More summertime fun

Hmm, it's been three huge weekends in a row, since I last posted here. Had a Saturday ticket to Summer Sonic. Rocked out to the Ting Tings, Matisyahu, and Lady Gaga. Metronomy turned out to be the best show of the day. The following weekend was Robin and Dakai's debut gig. I can best describe their music as instrumental space rock. Very Pink Floyd-esque at times. Chased it with a long-awaited trip to the beach on Sunday.

Just this past weekend was the Azabu Juban omatsuri (festival). Summer street festivals are huge in Japan, and this is one of Japan's biggest. Right in my backyard, too, which was both good and bad. Thousands of jimbei- and yukata-wearing Japanese people flooded my neighbourhood all weekend, fiending after beers and grilled street eats. Went to see the "lifesize" Gundamu (ガンダム) in Odaiba on Sunday. Google it. It was another "only in Japan" moment, to be sure.

The temperature and humidity in Tokyo has dropped off quite a bit over the last 3-4 days. Although this should make me happy, I'm not super thrilled, because it is a sign that the summer is coming to an end.

The Ting Tings, owning the crowd at Summer Sonic.

Ayako, Alice and me, waiting for Lady Gaga.

Sunset at Zushi beach.

Anand, on his fourth trip to Tokyo since I've been here! My other friends, are you taking notes?

People in bird suits dancing on stage, hooray!

Gundamu in Odaiba. Thousands of grown adults fawning over a giant toy robot.

Summertime

I don't have too much new to say. Weekdays are a wash because I'm at work pretty much all the time. Weekends fly by, and then it's Monday again. I've fallen into a rhythm. But I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

Summer in Tokyo has been disgustingly humid. It takes me just ten minutes to walk to work, yet I still manage to break a sweat. Ugh. But when I ask the locals, I'm always told that it's been a mild summer, and that its usually much worse. Hooray for climate change!

Peter K was here last weekend on a business trip through Tokyo and Taiwan. Did my best to show him a good time. Going to Summersonic in Chiba this Saturday. I'm most excited about the Cokehead Hipsters.

Picnicking in Showa Kinen park two weekends ago, before the fireworks show at night. The Japanese word for fireworks, 花火, literally means "flower fire".

Some guy brought his pet lizard to the park.

This picture is overexposed, but for some reason I really like it. Taken during a Sunday afternoon wander through Meiji Jingu.

I don't remember what was so funny. We did have delicious Indian food at Masala Hut soon afterwards, though.

On a Thursday evening bike ride with the Tokyo Design Flow crew. Maybe more on this later.

Use your imagination.