2012

So it's 2012.  Will this year be our last year on Earth?  I certainly hope not.  But the way I see it, this is going to be one heck of a good year.  It's a year of goodbyes (to our life in Japan) and hellos (to all back home).  A year of change (new jobs- hopefully).  A year of new beginnings.  I've got a good feeling about it. 

Ringing in the new year at Zojoji Temple and Tokyo Tower

Just like last year, we celebrated at Zojoji Temple.  There are other places that people go to for the countdown, but we really liked the atmosphere here.  We didn't get there early enough to sign up for a balloon, but we managed to secure a good spot.  They give out biodegradable balloons for people to tie a wish onto.  At midnight, everyone releases the balloons into the sky and it really is quite amazing to watch.  

Just a few gazillion people waiting to release their balloons and wishes into the sky

After watching people line up to ring the temple's bell (Japanese custom is to ring the bell 108 times starting at midnight), we made our way to karaoke.  This seems to have become quite the pattern with us recently: stay out late eating and drinking, then stay out later singing and screaming.  It's never a pretty picture, but it's a lot of fun.

Of course the real New Year's tradition around here happens in the next few days.  The shopping malls fill with people trying to get their hands on the best lucky bags.  I'm going to miss this experience.  I think it would be really popular back home.  Even the American stores participate.  Starbucks had two bags (the reasonably priced one was sold out by the time we made it there).  We, of course bought bags from Forever 21 again.  Guess which one of us was lucky this time?  Not me.  Why didn't I learn?  Oh well, maybe I will wear that cropped white sweatshirt jacket and floral skirt that looks like something Kelly Kapowski would wear...

Sadly, the highlight of my shopping was my lucky bag of socks.  Sixteen pairs for 1,000 yen!  I love Japanese socks.  They are crazy and weird and wonderful. 

Lucky socks!

Others actually camped out for lucky bags.  We stumbled across a line of young girls who had actually built a little shanty town out of cardboard boxes in order to sleep outside the teenybopper department store in Shibuya.  That's a bit much if you ask me, but hey- maybe they got really good bags.

What did you do to celebrate the start of 2012?