Through a friend of a friend, i was invited to a party waaay out by Gakugeidaigaku station. Notice the complexity of the name; it is relevant. Be there at 9.
I get there at 9:30. Friend meets me at the door (after I walked for 10 minutes with the couple I had asked for directions who happened to be going to the same party.)
It turns out to be what back home we'd call a warehouseparty, or loftparty. An old hotel in mid reconfiguration, becoming a department store. Some local promoters got their hands on the space for the night.
3000 yen to get into the 3 floor party, 2 drinks included. Oh did I mention there was a stainless steel Jaguar X-type outside on display?
Ok. Crowd is late 20's early 30's, and well-heeled. The ladies are stunning, the guys are cool. The two "bands" that played during my stay would have put the best to shame. Traditional drumming, bongos etc, maxed out with electro beats and sounds and oh my god it was mind-bending stuff. If I can find a CD of anything similar I will buy it. And worship it. I pulled out my digital camera to record some of the action. Hmm.. now why won't it turn on? Oh, becasue I left the battery int he charger at Jim's. Damn, now I'm mad.
What? The last train leaves at 12:49? That means I have to leave in... 20 minutes...
Learn this now if you are ever to visit Tokyo: 1- the taxi drivers are 80% of the time as lost as you are and 2- drive worse than I ever imagined possible. Oh and 3- don't trust them to a) understand a word you are saying and b) get you to the train station, which is a 10 minute walk, before the last train leaves in 25.
Somehow I managed that train. But forget the Hnazomon subway line from Shibuya home. That I was too late for. Took 30 minutes to find a cabby. (Shibuya on a Friday night... hmm think St-Laurent between Milton and Pine at 3:00am times 100 000.
Tally it up Boris: 3000yen entry + 2 warm dark Heinekens. 1000yen for killer taxi ride to unpronouceable train station. 4000yen from Shibuya to Hanzomon. That's roughly $85 dollars. I was gone for all of 4 hours.
Expensive, yes. Worth it? Yes. Why? Amazing outing, amazing music and, yes folks, amazing women in party mode. Too bad I had to leave? Sure, but hey I learnt some lessons. Opportunity cost.
Oh and no, no pictures. Or video/audio. I am rather angry about that but tough luck.
