26 HOURS IN TOKYO.

I flew. And I flew. And I flew. And 13 hours later, I arrived.

Tokyo: a city of high-rises, flashing lights, and a serious obsession with youth culture.

But how did I arrive here? On a plane. And on that plane I just happened to sit next to a 26-year-old Christian guy from Turlock, CA named Brandon. Little did Matt know, but Brandon would end up saving his trip to Tokyo... (read on)

After good conversation with Brandon, some sleep, and a mediocre plane movie, Brandon and I exchanged info. I left for my hotel in Narita (right next to the airport), and he went downtown to meet his dad at their hotel. Well, apparently Narita is 1.5 hours by train outside downtown Tokyo. Who knew? Not me. I was faced with a dilemma: leave the hotel right then (at 9pm) for downtown Tokyo and then wander the streets all night until the trains began running again...OR stay in my hotel that night, get up early and hit Tokyo during the day. I weighed both options. If you know me, you know which path I chose.

A few minutes later, I had purchased a Japanese calling card and called Brandon to see if I should meet him in Tokyo for a little Japanese Karaoke. He informed me that his dad's flight was delayed until the next day, so I could stay in his room. BRILLIANT! (for me...unfortunate for his father).

VERTICAL LIVING!
The 1.5 hour train ride shed some light onto how 35 million people can inhabit a single city- hundreds upon hundreds of the same 35+ story apartment building for miles. No joke.

ROOM UPGRADE
I arrived, dripping wet from walking through a Japanese flash-monsoon, at Brandon's hotel (The Imperial Hotel) in Giza district (financial/retail area). Incredible view of the city from the 22nd floor. By this time it was after 11pm, and Brandon was ready to call it a night. I had some exploring to do.

DISCOVERING GIZA
I meandered through the Tokyo streets in search of food, settling on a Sushi place. When in Rome. The menu had pictures, and so I picked the most adventurous looking thing: the face of a Red Snapper. And it was pretty good- delicate, savory- though a bit too boney.

After this I explored the Giza district, finding wonderful architecture around every corner. The Japanese take pride in their buildings, and it shows. The quality of built work is unmatched in the U.S. I even stumbled upon a Chanel building where the entire front facade was an LED screen that displays video advertising for Chanel. We're talking 20 stories tall, video screen, as a building. It was incredible.





















After that I discovered "Echo", 8 levels of Japanese Karaoke. Tempting as it was, I had to pass on doing Karaoke in a private room alone in a foreign country. Next time, Echo. Next time.

After 2 hours of wanderings, I made my way back to sleep at the Imperial (a.k.a. super nice) Hotel.