My Old Stomping Grounds in Tokyo

When I was growing up in Tokyo as a teenager, I used to envy my fellow American friends who got to move back to the US. They got to drive at age 16 and do things like go to American malls or house parties. Living in the US seemed so free and cool back then, and I felt "stuck" in Tokyo.

In retrospect looking back, I think that American teens living in Tokyo and fellow expat teenagers had a cool life. We were just too young to understand how privileged we were to be living overseas and experiencing a foreign culture in Japan.

Instead of driving because you can't get a driver's license until you are 18 in Japan, we took trains on our own without our parents. By the time I was 12 I was already taking the trains all over metro Tokyo by myself.

Instead of malls, we'd go to hip districts like Shibuya (home of the world famous cross walk), Shinjuku (where Lost in Translation was filmed), Kichijoji, and Harajuku to hang out with our friends. The same Harajuku that Gwen Stefani sang about in her song "Harajuku Girls."

And instead of house parties at friends homes, we ended up hanging out at karaoke clubs and pubs for foreigners where tons of expat teens from American and international schools congregated. It was how we partied as teens in Tokyo.

It's funny how you only now realize that the grass was not necessarily greener on the other side. While I was wishing that I could drive and go to malls or house parties, I didn't realize that I already had it really good. I just didn't know it back then.

Shibuya where the world famous cross walk is

Kichijoji

Kichijoji shopping district

Kichijoji shopping district