02/24/2010 In Japan, Panoramics

Once we had enough of the view from Marine Tower, we made our way back to ground level and prepared for the next leg of our journey.

Yuuki and grandpa

After a little bit of waiting, out front of the tower with the family and without the newlyweds, we then were instructed to follow as the group walked across the street and onward. Robby and I were really just wide-eyed tourists at this point – we were clueless as to what we were doing or where we were going, but oh well, it’s more fun that way. That’s probably why we didn’t really ask. After a few blocks, we wound up at a long shopping row. I forgot to write down its name, but it’s basically a long alley with colorful, and sometimes expensive, shops lining both sides. What catches your attention first however is the beautiful hanging light at the entrance.

Great light

I love japanese alleyways. They’re so narrow, but usually so crammed with little shops and apartments and things with the most complicated-looking power poles I’ve ever seen.

Alley

At some point on our walk, I wasn’t paying attention, Makoto’s dad called to us to follow him and when I swung my head around he was disappearing down some steep stairs next to a building, just off the sidewalk. Once we made it down the stairs, we found ourselves in a hollywood-themed bar. Ahhhh, the after party.

Floral arrangements and headshots

Robby san

Brian san

Robby and I were sitting at the family’s table drinking a beer and snacking on little cocktail hot dogs (how we still had room for food heaven knows) and watching other party-goers fill out bingo cards when Makoto and Yoko made their grand re-entrance. This time they went western with their costumes.

Yeehaw!

Soon after, the infamous cake from before was produced and Robby and I finally understood its purpose, to be a part of the second cake-cutting.

The cake returns!

Once the cake was cut, Makoto encouraged Robby and I to mingle with the rest of the party because, as it turns out, much of Yoko’s friends were studying english in school. It wasn’t until we were getting more beers later that we struck up a conversation with them. They were all super nice and spoke english real well. While talking to the girls, the bingo game was announced, nearly all of the winners being on the other side of the room. I think Robby and I were bad luck. Soon after the bingo game was done, Makoto and Yoko made their re-exit and took photos with people at the door.

Newlyweds!

With the after party finished, it was just Robby, me and Yoshi. We talked about what to do with the rest of our night as we walked down the street.

Walking the streets in search of a good time

Somehow Robby and Yoshi came up with the idea of going to a Izakaya spot, which I came to understand, is a place where you can get drunk off of a great assortment of drinks and eat delicious munchies.

Yoshi spotted a place and we climbed the steep stairs to its entrance (it seems all the stairs are real steep in Japan). After having a seat, we decided to have highballs and order an assortment of food. Yoshi suggested the raw horse sushi. Now how could I say no?

Raw horse sushi

It was surprisingly tender and really not a strange texture at all. Plus, it was tasty. To add to the list of things I never though I’d eat, but there I was in Japan eating them, Robby and Yoshi also ordered kabobs of various parts of chicken including stomachs and hearts. I would choose hearts over stomachs – the stomachs are a little tough, but both are delicious.

Chicken meat including skin, hearts, and stomach

Yoshi also ordered some squid to be cooked yakiniku-style.

Grillin' squid

The gnarliest piece I ate

When our high balls were finished, we moved on to Shochu, a japanese vodka-like alcohol served on the rocks that doesn’t bite as bad as vodka.

Shochu

Yoshi also ordered some deep-fried oyster, which he said “they are okay, but not for me. No. I had a bad experience.” He also ordered some sort of hot pot with meats and tofu and veggies in it.

Deep-fried oyster

Hot pot!

My bowl was overfull like my stomach at that point

With bellies full of drank and the craziest variety of food I’ve ever eaten in a single day, we left the Izakaya and headed to a bar where Makoto and his friends were at. That place was so packed, we decided it best if Yoshi, Robby and I left and found another bar to hang out at until Makoto and company left that one. This proved to be a difficult task. We walked around the streets looking, sometimes finding bars, but then getting a bad feeling about them and turning around. As I was told, some bars aren’t very friendly to foreigners or are just plain weird. Though we were unsuccessful at finding a bar; eventually we wound up giving up and hopping a train back to Makoto’s place, the search provided some interesting discoveries and an awesome panorama.

Awesome blue street

Yokohama sewer cap

This is a nail salon named...FAIL

China town had beautiful entrances

The smallest escalator I've ever seen

Robby and Yoshi waiting for the train

Okay, that gets us very far into my trip. Up next I’ve got a trip to Kamakura with Robby and Makoto to talk about, which includes an interesting Starbucks, a huge buddha, and more crazy eats.