We took a commercial bus down to Tokyo rather than the Shinkansen. We were really glad we did. It was way, way cheaper and much more comfortable. We got to sit back, relax, and eat snacks along the way. It was pretty fun. When we finally reached Tokyo, we walked around Shinjuku. I'd only been to Shinjuku once and it was my first week in Japan for my JET orientation and training. It'd been so long ago that I'd forgotten a lot about it.
Melissa had several things on her list that she wanted to check out. One thing was a Doctor Fish Pedicure. I'd done some research and found a place that offered it. The three of us all did it together. It was something I'd heard about but never thought I'd ever do. Particularly because I really can't stand fish, whether they are alive or dead. But somehow I ended up doing it. I documented it in a couple of somewhat funny videos.
We sat in the spa for about 15 minutes while the little fishies nibbled at our feet. At first it was freaky. Several times it was so ticklish that it was unbearable. But after it was over, our feet were soft and smooth. In fact, my left big toe had been bothering me for some time because of some skin and callouses that had grown there. It was actually kind of painful for me to walk with my shoes on. But after 15 minutes with the Dr. Fish, my feet were baby smooth and the skin that had developed was gone. Walking with shoes wasn't a problem after that anymore.
The next day we woke up early to visit Shibuya. Once there we had to take a picture of Hachiko the dog. The famous story was turned into a Hollywood movie called Hachi starring Richard Gere. The dog waited every day at the train station waiting for his owner to come home even long after the owner had died of a heart attack. The story actually took place in Japan instead of America. In the place where the real dog used to wait is a statue in its memory. Aaron never saw the movie so he didn't get the significance of it. But me and Melissa took a picture on behalf of our Mom, who would've appreciated it.
Then we took pictures in front of Shibuya Crossing. I wanted a picture because it was the spot featured in Lost in Translation. I had to channel my inner indie Scarlett Johansson. Except not as well as she did. And there were no giant dinosaurs walking onto the mega-screens on any of the buildings. We did, however, see lots of Transformers trailers and advertisements all over the place.
From there we headed for Shibuya 109. It wasn't a place I knew about, but Melissa sure did. It was basically a shopping mall with lots of floors. With stores that looked like the picture on the left. Pretty interesting. Pretty crazy. Pretty exhausting. I'm not a shopper. I have a 3 store maximum before I start to lose my mind. This was hours of walking around in circles buying nothing. But hey, anything to please the sister on her last day in Japan. Poor Aaron must've been bored out of his mind. Like me.
After shopping, we headed back to Shinjuku for the Robot Restaurant. Another thing off of Melissa's to do list. It was definitely a spectacle. As soon as we walked in, everything was neon lights, mirrors, girls in skimpy costumes, robots, and so many strange and loud things. The show was pretty long and they had boxing robots, girls dancing in furry outfits, a Chinese lion, a Kung-Fu Panda riding a cow, and so many other bizarre things I can't comprehend.
Here's a band dressed in shiny costumes performing Lady Gaga's "Telephone" song. Were they good? Eh... the keyboardist was good, I'll give him that! Having to play an instrument with flashing lights and a helmet that covers his entire head has got to be a feat. Although there's no way to know if he was actually playing live or if it was just a recording. The singers were singing live though.
After the robots, we decided to head to Harajuku real quick. By the time we got there it was already night time and things were closing down. We managed to walk though some weird looking shops before having to turn around. Not before I saw a candy shop playing Avril Lavigne's "Hello Kitty" song on repeat... that was not a sight or sound I wanted to experience.
It was pretty much a whirlwind and I was a little sad that Melissa didn't get a chance to experience more of Japan since her time was limited. But maybe one day she'll come back and we can take her to a real crazy place - Osaka!
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