Insurance, Ramen, and a Movie

Today I was gonna try and get my license here in Japan but I realized that although I didn't have my driving records, they weren't the full records and only showed from the last time I renewed my license in the US which was right before I came to Japan. This is an issue because I need to prove that I had a drivers license for 6 months before coming to Japan in order to take the test. So, I'm gonna have to get a new record sent over from the US or find some other way to obtain it.

After that I headed to Oimachi where I went to the Shinagawa Ward office to update my National Health insurance card. They gave me a new card right away and I'll be getting the bill next month. After that I headed back home and hung out for a while till the evening when I headed out to Koiwa to meet up with Witter for Jiro. The Jiro in Koiwa was closed for a vacation so we went to Kanda and when we got there the guy had already closed the shop. At this point we really wanted Ramen so we made one last ditch effort for the Jiro in Shinbashi. It was open and so far out of Shinagawa, Shinjuku, and Shinbashi, the Shinbashi one is the best. The noodles weren't as thick as the Mita one and the meat was kinda weak in comparison but the broth was very good. Oh yeah, the place was actually pretty clean too. Didn't quite feel like Jiro and when we finished and looked at the sign outside it didn't actually say Jiro on it, so maybe it used to be but changed.

In Shinbashi we found a cafe called the Smokers Cafe which is exactly what it sounds like. Also while there we passed a cigarette vending machine, and while most of the machines now require a "Taspo" card (smokers ID card) this one had a camera that scanned your face to determine your age. I tried it but I don't think it works for foreign people cause it asked for a license to check the age.

After that I headed to Shibakoen where I did some extra work in the Prince Hotel there for a movie coming out next year called "Louder than Words". It will probably just be at some film festivals in the US and Europe so pretty low chance of seeing it, but it was still fun.