First Day in Japan

I have arrived in Tokyo after a very long 11 hr flight. After navigating the train system, I made my way to Ogikubo station and hooked up with Adam and we headed over to Brent and Shoko's house, who are kindly letting me stay while I'm here in Japan. Their two boys, Akira (6) and Sasuke (2), are a handful of fun and also responsible for the many holes in the rice paper walls of the house hahahah! Adam and I go out for beers at a jazz bar and they play New Orleans tunes. Later, we go to Bar Bitch, adorned with images of Che Guevara and only 6 seats at the bar. The bartender finds out that we're Canadian and plays Neil Young all night. After talking with one of the locals, he gives me a photo of a sunrise that he took on Jan. 1st as a tribute to my first day in the land of the rising sun.



In the morning I wake up and go for a run on the streets of Ogikubo and then we have a breakfast of fruit and Mister Donut. I go to the Imperial Palace to see the gardens but I'm turned away because they close at 3:30. I meet an old man who is out walking and we talk for half an hour about Canada, Japan, toilets, bicycles and various other things. He took this photo of me outside the palace.