Tokyo. After 4 days, we were ready to leave. There's so much of it and we'd barely scratched the surface. So, why our rush to flee? To begin, it is truly a concrete and glass jungle, with a sea of skyscrapers, masses of humanity ever rushing about, and frankly, it was too much for us. Given disastrous earthquakes and fires over history, not to mention the devastation of WW II, there is little here that isn't relatively new or rebuilt. The travel guides and tourist materials place great emphasis on the shopping experiences in each area of the city, which could lead one to conclude that there isn't much else.
On the upside, it appears to be a city that works, where there is an order and a logic to its design
. The transportation system, for instance, is a model of efficiency, rivaling Singapore's, but way more complex.The energy on the streets is relentless. We were, quite frankly, overwhelmed by it. The heat of the days didn't help either. At the end of each day, we were exhausted from dealing with the crowds, the intricacies of getting from place to place, and the endless walking. Some of the sites we visited were underwhelming, although others were most interesting. Among them (in no particular order) were a pachinko den (a pinball- like gambling game), Buddhist and Shinto shrines, a sky-high observation deck, and an automat restaurant, where we chose a meal from plastic models of food, then ordered and paid for it via vending machine. We handed the receipt to a human being who then prepared it. Impersonal as hell, but efficient.
We've been eating Japanese fast food on the fly, with a particular fondness for soups, which are both tasty and filling. Noodles and rice are usually involved in one form or another. We avoided sushi and sashimi, as we're not fans of either. Raw fish and seaweed? No thanks. To compound the problem, finding non-pork dishes has been a challenge.
Everywhere, the focus on youth was quite evident, and consumerism thrives here
. We felt like seniors at a rave. Anime, karaoke, geisha culture, etc. are found alongside western influences, and consumer electronics are ubiquitous and are big business here. Whole areas of the city are devoted to it. Of course, this should come as no surprise to you.
What we really liked were the people. Everywhere, we met friendly, helpful people, often anxious to try their limited English. Whenever we got lost, we used our GPS-E (Get a Person who Speaks English) and inevitably, they came to our rescue. It was fun, and we always felt a sense of accomplishment when we reached our target.
One thing we quickly learned is that the key to surviving Tokyo, and likely, all of Japan, is learning the protocols, procedures, and practices. Here, you play the game by their rules, you don't make waves. Everything is done a certain way, and only that way. You don't cross against the light, always docile, you follow the crowd. Convention reigns. Anything else, people don't know how to handle it. We had some funny examples of this happen to us
. Example: Breakfast choice 1 included eggs, while choice 2 included French toast. A request to substitute brought looks of incredulity from the staff, sighs of exasperation, heated discussion among staff and managers, and ultimately a turn-down. They would not waver from the established offerings. It was like the Jack Nicholson toast scene from Five Easy Pieces. You had to laugh.
Speaking of laughing, you haven't lived until you've tried a Japanese toilet. Want a heated seat? No problem? How about having your privates sprayed with a stream of pleasantly warm water? Can do. Some toilets even blow-dry you afterwards. Believe me, it's better than any ride at Disneyland! It was definitely a trip highlight hearing Bonnie giggling every time she was in the bathroom (or was that me?).
So, anyways, where did we escape to, you might ask. The next blog entry will answer this question.
TRYING TOKYO
Friday, October 03, 2014
Tokyo, Kanto, Japan
Other Entries
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1THE LONG GOODBYE
Sep 1023 days priorToronto, Canadaphoto_camera0videocam 0comment 4 -
2PACIFICALLY SPEAKING
Sep 1518 days priorVancouver, Canadaphoto_camera3videocam 0comment 3 -
3SIBERIAN SUNDAY
Sep 2112 days priorPetropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russian Federationphoto_camera6videocam 0comment 3 -
4JAPAN DELIVERS
Sep 294 days priorHakodate, Japanphoto_camera5videocam 0comment 3 -
5TRYING TOKYO
Oct 03Tokyo, Japanphoto_camera7videocam 0comment 3 -
6CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN
Oct 063 days laterHakone, Japanphoto_camera8videocam 0comment 4 -
7QUEASY RIDERS
Oct 074 days laterDelhi, Indiaphoto_camera5videocam 0comment 1 -
8TAJ MAHAL MARVELS
Oct 107 days laterAgra, Indiaphoto_camera3videocam 0comment 4 -
9RATS AND BATS AND CAMELS, OH MY!
Oct 1310 days laterJaisalmer, Indiaphoto_camera5videocam 0comment 6 -
10INDIA: TIPS INCREDIBLE!
Oct 1815 days laterJodhpur, Indiaphoto_camera8videocam 0comment 6 -
11REFLECTIONS FROM THE REFLECTION
Oct 2320 days laterMadeira, Portugalphoto_camera4videocam 0comment 5
Comments

2025-02-07
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Melissa Gold
2014-10-05
Phew! I finally caught up with you two! Where oh where did Bonnie and David go? They snuck out for a smork, I suspect. No,wait, here they are, lost in the middle of a ginormous crowd with their GPS-E! As challenging as the food might be, it sounds a lot better than fasting. Where will they turn up next? Where's Walkdo? Next to Bonnie and David! Have fun finding them, kids!
cissie.retired
2014-10-06
It's mind boggling when I read your description of Tokyo. But what a laugh when you described the personalized service in toilets! A much more interesting and delicious way to spend Yom Kippur. I'm now on to the next blog! This is so great!
rita
2014-10-06
bring the toilet technology here and make a fortune!