A Friend in Tokyo

Most of us - these days, at least - have made friends online. Have you ever met them in real life? Well, what about meeting them in a foreign country, where you're lost and being hit on by some really tall guy who asked "where is [insert store name]" when you're standing right outside it? Well hi, welcome to the time I met up with Naho.

Her and I met on a language app and became close friends, bonding over makeup, cultural differences and similarities, and so on. We had been talking for months by the time I actually got to Japan. For some reason, once I had landed, I didn't have much jet lag; I just needed a nice rest and I was good to go. So, only a few days after I arrived, Naho and I decided to meet up. She chose Shinjuku station, which is humongous and basically has an entire food court and multiple restaurants inside. I wanted to arrive a little early in order to do some shopping, only to get lost (like usual). Once I finally was "on my way" to the east exit where we agreed to meet (I use quotes to say that yes, I was still lost), I was approached by a Japanese guy, incredibly tall and lacking the concept of personal space. He wouldn't leave me alone and other Japanese people were staring in maybe concern? Amusement? Beats me. I just know I was uncomfortable and needed to get out asap. I pretended not to know how to communicate with him and walked away.

Eventually, I found Naho and we went to an izakaya. For those who don't know, izakaya is somewhat of a traditional Japanese bar/restaurant. People have to take off their shoes, you usually sit on the floor at a low table, etc. (like things you see in movies). They had amazing drinks and food that I wasn't actually sure what it was. 

All in all, my encounter with meeting my only friend in a foreign country for the first time was nice, and without *much* inconvenience (yes, I'm looking at you, tall weird man).