Yesterday some of my associates from Toshiba took me around Tokyo to celebrate my birthday.
But first, I started the day by having lunch with a lady that I met while riding the shinkansen to Kyoto back in June. We went to a nice Japanese restaurant in Roppongi Hills, and I told her about what I had been doing in Japan, and my plans, etc etc. I think she is like an older, Japanese, version of me- she loves working, traveling, and learning languages, all qualities that we share.
After that I walked back to Roppongi station where I met one of my friends and we headed to Tokyo Tower. We went up into the observatory and looked out over Tokyo for awhile, which is always fun for me. I am not used to big cities, so I really like to go up towers and see the expanse of buildings in the city. Next we met up with two more friends and went to a shrine called Shibatoshogu. It is always interesting to see an old, traditional style building contrasted with the new, modern buildings also in the area. After that we walked down towards the river and looked at the Rainbow Bridge. At that time two of our party had to leave for another engagement, and the rest of us headed to Akihabara, the electronics district of Tokyo. They have many stores selling electronic products for much cheaper than the usual retail price. Also they have an abundance of maid cafes and stores catering to nerd culture.
At Akihabara we met another friend and then went to a maid cafe. Maid cafes are very interesting... At these places, the waitresses dress like maid-dolls with frilly dresses and thigh high socks and maybe some bunny ears in their hair. The maids are very interactive with the patrons of the cafe, sitting by their table to explain everything in detail. We ordered a mixed juice drink, which the maids actually shake and pour at your table. While they are doing it they say cute things for you to repeat and do a whole show of making it interactive and elaborate so it "will taste better." Also everyone who goes in gets to take a picture with the maid of their choice. When you order they bring a board that has a picture of each girl, and the patrons choose the girl they want to take a picture with. While we were there, this one guy was recognized on stage because he has been to that cafe 500 times. So he got to go up and take a picture with all of the girls. We were trying to figure out how often that guy goes to the cafe, since he looks young and we think he must go 3-5 times a week! The maids address the patrons very sweetly and say things welcome home when you arrive, and when you leave they say I will be waiting for you return (which is what Japanese normally say to their family members when they leave the house). Also the maids call men goshujisama meaning lord, and girls they call ojosama which means princess.
After leaving the maid cafe, we went to a restaurant for dinner. While there my friends surprised me with a delicious chocolate mousse and fruit cake that the waitresses brought out and then sang happy birthday to me. Also, my friends presented me a wallet, towel, and pocket mirror. It was a great birthday celebration!
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