Day 2 Thursday June 14

Two things on the agenda for the day. I was going to buy a guitar cos I didn’t bring one. And later we would have drinks at Poor Cow. 
I've always wanted to get myself a Japanese guitar so this seemed like a good chance. We wouldn't be carrying so many guitars through customs. Also I wouldn't risk having my 1972 Custom Telecaster damaged. A bit precious I know but only because so many were banging on about the damage caused by airlines. 
On a side note Rod was questioned about his pedal board when entering Japan. "What are these for?" Rod replied they were for his guitar sounds. "Are you a professional?" "Not at the moment..I'm with these guys". I made that last bit up
Anyway...

We decided to walk to Shimo-Kitazawa for breakfast which took us about 40 minutes. Dropped into a place with seating outside, gave Poz a call and sat around drinking coffee and chatting for over an hour. Our friends Poz and Yolanda with their friend Erin were over here too. Poz was the singer with the Squad whose album is available on the Little Murders Bandcamp page. The Squad used to cover a number of little Murders songs in their day. Tokyo is a huge place but we kept bumping into people we knew. Funnily enough, Atsushi who put together our Japan tour was walking past so we said hello to him. He was on his way to work and couldn't hang out with us. but we'd catch him later at Poor Cow. We were joined by a local who struck up a conversation with us.

Guitar shopping in Ochanomizu

 Then we set off to “guitar street’ in Ochanomizu. A street of guitars. Shops, where, as you climbed to the top floor the guitars got rarer and of course more expensive. I had my eye on a Fender Jaguar with racing stripes but though the price was right it didn’t feel comfortable. Neither did the red Telecaster I tried. I ended up with an Epiphone Dot which was quite cheap comparatively and felt and sounded good when I played it. One day I’ll go back for a Jag. Roddy was eyeing off a Red Telecaster in the same store. Bruce had his eyes on a Fender Bass.

The Okonomoiyaki Restaurant. Shimo-Kitazawa

After a bite to eat in this great little place called Gorilla we headed back to our place. Bruce ran in and grabbed his bass to trade in and was back to guitar street with Rod and Choc in tow. Chirpy had a rest while I went record shopping in Shimo-Kitazawa. Great record shops there. Picked up a few nice ones. Mainly girl groups of the sixties.

We all met back up at 7pm and went out for dinner. Japanese pancakes in Shimo-Kitazawa. Hiroshima okonomiyaki. With Kirin beer. Fantastic. Then we strolled up to Poor Cow. It was a bit quiet and we chatted to Fifi and a few of his friends. He got us to write a few of our favourite bands. Atsushi turned up after band practice with Gorilla*. His girlfriend, Suzu, who plays in the Highmarts was with him. Kitazawa is crowded with venues, studios and rehearsal rooms. A very rock and roll suburb. A few drinks, a few laughs and we were ready to beat the last train home. Which of course we messed up and got stuck 4 kilometres away from our room with no more trains. We walked it. It was hell. Never again.

Got to the room and the portable wifi was missing. We were sure we didn’t take it because the battery was low. And Chirpy and I had our own. And let me tell you they are the best things to have for getting around. However, it wasn’t there. I jumped on the email and told the owner it had gone. And so began a few days of back and forth solving the puzzle of the missing portable wi-fi.
Last I heard they were filing a police report.

Poor Cow