It's been a long time since I made a post on this series! With all the negativity I spout here (what can I say, if bitching were an Olympic sport I could represent Canada!), I often forget to look at the positives of my adopted country. This post will be a short one because my intestines and I are having a battle of wills right now.
The number 5 reason I love Japan is: Hiroo!
For anyone who has gotten out at Hiroo station in Tokyo, they will understand immediately my love for this area. When you get to the surface (off the subway), you enter a place that seems somehow European, with sidewalk cafes, wonderful restaurants, small boutiques and an astonishing amount of foreigners.
Now, I know I bitch a lot about other foreigners in Japan (like my post here) BUT, sometimes when you get overwhelmed by all the Japaneseness, or you need a break from Japanese people in general, it's nice to be back amongst your own people (i.e. anyone who isn't Japanese).
Another great thing about Hiroo besides the atmosphere, is the foreign food market! It might be outrageously overpriced, but some of the stuff you can find there comes right outta your local supermarket (Hellmann's mayonnaise anyone?). When I need a taste of home, that's where I head. It doesn't hurt that they have an English language bookstore and stock a large selection of magazines either. You can kill two birds with one stone (or three birds, if you hit up the Baskin Robbins right outside on your way back).
While I could never afford to buy property there (at least not in the forseeable future), it is my dream to live there someday. It's in a great location (near all the best places to eat, party and shop) and has a lovely cosmopolitan air that makes me fiercely happy I live in tokyo.
If you haven't been there yet, what are you waiting for?
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