There are no freaks in this picture. Even I'm not that mean
I don't like being a slave to someone else's schedule, and usually go to places when it's convenient for me. But having heard that Tokyo's resident misfits, show-offs and other assorted, self-appointed freaks like to gather in Yoyogi Park on Sundays to spend time together and out-weird each other with sexy or horrific Cosplay outfits (or both), that gave me a clear deadline for my day out in west Tokyo.
Maybe I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, or maybe The Man is stamping down on these freaks' freedom of confusing expression, but I didn't get to gawp at the freaks today... or did I? Who's to say the businessmen, shoppers, students and tourists dashing across the five-way intersections and packing into the narrow lanes of Shibuya and Harajuku aren't the real freak show?
No, I just double checked and the ones who dress up like dead school kids are the freaks, obviously. I don't know what I was thinking. At least the park was nice.
Yoyogi Kōen
(代々木公園)
This was actually a pretty nice place, where people were free to do pretty much anything
I even killed a guy
This panda guy was just hanging out. I don't think it was for charity, I don't see any flyers.
Does s/he just enjoy dressing like this? Is it a species?
They had to put up these signs, people kept leaving their dogs at the park
I forgot how massive Japanese crows are. But like all crows they're wusses, and still get terrified if you approach any closer than a kilometre
Meiji Jingū
(明治神宮)
Yes, that's right - another place that's genuinely nice, rather than just weird. Sorry. But at least now I don't have to visit any more temples (yeah, like there'll be much else to do in Kyoto)
The unnecessarily large gates were the best part. How tall was Emperor Meiji anyway?
For god's sake (i.e. sake for the gods)
Main shrine entrance
More wet fun at the Temizuya font
Prayer tree. That girl's coin missed the bucket, but I think her wish still comes true.
Go on, don't be mean. Achieving enlightenment can't all be about hand-eye coordination
Prayer tablets. Most were vague and humanitarian in nature, like people were worried about looking too selfish
I considered buying a tablet for 500 yen just so I could write 'Can I have an X-box?' to hopefully make someone like me laugh
Fortunately, some Cougars fans beat me to it. If this is their year, they owe some deity big-time
I was lucky to catch a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony taking place during my visit.
Yeah right, 'lucky.' Like all the other Sunday lunchtimes of the year at Tokyo's most significant temple are crying out for reservations. This couple probably had to book this slot in 2006. They're probably not even together any more
