So right now I'm sitting in Gran Cyber Cafe in Shibuya in one of their ever-so-spiffy little booths for 480yen/hour, which comes out to around 4 bucks an hour, which is pretty sweet, considering you get access to the internet, cable television, a playstation 2, and a gigantic collection of manga. Unfortunately for the Japanese illiterate, like myself, the internet and the playstation is pretty much all I can use. Nevertheless, these places are great. You can even stay overnight for a flat rate 1200yen, which comes out to around 10 bux. Sure it's tiny, but hey, it's cheaper than any hotel around here at least.
It should be apparent by now that I didn't find a wireless network that I could pilfer here in Shibuya. Tear.
A great part of my day was spent in a city called Harajuku (like that Belle & Sebastian song), the self-proclaimed fashion capital of Tokyo. The metal sculpture that looks like two eyes is their town symbol. Not sure why that is, but it looks cool. Along the street pictured above, Takeshita, you'll find all sorts of small boutiques, crepe stands, and coffee shops. But you'll probably find the most amusement out of just people-watching. Here is where Tokyo's unique sense of fashion is most imminent.
A lot of up and coming fashion designers like to set up shop here, away from so-called "mainstream" fashion centrals. In many ways, Harajuku is like the fashion underground, where "indie" fashion designers like to gather. Their storefronts are often as vibrant as their designs.
ILL. oh, and yes, it was full of extra dope wear to select.
Even if you're not particularly into fashion, this place is worth checking out. If anything, for the crepes and random engrish.
Alrighty, I gotta go catch a train. Sorry this update was so short. Check out more photos of Harajuku on my Facebook.
http://nyu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2173945&l=30f9c&id=839671
// tim
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