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The Adventures Of Susan & Lars "Where are we going?" said Pooh... "Nowhere", said Christopher Robin. So they began going there...

30,000 years of history and a little bit of BladeRunner (Tokyo)

JAPAN | Sunday, 4 May 2008 | Views [1665] | Comments [2]

Ahh, Tokyo. Back in the big city, back in our Sakura Hotel. This time, however, we got a “twin room” instead of a “double room” as the latter were all booked. Good news actually, as the room was much bigger this time. We had bunk beds, so it was sort of like camp, but it wasn't a dorm room, just us two.


At our hostel we met a very nice British couple, from Cornwall, who were 7 months in to their 12 month trip. We picked their brains, and got loads of good advice for Jordan and Egypt. Aside from the specifics, their general tips gave us encouragement (particularly the bit from Mari that “my sense of smell as changed” so we with time won't have to do laundry quite as often) that we had a pretty good handle on things. Ross' advice that earplugs were the most useful thing in his pack proved precient when we got to Shanghai (more on that in the next post).

The day after our arrival, the 28th, was our last full day in Japan. Tomorrow we leave for the airport. We took in the one thing we feel like we really missed the first time around, the Tokyo museum. Along the way we took in some parks, and ended up pulled in by the gravitational field of swan boats. About ten minutes into our little paddle-boat excursion Susan offers to do the paddling. It's kid size even by Japanese standards and my knees are practically in my armpits with each cycle stroke. The mechanical disadvantage makes it feel really heavy and I am switly getting tired. Well, the darn boat is nearly still while poor Susan is huffing and puffing away. So, I tell her I'll do the paddling and she can just put her feet up. Now as I start to pedal away I suddenly realize the mechanical disadvantage wasn't from my lack of leverage, but from having to lift Susan's feet with each stroke (was she paddling backwards?)

As we walked through the park, we saw one sight we hadn't really seen yet in Japan, homeless. Literally, I had counted 3 homeless in 3 weeks. But along the boulevards of this particular park there were many. It was nothing like Santa Monica, to be sure, but the two or three dozen we saw scattered about the park were the only time we'd witnessed this particular underbelly of our host country.


We spent a couple of hours at the Tokyo museum, it was recommended by a friend (thanks Jason) and I would definitely recommend it in turn. There was a terrific temporary exhibit that outlined the spread of Buddhism through Asia via the movements in sacred art, and a small but very well explained archaelogy exhibit illustrating 30,000 years of Japanese history (and swords, really cool swords!!). Great for putting the sights of the last 3 weeks into context.


We lunched at the museum, soaking up the beautiful garden. The plaza here reminds me of Austria. The big building across from our cafe was built in the european style during the Meiji restoration, and it's a reflection of the Hapsburg era tastes dominant in Europe at the time. The garden also dates from this period, and the huge mature shrubs and trees have outgrown their original proportions, again giving an impression much like Vienna.


Our nice peaceful lunch is interrupted when a very nice, but clearly somewhat touched, Japanese lady comes over to strike up a conversation. Her Englsh is decent, but I suspect the slurring wasn't due to any accent. We exchanged pleasantries and were back to our selves. Susan nearly jumped out of her skin when, 10 minutes later, the woman was at her elbow again.


As we left we spotted a Dutch couple that had stayed at the same hotel in Nikko. Our greetings were cut short when crazy-lady swooped in; “are these your friends?” We made a hasty retreat, abandoning our (now no longer, I am sure) friends to their fate. Sorry!


That night we met up with Phil again (you remember Phil, from our first visit to Tokyo). Such a nice guy, we had a drink and life advice (particularly in the parenting department) at his place and met his wife and sons (one for the second time, as we met him at Phil's sister's wedding in LA). Thoroughly charmed by Carol we were disappointed she couldn't join us for dinner for want of a baby sitter. Phil took us to a great little hole-in-the-wall place with outstanding food that was again, a different style than we had had before. The place was hoppin' with locals and expats. Clearly the word was out. Phil did the ordering and one hell of a job of it. He then gave us a tour of the area. It's a (relatively) seedy side of town, with lots of bars and clubs and ... “love hotels”. These are places where you can get a room for 3 hours at a time. It's all very private, and check-in and out is all by vending machine so you don't have to see or be seen. When the room is free, there is a little lit-up picture of the room on the vending machine. If booked, it's dark. Some of the rooms have, shall we say, particular charms. We couldn't find any dungeons or rooms made up like castles where you slay the dragon and rescue the girl (at least not lit up, so perhaps they we're “reserved”). But the three of us (two men, one woman) certainly got lots of looks from the various couples roaming the streets at this hour. After Plum wine and beer, and sake and more beer we were certainly feeling no pain. With a full belly and having walked all day, we sort of lost our legs. Phil was a dear, and didn't mind cutting the night short (at about 12:30 I think – basically we can't keep up with a 40-something year-old father of two, how sad is that). Our cab dropped him near his house, and as he translated the address of our destination for the driver he prepaid enough fare for the whole trip. As Susan said “We have to give Phil mad props in the blog!” Thanks Phil!


Between the hospitality of Phil, the friendliness of Mari and Ross, and the general kindness of folks all over Japan, it's hard to overlook how it's people, not temples or museums or any other kind of sights, that makes travel worthwhile. So sometimes the people are crazy, and scare the hell out of you at lunch, and drool on your shoulder a bit, but most of the time the surprises are of the sort that leave you with renewed faith in the human race.


The next morning I was a little less rosy. Plum wine and beer and sake and more beer makes Jack a dull boy. Susan and I both had a slow morning. But after a hot shower, some coffee and some aspirin, we we're in better shape, and took a hop to the “electric town” for one last bit of sightseeing in Japan.


This place is a trip. For several blocks, on about 3 parrallel streets every storefront, and even up half-a-dozen stories every thing is computers, and electronics, and manga. It's funny how cheap (and often crappy) electronics go hand in hand with quasi-pornographic cartoons. It is the beginning of a holiday in Japan, and the police had closed off a few blocks of the big street so people could just wander aimlessly. The people were equally engrossing, and we saw lots of girls who had dressed up like Anime or manga characters. Some were evidently on their way to or from work (as waitstaff in themed restaurants and bards) but a few were happy just to prance about with their boyfriends or by themselves. Sort of a Japanese sci-fi Renaisance fair.


We drifted into an arcade. The noise of amped up video games was off the hook. You could hardly hear for all the explosions and gunshots and simulated motorcycle engines. The place was packed, with lots of patrons seemingly enthralled by one or the other player doing particularly well at games that we didn't even understand. It was very cool. But Susan was getting a little habitual with the wrap-around screen Mech simulator, so I had to cut her off.


Well, that's it. We were back for our bags and then off to the airport, where we spent a couple of very comfortable hours in the lounge catching up on email and blogging. Sayonara Japan, we love you!

(has anyone seen "The Birds?")

 

Comments

1

Hey Susan,

When I told Susana about my trip to Korea and Japan coming up next week, she told me of your travel blog! You have gotten me so excited for my trip!!! LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE HAVING A FABULOUS TIME AND I'M TAKING NOTES ON YOUR POINTERS!

All the best,
Lucy Bennett (HK4)

  lucy May 6, 2008 4:33 AM

2

Hi guys!!
What great adventures you are having, and you look fantastic! Suz, I love the pic of you with the Bavarian Japanese ladies! I have to say, those duck boats remind me of Boston a little!

Love and miss you lots,
Jen xo

  Jen May 7, 2008 8:05 AM

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