New Years Eve in Tokyo

We traveled in to the city and via a visit to Shibuya and a stroll around surrounding areas, we went to Yoyogi Park. Just outside the entrance to the park, there was a guy with a teddy hand-puppet and a sign which said "Free Hugs" so Eric and I went up and got a free hug. We both agreed he held on a bit too long but it put us in a good mood. Philip got one on the way out. We visited Meiji Shrine in the park. It had a huge entrance and the shrine itself was located in a wooded area in the park.

We went to a running sushi bar. This was my first time properly eating sushi, sushi and nothing but sushi. I already knew I could eat raw salmon and raw tuna. The biggest discovery for me was knowing that I couldn't eat raw eel. Philip recommended it to me and when it was in my mouth, I thought that not only was I going to have to spit it out but I was going to get sick too but I forced it down.

One thing about Tokyo and Philip told me this before we arrived there that just walking around Tokyo is most of the experience and he was right. Trying to take it all in probably what most people do. I don't think there is anywhere else in the world like it.

We popped into to get Purikura pictures. This is a thing that is very popular among Japanese teenage girls. They are group photos of people that you can add silly things to while editing after. They also make your eyes wider for "added cuteness". Cuteness is very important for Japanese teenage girls.



I really needed a Japanese toilet so we went to a bar called the Hub and stayed there for a few hours. We had time to kill as we were not going back to the apartment so there was no rush and we had seen a lot for one day.

We then went to an Arabian restaurant for dinner and 2 of Eric's friends from Toyama who were in Tokyo for New Years joined us. From here we started making our way to Tokyo Tower. We were spending the countdown at Zojo-ji Temple next to the Tokyo Tower. Tokyo Tower looks very similar to the Eiffel Tower, where I spent New Years the previous year. There was saki on sale but we brought our own beers as none of us like saki. The temple was packed and was a lot of fun. When the temple opened, there was a big rush of people trying to get in but most of the people stayed outside under the tower. Once the countdown was finished and everyone calmed down, people started leaving very fast. There was no hanging about.

We went back into Shibuyo and found a huge karaoke bar. Our room was on the 7th floor. It was great. We stayed in there singing until the early hours. It was great fun. One thing I always found interesting in all the karaoke bars I visited, was on toilet trips, seeing the variation of Japanese people singing through the windows on the doors. Most of them simply sitting down but I always saw a few who were really into it standing on the chairs or table pretending they were rock stars. Was pretty funny. After doing a few songs imitating an "auld Dublin man" my throat was in bits.

It was an absolute epic New Years celebration.

While at the train station on the way home, my mother sent Philip a text telling him to tell me my sister and her boyfriend were engaged. I couldn't find my phone charger so my phone had been dead since Fukusaki.