RyokOhio: The Lewises In Japan Blog: Japan Trip 2016, Days 8 & 9: Tokyo and Kamakura

Sorry I didn't write a post for yesterday. Other than the concert we attended that night, most of it was traveling from Kyoto to Tokyo on the shinkansen. Just to give you an idea of how wonderful shinkansen (bullet trains) are, the distance from Kyoto to Tokyo is almost exactly the distance from Cincinnati to Detroit. Our shinkansen traveled that distance in 2 hours and 40 minutes at 136 mph. And that's not even the fastest of the bullet trains! It's a smooth and quiet ride with the only downside being that when you go into a tunnel, your ears might pop since you're going so fast!

So we made good time in getting to Tokyo and then checking into our hostel at K's house Tokyo Oasis (just up a couple blocks in Asakusa from the first hostel we stayed at our first night here). It takes a little bit more walking, but it's worth it. Our rooms have their own bathroom and shower (so nice after the past hostel with shared bathrooms that weren't even split by gender), a small tatami matted area with a table and chairs, and a nice bed with one of the comfier mattresses. I'm currently writing this blog from their community lounge area where they've set up a kotatsu (table with a heater underneath and a blanket) due to the cold weather. There was a French couple who we were just sharing KitKats with but they were pretty quiet. Ah well, more food for us!

Anyway, after checking in to our hostel it was about 3:00 pm and our concert was in Nakano at 6:00. We decided to play it safe and just go to Nakano right away. So we walked around the area, checked out the covered market street nearby and then made our way to the Nakano Sun Plaza where the BUCK TICK concert would be held. They already had the merch booths up so I bought me a tee shirt and a face mask for Jeff and I. Then we played the waiting game and watched the other BUCK TICK fans trickle in. Most of them were younger than I expected, especially for a band that started in the 80's. Most of them were girls, which is to be expected I guess since it's an all male band that were one of the pioneers of the visual kei movement in Japanese Rock. BUCK TICK sports giant mohawks and makeup and instead of being asked about their music, were more often asked about their hairstyles, kind of like the Beatles and their hairstyles ("What would you call that hairstyle you're wearing?" "Arthur."). The waiting crowd was also dotted with those in goth outfits, but nothing too extreme. As I mentioned before, most of the crowd consisted of girls. When we entered into the concert hall (think the size of the Taft theater) and the concert started, in between songs you would hear the girls shout out the names of their favorite band members (Yuuta seemed to be the most popular) and words of encouragement. Another thing they did in the concert is coordinated hand movements. Usually in rhythm to the song's chorus. They weren't hard to learn after a refrain or two, but the fans seemed to know which arm gesture or hand movement to use and when. The music was loud and wonderful, the lighting was awesome with video projections incorporated into it (with some really chuckle-worthy montages of skulls and blood and an eye crying a single tear), and BUCK TICK sounded great! I'm going to have to pick up their new album while I'm here.

Did I mention how cold it was? It was freaking FREEZING when we left the concert. Also, wearing a face mask and trying not to fog up your glasses is an art it seems all bespectacled Japanese have mastered and I have not. It was only about 9 pm, so Jeff and I stopped at Denny's (yes, the same Denny's as we have in America) for some food. The food at their Denny's is much better and has mostly Japanese food items along with some western options. Jeff got spaghetti and meatsauce and I got omurice (rice omlette). Delish. Then it was time for bed.

The next day we had a day trip from Tokyo on the itinerary. Remember how I said it was cold? It was still cold. So we stopped at the clothing store UNIQLO (think Kohls) and I got a long-sleeved undershirt (with heat-tech, oooh) and Jeff got an extra pullover. We needed it! The day was cloudy, windy, and chilly, but we still made our way to Kamakura. Located a little over an hour outside of Tokyo, Kamakura is by the ocean and is most famous for it's giant Buddha. He looks bigger in the photos, but he's still a sight to behold! Also nearby was the wonderful temple Hase-dera, which overlooks the coast line and has a great many things to explore. There is also a large Buddha, the Amida Buddha there too, but it's inside the temple and cannot be photographed. There was also a cave, Benten-Kutsu, where the ceiling is low, making it so you have to bend and bow slightly to get through it and see the various statues and stone reliefs of the goddess Benzaiten.

I had a couple more stops on the itinerary for Kamakura, but it was about 4:00 and starting to rain. The clouds rolling in from the sea was making it already turn dark. Jeff and I ducked into a tonkatsu restaurant that looked yummy, and we were right! Aw man, the pork cutlet was breaded and fried to perfection! And the miso, while simple, was really really good! After that big meal, and it getting colder outside, we decided we saw the main sights of Kamakura and left to go back to the hostel, where there was a warm kotatsu waiting for us. We stopped by Donki to pick up shareable snacks, of which only a few were consumed, so there's plenty left for anyone else we try to make friends with here at the hostel.

Have a good day everyone! Tomorrow I think the plan is to hit up Ueno for the park and find a cheap suitcase for souvenirs, then nerd it up at Nakano Broadway and Akihabara. Maybe a themed restaurant? Time to check L-Tike!