Yesterday was クリスマス (Christmas)…hope you had a 「メリー・クリスマス」 (“Merry Christmas“).
As we often do at Xmas, we had dinner at my wife’s parents’ house. My wife’s aunt and her siblings and their kids were all there too. So it was a big dinner with many people. It was alot of fun.
The day before that (Wednesday, December 24), we went to 上野 (Ueno, Tokyo).
We did alot of shopping in the アメヤ横丁 (Ameya-yokochou) area (or アメ横 (Ame-Yoko) for short).
This is an area that used to be a black market right after WW2, but now it rows of stores that sell everything from traditional Japanese snacks to leather jackets to book bags to jewelery to seafood to…whatever!
People who think that Tokyo is expensive often just don’t shop in the right places. アメヤ横丁 (Ameya-yokochou) is one of the many areas in Tokyo where you can buy all kinds of things at very reasonable prices.
Here are some photos that I took there:
Tokyo Five 
Eric…
Yeah, just like anywhere, I guess…where tourists shop is expensive and locals know where to really shop.
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Sounds like a good Christmas. Your right about Japan being inexpensive. You just have to shop where normal people shop and it’s pretty cheap.
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MB…
It is fun. Come see.
Wayne…
Thanks. I hope you have a good 2009 (“Year Of The Cow”), too!
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I remembered the atmosphere in Tokyo around mid-December when I vacationed. New Year’s was more of a holiday.
It’s become like that with me as well. I do go to church on Christmas Eve but on Christmas, it’s a day away from work and a day to reflect.
Hope you and your family have a safe and prosperous 2009!
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Looks and sounds like fun! Merry Xmas!
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