Bad travel day! It happens! Navigating the Tokyo train system seems like it should be pretty straight forward but between the express trains, the non express ones, cars for women only during certain times of day, finding the right elevated platform and the construction. Add more people than I’ve ever seen in a station and it seems like a navigation disaster waiting to happen. We made a second attempt at seeing Yosiell’s artist friend in Koenji - and we had another missed connection and didn’t get to see him…we were waiting but had to bolt over to the Imperial Palace to take a tour. We got out of the train station at the wrong entrance for meeting the guide. We had to hoof it in the extreme heat and humidity across the extremely large Imperial Grounds. Clipping at a brisk pace the heat and humidity got the part part of us. We got to the tour guide but opted out of another hour to ninety minutes walking in the same heat back the way we came. We basically said, “Fuck it, let’s go back the Shinjuku for a 7-11 lunch, cold drinks, and A/C. By the way gentle reader, if no one has told you yet, 7-11 food in Japan is not the hot dogs on a roller disaster of American 7-11’s. They have pretty good food at a reasonable price. Rusty, true southerner he is, tried the fried chicken and expected to be entirely disappointed…not so, friends, he reported it to be actually pretty good.
All the morning trials melted away when we arrived at our reservation for the Monster Hunter Bar for dinner (in Akihabra) for Yosiell’s Birthday a few days early. Most theme restaurants I’ve been to are tacky at best and gaudy at their worst. The Monster Hunter Bar was fairly well done with fun themed food and and drinks, wonderful costumes, and videos of the game I’m not familiar with the video game but the waiter gave us a run down of the video game, He was a sweet twink with a lovely disposition and a spot on gaydar. The whole experience was confusing, odd, delightful and completely Tokyo. Happy Birthday Yosiell, Rank Up Hunter!
Amazing lifesize Monster Hunter props.
Dango Monster Hunter style. Very on brand.
The beer was definitely a welcome relief from the heat.
The dinner platter, again, very on brand.
A Palicoe Monster Hunter Birthday cake! Rank Up Hunter for your Birthday!
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