trip, and I am still drafting them all. Stay tuned for more!
I am a 30-something student of life, documenting my journey to achieve my goals + other things that interest me under the sun. Writing on the blog for more than a decade, my content focuses on lifestyle which includes photography, reviews of books/movies/series that I get to consume, and also of music that I create and listen to. I also got to document my travels to various places all over the world. The blog is my medium for recording my deepest thoughts and emotions so that in the future I can look back and remember the lessons that I learned along the way.