Tokyo

Impressive architecture at the International Forum
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Where to start?

Everything about this huge city was fantastic so sit down with a cup of tea or a glass of wine because this is our longest entry ever as we went on overdrive for four days and just couldn't leave anything out.

First the people:-

The most polite, helpful and friendly people despite living in a massive city of 34 million people (if you count greater Tokyo). Choruses of "welcome" greet you everywhere and bowing all the time. From the guards on the train who bow at the end of every carriage when they enter and leave to the lady on the street who, after giving us directions, ran after us to make sure we were going the right way. Everyone takes pride in their work and things like the metro and the streets are spotlessly clean. They all wear suits or uniforms from chefs to bus drivers and white gloves. At the Sumo tournament polite little ladies provide the only ‘security’ necessary for 10,000 people not the usual big burly male security guards or policemen. We also felt incredibly safe at anytime of the day or night.

Comfy in a Kimono in our Tokyo hostel
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A truly modern city:-

The Japanese are known for their electrical devices but in everything logic and technology is applied. The logic of the super efficient and punctual transport system makes a massive complex system easy to use with maps at every turn and excellent signage. The hi-tech toilets that everyone jokes about are actually really impressive. Not only a heated toilet seat (don’t laugh) but a bidet and even flushing noises to save a ladies embarrassment. Of course they are also very funny to be honest. Even ice cream cones are clever. They have a lip on them so that when the ice cream melts instead of slopping down the cone it collects in the top – simple but brilliant!  Supposedly there are 6 million vending machines on the streets across Japan offering drinks, both hot and cold (including alcohol - imagine that in the UK!).  They are all working, spotlessly clean and not a 'no change given' light in sight.  We also must mention the free glasses cleaning machine we stumbled upon.  Its uses sonic waves through water to clean them and it worked a treat.  The Tokyoites are obsessive about recycling and there are no normal single all in bins.  It takes a few minutes to find the right bin for your rubbish but well worth it we'd say.

The wonderful glasses cleaner
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The food:-

This was the culinary highlight of the trip so far.  We knew we liked sushi but we had great fun sampling that and other foods.  It was also great value for money.  Highlights were a fabulous tempura, conveyor belt sushi and being befriended by a restaurant owner.  Also we must mention the fish market which we got up early to see in full swing at 7am one morning.  Size was very much the issue here, both in terms of the scale of the market (US$ 23 million of fish is sold every single day) and the size of some the fish themselves - huge.

Trying out the Japanese photo pose
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Shopping and Entertainment:-

They take consumerism to the max in Tokyo.  Absolutely huge shopping complexes most often set up around a massive fancy prestige tower block.  Endless neon lights and vast TV screens outdoors.  The designer fashion stores in Aoyama provide some stunning architecture with ever more innovatively designed buildings.  Also many of the towers have a sky lounges providing awesome views over the city which seems to stretch out forever in to the horizon.  We went up three of them, the best of which was Roppongi Hills.  Huge gaming arcades of upright pinball machines (called Pachinko) making a hell of a racket and towers (we found one with 8 floors) of arcade games years ahead of the UK.

At the entry to a temple
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A culture of contradictions:-

polite and well mannered and reserved v manga violence and porn.....very conventional uniforms and dark suits v crazy far out teenage fashions.....super modern and high-tech v very traditional with sumo, teahouses, geisha....serious and business- like v karaoke, cartoons and love hotels

Areas we visited and things we did:-

Shinjuku - government office viewing lounge and the massive department store Takashimaya Time Square where we had lunch

The worlds busiest pedestrian crossing in Shibuya
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Shibuya- home of the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, and love hotels - not as seedy as you might imagine but modern and clean looking (from the outside at least - we didn't go in)

Imperial Palace gardens- a stroll around on a crisp clear morning

Ginza- the Sony building was disappointing, but the International Forum was well worth a visit - great building

Harajuku- a walk through the park to the temple with ice sculptures lining the way, and crazy teenage fashions around the station

Enjoying conveyor belt sushi
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Asakusa- very touristy temple area

Roppongi- the newest smartest and biggest shopping complex we found. Great view at night from the tower and dinner in a friendly locals restaurant

Tsukiji - Early start to catch the action at the Fish Market and a stroll through a lovely park stopping for a Japanese tea in the traditional tea house on the lake (shoes off first of course)

Akasaka- tour of the Parliament (Diet) building

In front of the Imperial Palace
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Ikebukuro- Up the Sunshine 60 tower in the 2nd fastest lift in the world (600m per minute apparently)

Akihabara- "electric town" but these days more the centre of manga and anime culture including some rather disturbing cartoon pornography

Sumo tournament- Cheap to get in and a fantastic arena with a radio headset for English commentary which helped us as we wouldn't have had a clue. Another example of contrast that this odd sport with more rituals than action is still popular.

The Japanese flag
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and finally.....

Hard to believe but we had only four days in Tokyo and went at breakneck speed to get it all in. Luckily we choose a great hostel to return to shattered at the end of each day (the slippers and kimonos were also a nice touch). We can't wait to bore you with more details, and are looking forward to going back one day.