So this weekend has to be one of the best I’ve had for a while, most of which I am going to squarely thank my new friend Jon for. Yesterday afternoon we met up in Shibuya and went for a wander to a basketball shop there called Gallery 2. I will most definitely be going back to that place… the whole thing was filled with awesome basketball gear – shoes, clothes, the works. I picked up a pair of new basketball shoes (early birthday present, thanks Dad!) and a new pair of basketball shorts and some socks while I was there.

The day just kept getting better, though. After a bit more of a wander, we stopped briefly to have Freshness Burger for “dinner” (I’m not really sure what meal it was, neither of us had eaten in a while). They serve some very decent food for a reasonable price, so I was happy to introduce Jon to them. After that, we headed to Shinjuku, where we had a date with a famous hotel. The Shinjuku Park Hyatt is where most of the film Lost in Translation (which is a favourite of mine) was filmed, and we had made it our mission to go have some drinks in the New York Bar on the 52nd floor where many key scenes from the film happened. We sat around and had expensive drinks and talked for hours about everything and nothing while being treated to some excellent live jazz.  My recommendation to anyone that comes to Tokyo is to go up there for a drink or two… even if the movie connection means nothing to you, the view is absolutely stunning. The table we sat at was square between the spot that Bill Murray sat at and the little table where Scarlett Johansson sat.

Awesome.

The weekend was then topped off by heading out to Yoyogi Park this morning, where I hooked up with Jon and played some streetball on some newly resurfaced outdoor courts. Played for hours and had loads of fun, although I pulled the muscles in my calves a few times. Some good people out there having a good time playing. In the end I actually got a bit sunburned/tanned, which I wasn’t expected. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and has been absolutely gorgeous all day.

I also got to chat with Anastasia and wish her a happy birthday (Happy Birthday again, love!) on her birthday while it was her birthday both here in Japan and over in Florida where she is. It always feels good to be able to connect with her on days like today, somehow makes the distance seem not so far.