Tokyo

The first day I arrived at Tokyo, Dec 28, I went to Akihabara. I had just travelled on the all night bus from Osaka and was tired. However, Akihabara is Otaku heaven, so I was happy to go. Otaku is a Japanese pejorative term for geeks--usually anime geeks--but we expats love using it. It is pejorative in Japanese because, I think, it is a name for a group that is outside the norm. In a conformity-based culture that is bad.

Akihabara is full of electronics stores and anime, manga and gaming stores. Blocks and blocks and blocks of it. It was amusing and a definite must when you go to Tokyo.If you did not know, Tokyo is huge. The central city area is like New York City, not all that small in itself and densely packed. Tokyo is the only city whose population is more dense than NYC. From there, the similarities continue: Tokyo is surrounded by other cities and prefectures that have all grown together to form a supercity. People can drive around, but it is often just as easy to take the public transport system which is made up of mostly trains and subways. In the picture above you can see a map for a local area of train routes. The true map of Tokyo transport is huge!
Yes, click on the map and it will expand in your window...

Yes, it really is easier to get around on the trains...

A common belief is that the Japanese drink a lot of tea. This is true. But they also love their coffee. Strong too. Starbucks had over 700 stores in Japan and is aiming for 1000. In 2006, they were the most popular restaurant in Tokyo. I find this a little odd, as Starbucks customers have to smoke outside, while at other chains (including Mr. Donut, Doutour and Tully`s) all have some sort of indoor smoking. The Japanese are like the Europeans when it comes to smoking. Ick. I actually noticed a new brand of cigarettes being advertised yesterday. How often do you notice that in the States?

I have been buying the Starbucks collectible city mugs in my travels. They are all regular size mugs--that is smaller than the other collectible mugs you find in other countries! Smaller, go figure.
Besides tea and coffee, beer is popular. WE went to a ramen shop one night specifically because they were advertising a dark beer. I think beer in Japan is blah. Eating at a counter is a common restaurant spot whether it is at a ramen shop or a sushi shop or a udon shop or even McDonald's (but not Starbucks!). Shopping is a common activity here as it is anywhere but the places that one shop can be very different. One mall that we went to on a island in Tokyo bay was called Venus Fort Mall. It is upscale shopping on the top two levels that were designed as if the place was in Italy, cheap shops on the main floor, an attached amusement area with theatres, bowling and a giant Ferris wheel, and a car museum.The last day in Tokyo, I went to the Ghibli Museum. Ghibli studios is a famous Anime studio. They made Spirited Away and Princess Monoake, along with many others. The mastermind of the operation, Hayao Miyazaki, decided to build this museum for everyone to enjoy. The figure behind the glass is one of his best loved creations, Totoro.

New Years is a huge holiday for the Japanese--but not a party one.  Midnight is usually spent at a Buddhist shrine to ring the bell after midnight and then, the next day, people go to a Shinto temple to pray some more.  An important decoration of the New Year is bamboo poles surrounded evergreens with red winter berries stuck inside.   Bamboo is strong and unyielding and is meant to represent family--or so I was told--in strength and prosperity for the New Year.  This picture was taken outside the museum.

My museum visit was January 3rd. That night I headed back south on the night bus to Osaka where I caught a train to Fukuoka. A week in Tokyo was short! Maybe next time I will get to go to Tokyo Disney!