A [Typical] Wednesday Night in the Tokyo Area

Wednesday is the designated hump of the work week. Right smack in the middle, it marks the half-way point at which you are 2 days in, 2 days out of the weekend. Most people loathe Wednesday, taunted by the fact they are only half way through to the weekend, yet so tired already. In Japan, however, it's not the case. With Sian as my partner-in-crime, we took Wednesday night by storm.

Since I get off work a full half hour before Sian, I headed to Hachioji, our meeting place, for some dinner. Hachioji is a small city east of Tokyo. Taking the Chuo line directly east from Shinjuku, it takes about 45 minutes. It's a great oasis of neon and excitement, and nestled close to our middle-of-nowhere university campuses. Therefore, it's our weekly friday stop, and now Wednesdays.

After a quick latte at Starbucks, and a wander around the department store adjacent to the station (I found a foreign foods store with everything I could possibly want! Ya-ta!), I met Sian in front of an arcade. First stop of the night - games. Asobimashou!

The best part of this was not the chiming techno of J-Pop, or the overload of girly toys, brightly wrapped candy, and plastic acessories, but the power-suit-wearing business men, spending their typical middle age night rocking these games. It's one of my favorite culture clashes.

Next, we visited a Pacinko parlor. Also here, the business men come to blow off steam. A combination of slot and pinball, this uber-popular game is one player only. Inside the parlor, the only sound was the electronic beeping and whirling of the machines - otherwise, no one spoke, but stared fixedly at the little balls jumping inside the glass in front of them.

Then, we took a gander to Karaoke. The streets are quite lovely here.

Last, but not least - karaoke! Sian and I sang our hearts out for an hour and a half, reinventing songs like 'Hound Dog' and 'Opposites Attract'. 

Ah, Wednesday. I've taken you for granted for far too long. Good times!