We had been in Japan for about 40 days and ended our tour here in Tokyo. We explored the hard working Osaka and ambled our way through Kyoto. Two nights each in smallish Kanazawa and quaint Takayama. And finally here it was. The city I had been waiting for (lifelong dream achieved). Everything they told you is true. It was weird, and smokey, and crammed with people. It’s ultra slick and modern but also a little beaten up. The people were scrappier, and very much in a hurry. They know, and you know, that they have survival skills that gets them through living in a city with 13.5 million other people. And once again sophistication and hipness prevailed (mixed in with a lot of kitsch). We were hoping to be able to duck into some of these tiny little dark places we’ve heard so much about, what we knew made Tokyo so unique. It was a little daunting. But I had a plan. I was going to cross that street with a thousand other people. I was going to down some drinks at the tiniest bar you’ve ever seen (total occupancy: 5), I was going to shop till I dropped, I was going to conquer the subway system, eat chicken skewers with the locals, and fully immerse myself. And I did.