Winter feeling in Tokyo proper

Oh I just had to take a break from my thesis, and I thought I had better take advantage of this free half hour to blog. Which is something I just don't have time to do recently! TT I also have not been replying to comments or reading blogs, I know how this negatively affects things but I won't be able to interact normally until after my thesis is due haha!

I was also thinking, many of my recent posts aren't so interesting and thought that many people began reading my blog to learn more and enjoy photos of Japan. So I will try to get back on track with Japan write-ups and share some more useful information ^^/



Business areas, like around Tokyo Station, have a western feeling

It will be winter soon, and I don't know about you but we have already put up our Christmas decorations (expect the tree, we haven't had time yet). It makes me feel like showing some winter-y photos of Japan!



Not particularly winter-y but interesting and red like Christmas haha!


Now that's winter-y!

Actually its been years since I was in Japan for Christmas, I honestly really disliked being there for Christmas and regard it as a mistake, so I usually travel in January now. However one great thing about that is many of the illuminations are still up.

January is the month of the New Year of course, which is much more important in Japan than Christmas so there are lots of nice decorations about and events going on. These photos come from a particular night in January earlier this year when I went to the Tokyo Station area to see illuminations.



Beautiful lit up trees


Mostly just got to see the back of heads...

While we were there we also passed through the Oazo shopping center, and happened upon a free opera performance. It was really interesting, but since we didn't know about it beforehand we didn't get a good view haha. There were also some pretty window displays in the mall.



A jewelry display, but its not the jewelry that is beautiful

I know there was not much info in this particular writeup, but hopefully you could enjoy the photos haha. And in case you are in need of some more festive photos, please check out Thanh Thao's post today! It's all Christmas photos from Germany XD

Well that's it for now. I'm off to eat dinner and write some more for my thesis, then shower and bed and then work again...

A round of bowling in Tokyo

Well it's my last night here in Tokyo again, its quite sad actually. I mean besides obviously being sad to leave, I am here in the apartment alone while my friend is working. I really wish we could have spent my last day together, but flights during the week were cheaper than the weekend.

I've been meaning to write some more proper posts about Japan, and it seems to write about a fun time I had spending with my friend last year. If we can't hang out today, at least I can reminisce right? ^^

The bowling alley was in this building, which included other fun activities

Now really, I don't like bowling that much. It's fun enough, but I am not so great at it. My lowest score was seriously 24 (but that was in high school gym class and I was more interested in messing around and being obnxious with my friends..yeah) anyhow, but bowling is one of the activities you can enjoy with friends here that doesn't involve food or alcohol or singing (but it can of course).




This is the entire alley XD

The main difference between bowling in the US and Japan of course is the size of the alley. There are bowling alleys here as big as in the US, but averagely there are fewer lanes. Furthermore I am used to bowling alleys that are attached to bars, restaurants, arcades, have full meal service etc.




Not the kind of set up you want to see TT


I guess I'm gonna bowl haha!

But I am not interested in those things, so going for a round at a smaller alley without a bunch of people inhaling pizza and booze was fine for me XD Indeed there were only a couple other people there that evening. The other thing I really liked was the shoes were dispensed from a vending machine!




The shoe vending lockers


Put in 300yen, press the button and get bowling shoes!

I didn't win the game of course, I only got one strike, but it was just fun to do something familiar but I had never done in Japan before. Bowling is something I can do just once or twice a year and be satisfied haha. That goes for mosts recreation sports! Though billiards and badminton are fairly fun^^

Do you like bowling? Or have a favorite recreation sport?