Started off 2015 by going to one of my favourite band's, AAA's, New Years concert!! My host sister Mai really wanted to go to a concert, she didnt' care who's, so I invited her to come with me to this one. This is where our seats were. THIRD ROW. We were so close to them all, I died. It was great.

To Japanese people, New Years is a big deal. Everyone goes for their first shrine visit of the year (called Hatsumode) usually within the first 3-4 days of the new year. My family took me along for Hatsumode and we got these eyeball mochi

It was delicious

Also that day when we were at the smaller shrine near our house I had the strangest experience of my life. In Japan (maybe other countries too?) we have a thing called "Yakudoshi" which are ~the unlucky years~. Basically certain ages are considered unlucky and it's believed bad things will happen to you when you're this age. My host father is 42 this year, which is considered the most unlucky age for men (for women it's 33) (Japanese language note: these are considered the most unlucky because 42 can be pronounced like "shi-ni" which translates to "to death" and 33 can be pronounced like "sanzan" which translates to "terrible", "horrible", etc - the number 4 in general in Japan -and China I'm pretty sure- is considered unlucky because "shi" means death). So we went to the shrine and basically had the Shinto equivalent of an exorcism done on the entire family (because it's believed that being in your unlucky year affects everyone who lives with you as well). We all went into a tiny room with a large shrine-y thing inside (what is the word for it??? I don't know??) and the priest sits in front of it and chants things (not in regular Japanese, you can't understand it at all) really loudly and clangs a whole bunch of things and clicks this thing around and basically just makes a lot of noise, then when he finishes that he gets up and chants things at everybody and makes a lot of noise again (I was sick at the time and was having some sinus issues with my ears - it was painful). Then while still chanting he goes to everybody and does something to your back and then chants some more and goes back to sit in front of the shrine-y thing and then it ends and he gives my host dad a charm thing to put in the house. This has been a super accurate educational description of a Shinto exorcism. You are welcome. 

First went to Tokyo Tower! 

Did the touristy thing and went up Tokyo Tower to see the view of Tokyo

More Tokyo

My favourite place, NTV! (of course)

This was the stairs that my beloved NEWS ran up for Soukon all those years ago

Jizo! I forget what the point of them are, but they're always at shrines and temples and they wear cute little hats and bibs and are the cutest thing ever

Then we went to Ueno Zoo! 

Ueno Zoo is famous for its pandas, this is one of them

and the other

they have this shrine thing, the sign said it's a symbol of Japan and Thailand's friendship?

Our favourite part of the zoo - the two sea lions who did nothing but sat in this position not moving

This fat one was the best

This one got tired and just decided to lie down instead though

Then somehow I ended up back in Canada with the polar bears

adorable anteater guy 

A pagoda thing near the entrance of the zoo

Afterwards we went to Akihabara because that's anime capital of the world and all the foreigners want to go there

It's very vibrant

I bought this apple cake at the convenience store, the English on it is great

The next day we went to Harajuku/Shibuya and got waffles

The view of Shibuya's famous scramble crossing from the Starbucks in Tsutaya

Still in awe over the giant NEWS billboard

The streets of Shibuya

view of the scramble crossing from the ground

More Shibuya

And from the other direction

Finally a better picture of Hachiko

Then Michael needed to go back home and at the airport I went and got this honey toast

Narita Airport's New Years display

Because we travel standby because of our ~benefits~ it can be difficult to get on flights some days and this day was one of them. The flight was too full and had no seats open in the end so my brother couldn't go back to Vancouver. So instead I asked my host family if he could stay a night (since he'd already checked out of his hotel) and they willingly accepted. So my brother experienced true Japanese hospitality (e.g. they asked him what he had ate in Japan and when he said just pizza and burgers they were so shocked that they got up and made him some ramen so he could try real Japanese food) and my host family being the weird, entertaining people they are (constantly trying to speak to him in English, saying generic textbook phrases like "John is loved by Mary") so it turned out okay despite being super stressful not getting him on the flight. The next day we went all the way back to the airport and finally, he got on the flight.

A few days later I went to Aoyama Flower Market Tea House, a cafe that's located inside a flower shop. The interior is surrounded in plants and flowers and looks kind of magical. They also have fancy flower-y teas, this is one of them

They also have flower-y food, this is the flower french toast. The flowers are edible. I learnt that flowers don't taste too great.

On another day I met up with a friend I made online who's also a huge NEWS fan and we went to a pancake place that NEWS filmed at! We sat out on the balcony but this is where NEWS filmed (they sat right there!!! RIGHT THERE!!!!!)

And we ordered the closest thing on the menu to what NEWS ate when they filmed there.

Then we went to Johnnys Family Club! (Johnnys is the extremely popular talent agency that NEWS, Arashi, etc etc are a part of - basically a hugely corrupt company with horrible management that has lovely male idol groups that make them a lot of money)

Here is the inside. To Western people this is probably very bizarre. It's literally just a hall with pictures on both sides that showcase autographs and awards and messages from the idols. It probably sounds pointless, but man, it's great.

A signed NEWS poster!

Here are the Koyama photos.......

Went to explore Kichijoji! (because I have no money to do anything else but explore...) Here's a random shrine

one of the main streets in Kichijoji. It's a regular street with shops and restaurants except it's all just under a roof. Very Japanese-ish

Big sparkly heart for Valentine's Day

more of the street

Then got this Strawberry Milk Frappe

In the station I found this place with cute animal cakes

And now just some random photos from here and there:

If you've been to my apartment back in Vancouver you'll know I have a huge cactus obsession. I told myself I wouldn't buy any cactuses while in Tokyo but... I couldn't resist when I saw these tiny little cactuses. So I bought 5.

My Darumas! For those of you that don't know, they're basically things that you make a "wish" on by colouring in one of their eyes. When your wish comes true you fill in the other eye. 

NEWS' new single was released! So of course I went to Shibuya's Tower Records and Tsutaya to look at the displays

Also found this signed Golden Bomber thing at Tower Records. Golden Bomber are great.

Every day I get on the train at Waseda to go back home and everytime I pass Takadanobaba the window I stand at is directly in front of this. It's terrifying.

Went into Tsutaya and saw they had Ryo's outfit from the Eight Ranger movie! It says pictures aren't allowed, but I'm a huge rebel so

So yeah, that's pretty much what I've been up to the past month or so. 

I'm now on the equivalent of summer vacation so I'm off for 2 months (Japanese schools usually start up in April and end for the year in March). I don't have a whole lot planned but will hopefully be travelling around Japan (My host parents said we'll all drive to Kyoto & Osaka soon!) and maybe if I feel up to it to Korea. I'll also be going to visit Vancouver soon since I'm in desperate need of Tim Hortons and poutine. 

So yep, that is all

じゃねぇー

(I used parentheses way too many times throughout this (sorry))