Timeline of Matt van Vuuren
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Latest Blogs from Japan

Narita Outbound

It was quite sad leaving the land of my dreams once again.

Narita Outbound Flag Narita, Tokyo, Japan
Tuesday 20th of October 2009
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It was quite sad leaving the land of my dreams once again. I remember last time crying my eyes out on the day I had to leave initially. Since Japan is becoming my 3rd homeland I will be returning here more often. It does suck that Canada, the Netherlands & Japan are so freaking far apart from each other, what ever happened to the major improvements in fast aviation?

Kabukicho

My best time in Tokyo was living in Kabukicho for 2 months.

Kabukicho Flag 東京都新宿区歌舞伎町, Tokyo, Japan
Monday 19th of October 2009
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I had a sweet apartment on the top floor of a regular sized apartment building complete with my own mailbox, laundry machine, microwave, toaster oven and chopsticks. It only took a few minutes to walk to the center of the Kabukicho district which is known in Japan as the 'red-light-district', comparable to the Dutch red-light-district. Supposedly the crime in this district is the highest in Japan and is a dangerous place to walk around at night.

Tokyo Halloween

My final Parapara party in Tokyo while celebrating Halloween.

Tokyo Halloween Flag Alife, 六本木, Tokyo, Japan
Sunday 18th of October 2009
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Luckily, my last Parapara party in Tokyo went out with a blast. It was Halloween in Japan and many people dressed up for the occasion. It was surprising to see in how many places it was unacceptable to wear scary uniforms. Quite a few Japanese people consider it a hellish festivity introduced by the Western world. There was even a rally against Halloween and foreigners organized by the right-wing party in Tokyo at Shinjuku subway station.

Roppongi Revisited

Halloween night out in Roppongi's Nightlife; 911, Gaspanic, Flower.

Roppongi Revisited Flag Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan
Saturday 17th of October 2009
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Another party night in Tokyo. Tonight we went club and bar hopping from Shinjuku to Roppongi (Foreigner district) for some Filipino Karaoke, Shabu Shabu, some gay bar and the good club area on Roppongi Street. Great memories came back when we entered 911, Gaspanic and Club Flower.

9LoveJ

9LoveJ is one of the most popular Parapara events in Japan.

9LoveJ Flag Pasela, Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan
Monday 12th of October 2009
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Saturday night I met up with my American friends Amber and Heather for some good ol' Shibuya shopping. I didn't realize it was a special long weekend holiday thus everybody was shopping and the streets and stores were packed. We met up at 109 for girls shopping and ended up in 109-2 which is the all men department store across the street. They had a bunch of male models showcasing the autumn gear for 2009.

Kyushu Festival

To my surprise I noticed SID was playing in Yoyogi as well.

Kyushu Festival Flag 代々木, Tokyo, Japan
Sunday 11th of October 2009
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I only had one week left to spent in Tokyo after my crazy travel tour from east to west Japan thus it was important to spent the time wisely. On a nice Sunny Sunday Afternoon I headed out to Yoyogi Park in Harajuku. On Sundays you can always experience the most interesting things in Harajuku. Many go dressed in costumes and 'cosplay' on the bridge between Harajuku and Yoyogi Park.

Muscle Park

An amusement park that challenges you to work every muscle.

Muscle Park Flag 東京都, Tokyo, Japan
Saturday 10th of October 2009
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The amusement park is a lot of fun but some of the games are pretty cheesy. We went during the weekend and experienced quite some lineups thus we didn't wanted to stick around long. The game in the video was suppose to train your brain and accuracy but it failed miserably, just one mistake and game over which is pretty lame. How could you even get used to it. The crepe cafe on the lower floor was truly amazing though causing a sugar overload.

Shizuoka

My last stop on my way back to Tokyo during my 7 day cityhop.

Shizuoka Flag Shizuoka, Sizuoka (Shizuoka) , Japan
Friday 9th of October 2009
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My final stop on the way back to Tokyo. I was truly exhausted after my 7 day intense city hop adventure and only wanted to spend a few hours in Shizuoka. Shizuoka is a nice quite city between Nagoya and Tokyo. It is not as busy as Osaka or Tokyo but does deliver that pure Japanese cultural vibe. I tried some of their famous Udon dishes alongside a bowl of freshly chopped Tuna sashimi.

Huis Ten Bosch

Dutch styled theme park in Japan. It totally blew me away.

Huis Ten Bosch Flag Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan
Thursday 8th of October 2009
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After a heavy night of drinking in Fukuoka. Started packing around noon on thursday to go to Nagasaki. Huis ten Bosch is a massive park which has complete replicas of dutch buildings, streets, boats, windmills, etc. I could not believe my eyes upon arrival, the Japanese truly took the time to perfect dutch architecture. Walking through the park I have to say that some look even better than the original.

Fukuoka Nights

Fukuoka, one last stop before I reach Huis Ten Bosch.

Fukuoka Nights Flag 福岡, Japan
Thursday 8th of October 2009
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Upon arriving in Fukuoka I noticed the weather being very cloudy due to the typhoon that is currently raging alongside the Japanese coast which will head land inward near Osaka. I chose a pricey sushi restaurant near the station to measure the sushi quality in Fukuoka.