Terrific Tokyo

First things first, everyone should plan to visit this city. I was truly blown away by how much character this place has. I’ve spent the past 2 days wandering the city and thinking about how to write about it, and I still can’t decide how to illustrate it. It’s liveliness, color, excitement, modernization, and energy seems like an outward expression or revolution almost of the inward, polite, and respectful nature of its people.

The following which I’ve written about Tokyo only stems from my day trips around the city – unfortunately I have not been able to witness the night life as I’ve heard great things about because of a minor cold I caught in Mumbai – and because I believe I’m staying in what is essentially the financial district of Tokyo and I don’t want to get caught late at night when the trains stop running and having to take a $50 cab ride home! An important addition to this is I’m traveling the city alone as of now and, let’s face it, going out alone is a dismal level of Dante’s Inferno we all hope to never attain!

Spunk

I’ve lived in New York and been to Paris a few times in my life, but never have I seen fashion like I’ve seen in Tokyo. If I were a designer, the first place I would try to sell clothing is in this city. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’re wearing – everything goes. In my two days of wandering the streets, plazas, neighborhoods, etc., I saw everything save a leprechaun outfit (and if I had 360 degree vision I probably would have seen that). You name it: wedding dresses, pajamas, overalls, lingerie, cowboy hats, 6 inch stilettos, kimonos, skater gear, pink hair, blond hair, cake make-up, Catholic school-girl, Queen Victoria – everything. I’ve never been in a city like this before where there was no “standard” or “trendy” way of dress. It was incredible to witness, simply walking around the city left me gawking at nondescript outfits and people.

Electronics

Electronics in Tokyo is man’s dream come true. I think people here would explode if there was a power outage. Everything is automated, and on top of that, electronics are used to make certain luxuries very commonplace.

For example, my toilet seat in my hotel has to be out of Star Wars. It has 7 different buttons on it – various temperature settings for the seat and various methods of “spraying” after you’ve made your lump sum deposit at the bank. When you sit down, it automatically turns the fan on!

On my first day out in the city I accidentally left my camera’s memory card at the hotel – if I was in many other countries this would be a problem – but not in Japan! As soon as I stepped off the subway, lining the streets, are glorious, multi-level electronics stores where all your dreams come true. Picked up a quick 2GB card for $15, and was on my way, no hassles. I won’t even get started on my visit to the Sony Building – in incredible array of new and soon-to-be-released electronics which were awesome to toy around with.

Shibuya

Efficiency, Cleanliness

The city and its people are very clean and orderly – almost overtly. I found myself carrying my own garbage in my pockets looking for a garbage can! I’m not sure what percentage of cars on the streets are electric or hybrid, but it seems that the pollution and noise levels in the city are barely noticeable (I do realize that \I have spent a month in India). There are even signs in the subway on the proper way of walking around someone while smoking a cigarette as to not blow smoke in their face. Let me explain that again - a diagrammed instruction placard in the subway on where to hold your cigarette and where to blow the smoke so it does not affect the person behind you. I was astounded!

Sign about dumping your cigarettes out of your trunk at night? I didn't quite get it, then again, I'm not a comic book enthusiast either.

Transportation

Tokyo is fairly large. I think the best way to explain it is that it’s almost star shaped, with key areas/plazas/business districts at the points of the star and the middle being the main Tokyo station and Imperial Palace. There are a plethora of transportation choices – a dozen combinations of subway lines, Japan Rail lines, and even private rail lines criss-crossing the city. I found it very easy and straightforward – by day 2 I was a subway pro putting in my fare, getting my ticket, sliding it through the futuristic machine where the doors open and you grab your ticket on the other side. Very cool.

When traveling outside the city to farther destinations, people take what is called the “shinkansen”, or in our terms, the bullet train. I’m currently typing this on my way to Kyoto on the ‘super-express’ – I can only estimate by the pace at which buildings, farms, and hills are flying by me that we are going in excess of 200km/h! (These things travel up to 300 km/hr!). It’s quite a joyride, in and out of tunnels, ears popping, etc. I’ve got a window seat and it’s dizzying – this has to be the fastest I’ve ever traveled on land.

Faster than a speeding bullet, it's - a train!!!

Though cabs are omnipresent, I’ve read they are a big no-no to the wallet. The trains are easy enough to use although I have not yet witnessed the night-life Tokyo has to offer. Worst comes to worst, there are “capsule” hotels scattered around the city for those salaried workmen who are out late imbibing and can’t make any of the trains home! I’d love to pop into one of those next week when I get back…

Manga

Anime, or comics, is huge in Japan. Graphics and animation regardless are prevalent on the streets and television, but comic books (as thick as catalogs) are read everywhere and can be found in any news kiosk or bookstore.

The City

I only got to visit 3 out of the 5 main “star” points of the city – but I like to compare Shibuya and Shinjuku immediate areas outside of the train station as a miniature, clean Times Square. There are decent sized plazas with Jumbo-Trons showing ads and God knows what in Japanese television, and plenty of vertical commercialization. Stores, shopping, advertisements, and other sensory overloads surround the station. Even during the day the signage colors and noises can only point to intensity at night.

The architecture is stunning. Around the city I’ve seen humungous corporate headquarters, government buildings, and shopping centers that are visually crisp, clean, and futuristic. When you backdrop these buildings behind a above-ground commuter rail train shaped like a bullet, it’s almost Jetsons-like. Now, I may be a little biased because I’ve been staying and visiting the cleaner, more commercial areas – but needless to say, it’s quite impressive.

I'm disgusted at my own stench. Not many times has this happened to me.

The People

Japanese people are very friendly and respectful, I’ve found myself to be super comfortable in this country thus far. It’s difficult to ask for directions in English to a regular person on the street but information booths and people behind travel counters are very well versed and help with anything. All signage in Tokyo at least doubles in English – phew.

I stopped into a noodle shop yesterday for lunch and it was a warming experience. There was an older gentlemen and 4 younger ladies behind the counter happily yelling “welcome!” in Japanese to patrons coming in and “goodbye!
to those leaving. I sat down at the counter, pointed to a decent looking ramen dish on the menu, and 5 minutes later had a steaming bowl of something delcious and a bigger bowl of noodles. Slurping is a must. I managed to eek out “It was a hearty feast” in Japanese much to the chagrin of the noodle shop owners.

In the evening I went to a sushi place where, once again, pointed at a delicious looking platter on the menu. The fish was superb – less “fishiness” to it and more taste which I would assume means fresher fish. Took down a hearty helping of sashimi and rolls – tuna, salmon, toro, roe, shrimp, yellowtail. The wasabi knocked me out! Even the smallest dollop was more than enough to clear my sinuses and make my eyes water.

Meet George Jetsoooooooonnnn...

Kyoto

Since writing the above I’ve managed to get off the shinkansen and take a city bus through Kyoto to a hotel where I’m meeting a few of Vans’ friends that are here for a conference. We’re going to spend the next 3 days in Kyoto / Nara which are the historic/cultural capitals of Japan – replete with temples, baths, shrines, food, Imperialism, etc. Nothing like free Wi-Fi in the lobby while you wait! I’m going to go ahead and post this for your guys’ Friday reading pleasure – but there is certainly more to come soon.

R