After spending a few weeks just in Kasukabe, I had forgotten how much I like being in a city, a big  city, like Tokyo.  This time we checked out Ginza and Shinjuku.  Ginza is simply a modern, expensive shopping district, nothing for me really, and Shinjuku is a less touristy version of Shibuya, but still really packed.  I think Shinjuku might be my favorite area as of now.  It had a little bit of everything.  You could find large department stores, government buildings with free access to the observation floor, smaller allys with the bar stools practically in the walk way, cheaper shopping and local shopping, plenty of bars, and a large host club/chinese massage/pimp district if you're into that kind of business, or have the money.

Finally bought a ramen bowl and skillet today, so I should be able to save more money on groceries each week.  Still need a rice cooker, that will definitely happen before the summer vacation.  I was spending 1000 per day on groceries, about $10 a day, $70 a week.  But with a rice cooker and the ability to throw in cheap vegetables and meat, I'm my goal is $40 per week. 

Music wise, I finally caught onto Junior boys, good electro pop, similar to the electric Erelend Oye album.  I also picked up another Takako Minekawa (the wife of Cornelius) album, Maxion, and just like the other album I owned, Fun 9, zero disappointments, perhaps my favorite Japanese artist.  Too bad her last album was released back in 2000. But cornelius is still putting them out, so she must be up to something.