Road to RSR09 in EZO → Sunset Day 13

My second-to-last day in Japan was pretty crazy. Kengo dropped me off at the bus stop on his way to work in the morning, and I took a bus to Shizuoka City. I then took a highway bus back to Tokyo. It passes by pretty close to Mt. Fuji, and since it was a really nice day, I got a nice view of my old friend. Back in Tokyo, I decided to head out to Shimokitazawa to find Empty again, because there was a t-shirt I wanted to buy that I couldn't afford before. The owner kept hooking me up with free swag, so I felt like I should buy something to support my favorite clothing store in Tokyo. Ai-chan was there, so I got to hang out with her again. She also helped me figure out how to cross to the opposite side of Tokyo so that I could go to Nihombashi, where my friend Kounosuke was now the manager of the standing bar he started working at several years ago. I had a few drinks and ate his awesome food, and we talked about various things. I hope that next time, I'll have more time to hang out with him. Way back in 2004, on the last night of my trip to Japan I went to a club with Takkun, and I didn't have a place to stay for the night. I was having fun dancing with random people when Kounosuke asked where I was staying (what a strange yet convenient thing to ask), and invited me to come to his place. So it used to be that I could always count on either TAKMIZ or Kounosuke to give me a home while I was in Tokyo, but now that he's moved out of "Life House" (which was TTLY badass), it's not an option anymore. Anyway, I wanted to stay longer, but I was being summoned.



My next stop was Daimon, where I met up with 9 people from RUNS n' MOPEDS. We wanted to actually get to know each other, so we spent the night drinking. It was awesome. They brought me gifts! They also wouldn't let me chip in when it was time to pay. They talked about the rides they want to do around Japan, and I talked about some of my many moped (or otherwise) adventures in the states. They got really excited about the idea of coming to a moped rally, and asked how they can be part of the Moped Army. I of course told them that they have to come to rallies and get to know people, and probably also attempt to talk to people online. Too bad none of them speaks English. I told them that a few years ago, I came up with this crazy dream to tour Japan by moped, and several of us decided that we need to make that or at least Hokkaido happen in the near future. Man... I want to hang out with those guys again. If I'm living in Tokyo, I want to be a part of RUNS n' MOPEDS, and help them to make it even more awesome than it already is. And if I end up in Sapporo, I want to start my own moped gang.



When it got close to last call for the trains and everyone had to go home, antique◇cube and Akazou and I decided that since we (well, Jai in my case) all lived close, it was far too early to go home. So we went to the next bar and hung out for much longer. antique◇cube is the guy who loaned me a moped the other day, and he is a ridiculously cool guy. Any time I come to Japan, I have a moped waiting for me. I can even stay at his house (with his family, which is just a little weird) if I need a place to stay. What a guy. I of course offered them the same thing if they were to come to Seattle. The three of us continued to get drunk and discuss the crazy awesome moped adventures that we want to have in Japan, and maybe even in the States if they can find enough vacation time to come visit.



2009.08.28