L'Artemis is expensive, but if you order the prix fixe, which includes appetizer, main course, dessert, and 2-3 "small" tasting dishes in-between those courses, it's a little cheaper. I think the prix fixe option is around $30-40, but the food is spectacular. Normally, I don't order steak at a restaurant, because it just doesn't seem like a good value for what you get (most of the time, a steak you grill at home for a third of the price can taste comparable or better), but since I was in Japan I tried the filet mignon for the main course, and it was amazing! The meat was perfectly cooked and the taste was amazing. Definitely not something I could make at home, so worth the experience. The other great thing about this restaurant is that it's relatively small, so it seems more intimate. Don't be surprised if the chef comes out to greet you and ask you how your meal is.

I've been going to sleep really early these past few days, but I guess it's better that I get my recommended 8 hours of sleep by my nutritionist. Well, I called the tour guide and she said the tour doesn't start until the 20th. That means... I got 2 more days to kick it in Tokyo and other parts of Japan. Started off the morning with a big breakfast, followed by a giant pile of laundry to do. Around 8 AM, we took a bus to Keisei Narita Station and caught the train to Shibuya. Took about 2 hours, and a transfer to another station in order to get there. Once I got there, it was like nothing I'd ever seen in my life. China wasn't like this, and certainly none of the other European countries that I've visited were like that at all. Went through a lot of places, and ate at two Japanese udon restaurants in the span of 4 hours. After exploring this place, I took a short train ride to Harajuku to check out the infamous BAPE store. Stocked up on 2 shirts and a Billionaire Boys Club hat... so grand total= 13,050 yen. Yeah... rip off huh? Well... after that I took the Narita Express back to the hotel, which took less than an hour. Since the ride was a lot more comfortable than the JR train, I fell asleep throughout the entire ride. After walking that much, my feet are exhausted... and I'm full of udon right now. Wonder how much of it I'm going to be eating for the next week or so. Will talk about the next day as soon as possible.

If you have not been to Yoyogi Park it is a great experience with interesting sights and sounds.  Before the salsa club performance we went there to practice.  We fit right in with the Greasers, people dressed as maids, Goths, and the occasional man in a bunny suit (he was very nice and let us take a picture with him).  However this time the park was not only filled with your mix of eclectic people but families and friends.   Most people brought blankets or tarps to sit on.  Some families had habachi grills.  It was great I sat down with my Race and Racism group members to finish our project, plus some other friends from school as well as some of their friends.  We shared food, drinks, and each others company.  I had not had that much fun in a while.  One of the guys there had some African drums so I played along to an impromptu jam session.  The group next to us had a didgeridoo, yes an actual didgeridoo!

We ran into friends who would come and join us for a while then leave.  There was a man giving out free hugs...I got one!  All in all it was a great time; we actually worked on our project even though it was way too nice to actually do work.  It was definitely better than sleeping the day away after a long night of clubbing at Ageha.  I would suggest this festival to anyone who is going to visit Tokyo in late March, early April.  One bit of advice though, if you go out drinking the night before and decide to go straight to the park with your friends, might I suggest tethering yourselves to each other.  A group of friends decided to party the night before, fell asleep in the park and woke up to find one member of their party missing.  Don't worry they found her after searching the park.  Where did they find her might you ask?!  The TRASH HEAP!!!  HAHA I still laugh thinking about it!

This resturant boasts and Asian theme known as the 'Elephant Cafe'. The place looks like the inside of temple dining hall from Thailand with huge Buddah statues and a small temple. The food is delicious you can select asian style foods from the menu prices start from approx 500 yen and go up to around 1,000 yen. The drinks are approx 500 yen for beer and wine and soft drinks. There is a seating charge of 300yen per person at this venue for a la carte orders. However this is waived if you order a set menu for 2500yen. The set menu includes: Salad - Stir fried Pork - A Fish dish - A Beef Dish - Chicken with rice. I can recommend this resturant as its reasonable price and great atmosphere also you can find on the menu some vegetarian dishes such as salad and stir fried vegetables.

The Meji Shrine is located in Harajuku (in Tokyo). This was the first time I visited the shrine and I found it to be so odd and yet peaceful. You get off the train at the Harajuku station and walk over a bridge (here is the odd part) and you walk past these teenagers dressed up. They are dressed in Goth wear or maybe even Little Bo-Peep style clothing. The Goth kids had their hair dyed, were dressed in black, and had the black makeup on while the Little Bo-Peep kids were dressed in frilly, bright colored outfits, with cute little hats. There were not many out on this visit so I didn’t take pictures of them. After you pass the kids, you walk into a woods and continue down that path until you come to a huge wooden shrine that has two huge trees on both sides. The shrine was beautiful and you just felt at peace there. The shrine is nothing fancy. Just an wooden shrine/temple but the setting in the forest makes it work. It is a shrine that I will visit again and again.

It is strange to note that you are in the middle of a forest visiting a historic shrine but at the same time you are in the modern day, busy Tokyo. It was an amazing experience.

My cousin, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Tokyo, introduced me to this fabulous restaurant a few years ago. It was my first time having French food, and wow, I can still remember the flavors of that meal. This tiny restaurant is a hidden gem tucked in the outskirts of Harajuku. From their mouth-watering choices you can choose a first course, second course, and dessert for about 4000 yen ($35), or have a four course meal for about 5000 ($45). They also have a special daily menu from which you can substitute standard menu choices for an additional price. What a bargain! Especially in Tokyo! I had rabbit for the first time here, and it was SO tender and delicious that I can never look at Thumper or Peter Rabbit the same way again. Most people who come here are returning customers. The head chef comes out to personally greet each party as they finish their meal. Even though I only visit his restaurant once or twice a year, he still remembers me as the girl from America. It's a home-y, welcoming environment just steps away from the frenzy of Harajuku. Anyway, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

For all of you hip-hop nuts out there that are also fans of Japanese clothing brands, I'd recommend taking the bullet train down to Harajuku in the downtown Shibuya area and find this exclusive store. Those in the states know that BAPE is known for its urban streetwear and accessories, and also has gone mainstream in today's popular culture. This store is where it originated, and it totally blew me away when I set foot inside. I gotta say that BAPE stores are usually difficult to find and are not typically marked with signs in an effort to maintain exclusivity. Many stores have a one product per person policy to prevent items from appearing on the black market, so I couldn't take any pictures while I was in the store. I managed to buy a cap and a few shirts, which costed me about $300 USD, but I was very satisfied because everything fit comfortably and I wore their shirts all the time while I was in Japan. In Tokyo, as we are always being reminded, the currency is cool, and A Bathing Ape is the gold standard. The clothing line looks, to the uninitiated, like standard big-jeans streetwear, heavy on the camo. Originally from Gunma Prefecture, Nigo cites his parents, who were a nurse and a billboard sign-maker respectively, as major influences in the development of his character, although because they were working he spent a lot of time alone with toys. He also credits DJ/Head Porter designer Hiroshi Fujiwara, a generation older and one of Japan's earliest hip-hop DJs, as his business model. His nickname literally means “number two” in Japanese; the MD of Astoarobot, the fashion store, coined the moniker when he noted the physical resemblance to Fujuiwara. Nigo cites his early music influences as Elvis, The Beatles and hip-hop acts such as Run DMC. After studying fashion editing he worked as a stylist and editor for Popeye magazine. After borrowing four million yen from an acquaintance, who also let him use his shop, he opened “Nowhere”, his first store, on April 1, 1993 in Harajuku, Tokyo. Deciding to start his own brand he named it after the 1968 film, Planet of the Apes. According to Nigo the name "A Bathing Ape" is short for a Japanese saying "a bathing ape in lukewarm water" -- a reference to Japanese young generation being spoiled, pampered and too complacent. To expose the brand he gave T-shirts to the lead singer of Cornelius who wore them when performing. For two years he produced 30 to 50 shirts a week, selling half and giving half to friends.

The costumes are craaaazy!