#115 Tokyo

All the movies, manga, video games and anime I've consumed in my thirty years did little to prepare me for the jaw-dropping sights and sounds of Tokyo. Most of the time I wandered the town like an over-stimulated rubbernecker, snapping photos at anything and everything. Every store I encountered contained a million fascinating products. And it seemed like very wall was plastered with a perplexing sign or amusing image.

Thanks to my friends and colleagues, my trip was more than just a tourist visit. Kozyndan introduced us to Yasumasa Yonehara, who took us out for some wicked Shabu Shabu and Sukiyaki then showed us some of his new book projects. My friend Bryan got us onto the set of a Takashi Miike shoot. Sadly, the director was too busy to talk to us very long (I guess that's how he manages to shoot five movies a year). Of course, I also took part in all the Up Our Sleeve madness mentioned in my last post.

In addition I shopped at Mandarake, played tons of videogames, ate amazing food, bought insane amounts of capsule toys, checked out the Happiness art show at Roppongi Hills, drank gallons of beer, shoved my way into crowded subway cars, roamed the fish market at the crack of dawn, explored the Studio Ghibli museum and met tons of amazing people.

My thanks go to all the amazing people I met in Tokyo, Up Our Sleeve organizers Brandy and Frosty and my travel mates Kozyndan, Bryan, Anna and Mike for making my trip so great.

All links go to pics. Watch this spot for more about the trip.