February 2nd, 2008 opened with a bang as the group descended upon the Los Angeles Int'l Airport early in the morning. The group had no idea what a drastic change of environment was waiting for them in Tokyo, Japan. A portion of the group had left for Japan ahead of the rest, and was already entrenched in a battle against the elements! With "JAPAN!!" on the tip of everyone's tongue, we boarded the Singapore Airlines non-stop flight to Narita, Japan filled with anticipation. One even had his flashy new iPhone loaded up with anime to enjoy on the plane.
After a long and arduous flight across the Great Pacific, the group had arrived to a rare sight: It was SNOWING in TOKYO! Reports from the group that had gone ahead indicated that it had been snowing "like crazy" almost "all day". Awesome. It doesn't snow like crazy in Tokyo very often. Since it was already night-time in Japan, we didn't really notice the snow's full effect until the following day...
The ride into Shinjuku and our arrival at the hotel was short compared to our recent FLIGHT TO END ALL FLIGHTS, and already the excitement was eating away at everyone's nerves. The tour's Japan activities didn't officially start until the following day, but the participants couldn't wait to check things out - and who am I to deny them?! Our first mission: FOOD.
After a few minutes of getting our bearings on the way to nourishment, three things became very clear: 1) It was COLD. 2) Some of the walkways had iced over, making the simple act of walking a dangerous task. 3) It was REALLY cold. That didn't stop us from taking some nice shots of the scenery. Despite being a good month and a half after Christmas, Tokyo still had lots of trees lit up, and a warm, holiday feel pervaded the city streets.
Our mission to find food was a triumph. (HUGE success, in fact!) The delicious Ôtoya gave us the sustenance we had been craving, and it gave the group a chance to chat and really get to know each other. Really, who doesn't enjoy udon in a box?
After our eats, we ventured into the nether region of night-time Shinjuku - the famous "red-light district" Kabukichô. We wandered around the area marveling at the bright lights and oddities, even taking a moment to try our luck at the UFO catchers (better known as "those claw games"). What better way to cap off the night with a group shot in front of a cabaret with some random Japanese people we don't know?!
We had an exciting tour ahead of us, and we needed our rest, so it was back to the hotel for a much-deserved night's rest before the real show began...
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| Stroll thru Shinjuku's Kabukicho Red Light District
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