Technologytastic

This is the city where the lifts open as soon as you walk Into the foyer, the toilet seats opens as you move into the cubicle, as you can get your bottom sprayed with water and hot air blown on to you after you finish, all the while sitting comfortably on a heated toilet seat - many times you literally don't  have to lift a finger, as it willow course flush after you have finished!!! This is a nation that takes going to the toilet very seriously. In fact it takes a lot of things very seriously, from everyone wearing the same somber black work suits,  it is no surprise that office workers are transformed to karaoke stars when the office day is done. On the streets the young follow their own crazy fashions, dressing as manga characters, wearing crazy heels and coloured wigs, as they are all desperately trying to look so unique, but incredibly all look the same.  

Despite the cherry blossom coming early this year there is still traces of blossom thought out the city, and a journey to the Ueno district, where only a few weeks ago the park was full of cherry blossom parties, there is now still a few trees still In full bloom and the paths are lined with confetti like blossom, bringing a hue of pink to the grey of the pavement. 

The old traditions really do permeate throughout the city when you see geisha like ladies, minus the amazing white makeup, walking along slowly, with their shoes clattering against the pavement. Along the ancient side roads around the Sensoji temple in Asakusa, traditionally dressed men and women wander around, to the delight of us tourists. This is an ancIent side of life that is still around and a joy to see. In Asia I usually spend my time monk watching, now I have something new to gaze at!!!

Something that I didn't want to gaze at was the view from the stop of the enormous Ferris wheel - what possessed me to agree to go on? and in a totally glass see through capsule.  Feeling like I was in the glass elevator in Willy Wonkers factory, this glass capsule rose high above the city, swaying in the wind.  Not my best use of 900 yen, as my eyes stayed firmly shut most of the time!!! and in true WW style when we visited The Sony showroom, they were staying tight lipped about the spec for the impending ps4 ! Innovation is such a secret. 

 Still I was rewarded with crazy sights after p,to make up for the views that I had missed. In the nearby games world, manga style teens gambled on the slot machines, danced to the games and preened their purple hair.  How many times can I say that Tokyo is such a crazy city -  a mega metropolis of 35 million people ..... That's half the population of the UK!

It looks like cheese, but it's not cheese, it's fish!

OMG what can I say about my first impressions of Tokyo. It's an enormous sprawling new city, but there's an incredible clam and order around. I expected crazy streets with millions of people trying to cross a road, and In rush hour that does happen, but there's ordered calm in the air. No pushing,  no rushing, no beeping of horns, even on the bus coming in an announcement was made not to use your mobile phone as it will annoy your fellow passengers!!! Despite incredible tiredness there's a huge city to explore and lunch was had in a city noodle bar, a lunch special delivered a large bowl of noodles, rice, a weird  tofu square (left untouched) and some amazing deep fried wantons. We were surrounded by groups of black suited office workers, who we saw later letting their hair down in the packed bars enjoying their Friday night beers. 

So far we have been met with smiles and support, from the waving man outside the train Station, the reception staff at the near by Best western, who let us sit in their lobby and use their wifi, to the patient waiter at our dinner stop, as we excitedly pointing to practically everything on the menu that could be grilled on a stick to then wash down with a cool beer.

Sinjuku is the place to stay, here the young and old mix in the crazy bars, rooms in hotels are rented by the hour, for intimate hungry couples and there's a vibe of excitement on the streets. We headed to the amazing Golden-Gai alleys in the evening, where there Are rows of bars as small as my spare bedroom, and are packed with really friendly locals in it for the long hall of having a bar to yourself and relaxing. We were beckoned Into a tiny bar my a waving group of locals and spent a couple of hours laughing, drinking and sampling local bar snacks (hence the title of today's pub), and huge cheers for picking up the tap - to the guy on my left at the bar -what an amazing first night :)

I didn't expect to be drinking whiskey sodas to midnight, I didn't expect to be greeted so warmly and I didn't expect this city to have such order and calm. So far Tokyo, you have blown my mind !!  

One sleep to Japan

Ok I'm not counting the plane snooze - almost packed and slightly regretting the two pints of Guinness in the pub after work!!!! Now on the computer syncing up my itouch, making sure that I have enough episodes of DID's to occupy me on the long train journeys ahead, what a tech savvy world we live in now.....

So buckle up and enjoy my travels with me, I can promise funny stories, interesting banter and a real cultural experience.

さようなら

Sayōnara