Hooray for leaving the house!

Truth be told, for the last few weeks, I've been a bit bummed about living in Japan.  I still think that Japan is a fabulous place to visit, but as the days wear on, I am starting to realize there are a lot of cultural differences that I really am not comfortable with.  This has resulted in me being pretty unsocial, which isn't hard since I don't really know anyone here anyways.  Its a clear avoidance technique that keeps me holed up in my apartment, drying up from the heater and going crazy from the computer screen.


Today I decided to forgo my Japanese lesson and to not work on my big to-do list.  I needed fresh air.  I decided to go with a friend to some antique shops in Kamayama, an area I'd never been to.  Immediately off the train, I spotted a camera store.  Camera stores are like my candy stores, especially when they have lo-fi things in stock.  This place was great.  They had so much awesome film, a huge selection of cameras, lenses and even a few awesome things I had never seen before.  In fact, I think I just found the next camera that I want to purchase.  It's basically a digital that shoots like a light-leaked lomo camera, which makes me both excited and a little sad. 

This was a dangerous place for little ol' me.  With my friend nagging us to leave, I escaped with only buying about $30 of film. I am so excited to try this out!  And, I was told that there is a cheap used camera store in Osu that is even better! Bye-bye paycheck...


The antique store was filled with some amazing things that were amazingly overpriced and I had to leave after a bit because of all the dust everywhere.  You could seriously make a killing importing US antiques to Japan- an old metal sign was about $200. WTF.  It's so weird for a culture that doesn't like "used" goods, to have them so expensive.

In fact, I was talking to a friend today about one of the things that bothers me about Japan.  It's so disposable.  Everything is plastic.  Cute, but plastic.  I realized this as I was trying to compiles packages for people back in the States.  Everything just looks so cheap.  And that's when she threw some knowledge my way.  Things in Japan are either really cheap or really expensive, there is no middle ground.  It's either Forever 21 or Chanel- but for everything.  And since I can't afford Chanel, I'm stuck with the F21's of the country.

The best find of the day was this place called Banana Record.  I flipped through the bins of Rock and Hip Hop/RnB and snagged about 7 great albums for ¥100-¥500 each:

- 2 Elvis Costello and the Attractions
- 1 Billy Joel
- 1 Roxy Music
- Beatles
- Simon and Garfunkel
- Paperboy ("The Ditty" single!)

And recently, after getting back into this Japanese band I liked in 2003, I asked if they had any of their records.  The band is eastern youth and they are like a post-hardcore band from the 90's who eventually did a split with Cursive in 2002.  They are great live tons of energy.  I was in luck! They had one eastern youth album, so I grabbed it.

I remember being in 8th grade and scouring the racks of any CD store trying to find rare Japanese imports that were always horrendously expensive.  So far, things are relatively cheap at the record stores I've been to and the selection is pretty phenomenal.

All I need now, like I've always needed to play the small amount of vinyl I've collected over the years, is a record player...

Paws crossed I can find a used one in Osu.