Adventures in South Korea: 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 :)

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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!