9 November 2016
Button security
Sichuan style ramen in Shinjuku
If you have been to Japan you will know they have security guards, or at least small old men in uniform, for everything.
You can find some amusing youtubes of fat old men in vans and the show they put on to fill an Automatic Teller Machine if you wish, now for my security guard story.
Tonight I was given instructions to go and buy some buttons from a specific clothing store in Shinjuku. No problem, if it had of been some tiny place far away I might have refused.
Turns out the store is 2 buildings next door to each other, each of 7 levels, selling material for dressmakers, buttons, sewing machines etc.
Of course I climbed the stairs to the top level of the wrong building, then used the disabled bathroom as there was no mens, then walked down, then to the top level of the other building, so I was probably already attracting the interest of the little security men.
Once in the button section, I had to take photos of various buttons and send them for verification using my phone. This took quite some time, and as the only male in the entire store complex who was not the security man, I raised the suspicion of the girls whos job it was to exchange buttons for money.
Next thing I know, a little man in blue suit and hat is standing nearby glaring at me, I didnt immediately even realise he was the security guy.
Then he is talking to me, I assumed its the greeting, and started nodding like you do when you dont understand.
Finally he gets closer to me and speaks more forcefully, I just turned around and ignored him and went to the counter with my buttons and paid. He followed me all the way down 6 levels of stairs from a safe distance out of the store.
This may seem amusing, but on a previous trip to Japan in a 'no photo!' tirade, a small old security guard actually fell over once whilst yelling and running at me at the Square Enix (computer game maker) building. If he had a heart attack at that point I would still be in jail. Just ask Australian Motorbike racing legend Wayne Gardner who was just in jail for a month for being involved in a minor car crash.
The store with the buttons and high level button security, with the name shown, cause I know my mother will ask.
Between annexes of the button store, I spotted a store thats making shoes out of actual cat fur.
Buttons. Pre security arrival.
Being in Shinjuku, better take some neon photos.
Moaaar.
My dinner is sichuan style blackened something Ramen, it had cubes of blood jelly in it I think!
Now time to wonder why so much effort goes into xmas lights.
Also, for when you simply must have bread at all times, regardless of access to bakeries, freezers, civilization, there is emergency bread in a can.
One of the strangest buildings I know of, still standing out on its own, out of place, kind of in the middle of nowhere.
And the last photo for tonight, avenue of pink lights for no apparent reason.