The rest of wonderful Japan

My, my. I certainly let the weeks carry me don't I?  It does not feel like it, but it's already been a month since I was in Tokyo! And three weeks since the beautiful trip to Alaska, which is my next goal for a blog and will hopefully not take me another month to write! If it does, I'm afraid I may have no more details left in my memory to recount for you. They will have all shriveled in time and all I'll be able to say is that Alaska was beautiful, would you like to see a picture? So, I'm hopefully going to get my butt in gear and write that sometime this week. 

Moving on to dear Tokyo- It really was fun, and beautiful in its own way. It took me about three days to really get my bearings, and for those who know me- you understand that that's saying a lot. Part of my confidence in traveling comes from my good sense of direction. If I had none, I would never travel alone. But as it is, I've got some ancestral compass that determines North from South wherever I go. Remarkably, my compass did not kick in until the third day I was in Tokyo, and even then it was a little off (I blame it on the massive amount of leftover radiation from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but that's just a guess.)   So, as my compass was all over, I was all over. I walked miles upon miles around the posh area of Omotesando, the eccentric (truly) Harajuku, the largest intersection and entertainment area of Shinjuku and then around Roppongi (the night district full of panting males when the sun is down, yet rather endearing in daytime- very strange), then to my favorite area of Ginza- the shopping district and extremely posh area structured much like Oxford Street in London. 

Needless to say, my feet and knees were sore by the time I found my favorite district. So I found myself a little niche in a very quaint, Western style brunch cafe where I ordered spaghetti bolognese. I ate every bite without guilt, and even had a foofy coffee drink to top it off.  As I was finishing my feast, a kind voice next to me spoke English in my direction.  I turned to make sure she wasn't talking to someone else as that does happen, and it's frightfully embarrassing to turn at some who is speaking to someone else.  But, by her soft "Hello, where are you from?" I knew it was my attention she sought. I replied and we began to chat. She was a very sweet girl, 100 percent Japanese and very good at English. She had studied in Boston a few years ago and was very excited to meet an English speaker again. We talked about many a things and as we both paid our checks we decided to spend the rest of the day together. Her, with no job, and me, with no itinerary, were suddenly hitting the town as if we'd known one another for years.  We decided to go to a Kabuki show which is a traditional Japanese style play.  They tend to be very tragic and dramatic in style and appearance. They are performed only by men, and the most famous of Kabuki performers tend to be all in one family. Meaning, these performers are trained from youth, generation after generation. I thought that was kind of a neat tradition, so was very excited to see a show. Only, with my luck, there were none playing live until after I left Tokyo.  So instead, Mami (that was the sweet girl's name) and myself ended up seeing a taped performance.  Like going to the movies, we bought tickets and popcorn. I snuck in chocolate. 

My experience of Tokyo when on my own was a very silent one. I could not oooo and ahhh at much without a friend to do so with me. Its just not the same, you know?  So I was very happy to have met Mami. She enhanced my journey ten fold. On the last day we went around Asakusa area and souvenir shopped. I bought a few things for some people, who hopefully have gotten them by now :)  And thereafter I went for sushi.  Ahem. Sushi. I was quite uncertain about it. But I figured that if the gods were sweet enough to introduce me to Mami, that the least I could do was 'just try' it. And.... it was good! So good!  I have to say, I could now go for a couple of salmon rolls!  Amazing how much truth there was in Green Eggs and Ham. Below is a picture of me trying it. I believe my expression is "fuck it, let's do this".   And I'm very very happy I did. :D  

The rest of Tokyo was a blur of lights, people, technology, old buildings and shops. I had a wonderful time, and I hope you enjoy my pictures just as much as I did taking them. 

The beautiful Tokyo at night from Tokyo Tower. (A whole other story - with bad wax figures and a Guiness Book of World Records Museum).  This was my other favorite place, on top of the world so to say.
The entrance into the shopping area at Asakusa. Also where I met Mami for our last excursion. 
A beautiful buddhist temple off the tourist map. I happen to stumble upon it when still trying to find my bearings.
Sweet Mami and moi. We are in front of the Meiji Temple (think that's right, but it's now been so long!).  It's in Asakusa too.
Mami is "healing" herself with the good vibing incense outside the temple.  Supposedly if you waft the smoke onto your ailments it will cure them.  -Mind you, I didn't get swine flu- perhaps some smoke stuck around?
Trying a traditional Japanese jelly snack in the Ginza shopping mall. It was really sweet and really really delicious! Oishi!
The John Lennon Museum: Another story of course. It took me nearly two hours to find it. But once I did, I stuck there for four hours. Making it a whole day excursion, and well worth the time ^^.   
Here I am outside the temple trying to see the future. Really I am. The box/stand behind the wire thing with ties on it is full of fortunes for certain numbers. You shake a small tin with sticks inside it- they have the numbers on them. Then pull one out and pick out a paper from the corresponding box. I got a "Medium" fortune, which was actually a bad one as it said I should not travel anywhere soon, and I should also quit my job.  Hm... stupid fortune telling thing. I folded it up and put it on the wire stand where it is supposed to be washed away in time...     I made it to Alaska and back, so I think it worked.

Ah! Sushi! Oishi

Another sweetheart of a girl allowed me to try her yukata on at 7 o'clock in the morning on Sunday. So exact, I know. But it was terribly random and thereby extremely memorable. This girl was also 100 percent Japanese. Her name was Eri and she was from two hours north of Tokyo. Very kind of her. And if I don't say so myself, I look rather at home in a yukata! 

Tokyo

Tokyo, Day 1:

First intro to Tokyo was the transportation system. It is an insane system of three separate metros all intertwined to compose a spiderweb of connections and transfers.  When on the JR Lines, one can use the same tickets, but when on the other lines, one has to buy specifically for their travel route, meaning either separate tickets or transfer tickets. Either way, one has a headache before their journey ever begins. I was fortunate on my first three encounters with the metro system as I was confronted by helpful English speaking Japanese metro workers who must sit and wait for stupid foreigners like me to come around and look ridiculously lost.  So, I was lucky, I guess. I found some helpful patrons to guide me on my routes for the day. (Especially with all my luggage... which I dragged behind me like a bad dog, yelling at it to keep up as I went up and down the twenty some stair cases I managed to find instead of the elevators...    That might also have had to do with helpful people. I was undoubtedly looking so pitiful by trips end that they felt sorry for me, thereby confronting me with their assistance. Maybe they didn't even work there?  Was so tired, I can't really remember...)

Anyways, that was my first intro to Tokyo, and needless to say I was overwhelmed and all too happy to get to my hostel. Course, once I got there around 2, I had to wait until 4 o'clock check in.  So I dropped my luggage off and continued on my ad hoc exploration of Tokyo, this time above ground.  

What I found was still a myriad of corridors and streets and parks and a river and shops and people and so on and so forth. A hustling, bustling city much like London or New York, cars honked and people sauntered through intersections, vendors proclaimed their best products to deaf ears, tourists clung to their kin while deciding their next Japanese injection. The city reminded me of every other city I had been to, at first that is.  As I kept up my pace through the Asakusa neighborhood, I began to also notice the unique characteristics that are Tokyo.    

For one, their taxi cabs are unlike any in the world. They are all different in that there are some that are baby blue, others that are lime green, burnt orange, red, black, white or dark blue.  They all look like they were made in 1970 and are tripped out with fur and leather seats inside.  One might conclude that these taxis become love cars at night, but that is most definitely wrong, for there are special hotels for that all over Tokyo in which couples pay by the hour.  No, these taxis are simply sporting a retro appearance for the sake of cool I believe.  I'm not exactly sure, as asked my Japanese friend about them and she said she had never noticed. I also read the Lonely Planet's guide to Tokyo and received no real answer there either.  Thus, I'm not sure why Tokyo has such a smorgesborg of taxis, but it does and I kind of love Tokyo for that. 

For two, people dress in whatever they want. There are NO rules for attire in Tokyo. There are of course certain neighborhoods where one might see certain styles of dress, but overall, anything goes.  Where I was on my two hour walk was Asakusa, an area with sweet markets, a park by the river, and good restaurants.  I also happened to be walking there on a special weekend, when the cicadas are out and humming everywhere, and people sit around and listen to them as they wait for the largest and longest fireworks display in the world to begin.  I had no idea this was all going on at first. I thought it might be normal for people to hangout in yukata (summer kimono) and vegetate on blankets in the river park.  Once I got back to my hostel I asked about the festivities and they informed me with raised eyebrows.  I felt a bit dense before I hurridly threw on my new tie-dye dress and tons of jewelry and headed back out the door to see the fireworks. Anything goes, anywhere in Tokyo, but my calling is Asakusa. My tie-dye fit right in with all the Japanese hippies... too bad none of them spoke English!

For three, they love celebrations.  Okay, everyone loves celebrations and America certainly has hundreds of thousands every year. Yet, it seems to me that when there is a national celebration every month, and at least one celebration every weekend in Tokyo or near to it, that there is an excess of celebratory extravaganzas.  For instance the weekend I was there was the Hanabi Festival, rather fireworks display. There was also a Tokyo Rock Festival going on which I did not find out about until after it was finished. Then the upcoming weekend was the Takigi Noh Festival, where there are traditional Japanese "Noh" plays around the city in parks and shrines and etc.  I picked up an English version of a Tokyo events booklet and was in awe at the extent of its listings.  The booklet was eighty pages of events just for July/August.  I realize that Tokyo is some 33 million strong, but I just didn't expect them to be so... so... joyful? So absolutely fond of celebrating that they do so every weekend in mass?  Maybe not really mass, as each event is definitely geared towards different crowds. But on the total, all festivities are geared towards foreigners as we are always in search of a good party and "cultural experience". 

So, that was my first day in Tokyo. An ad hoc walk around Asakusa area, a few bohemian stores, and a relaxing night with the world's grandest annual fireworks exhibit. Not so bad for a first day.  Here are some pics of the Tokyo underground, yukata (summer kimono), their taxis and the fireworks. Enjoy :)

It looks ever more daunting in Japanese!

The view from my seat on the Keisei Line which takes me from Narita Airport to Ueno Station, where I had to begin my several flights of stairs in transfers to other lines.  It's so simple at this point!

One of the many taxis. 

Watching the fireworks with millions of others. 

Some adorable Japanese girls in yukata watching the fireworks. I was tempted to buy one and join them! Looks like they were having fun!