Tokyo, 3 am

You can only know a city when you walk through it at 2 or 3 am in the morning. I did this last night, walking from Shinjuku, through Harajuku and Shibuya, on to Meguro where my place is.

Now the problem is that public transport stops around 12:30 am, but the city certainly does not. Shops are closed, but bars and cafes and restaurants are still open and very crowded. Even in Meguro, which is not a busy shopping hub, I walked by local ramen shops at around 3 am and saw they were packed with people. And not just club-hopping youth ... unless guys in their mid 40s are into club-hopping.

There's also no paucity of drunken business men staggering around the streets in search of a cab and while there is a plethora of cabs in Tokyo, none seem free at 2 or 3 am. And by staggering, I mean really unable to walk. There are capsule hotels available for these men if they can't get home, and some public bath/sauna places that are open 24 hours also offer some "sleeping" areas. I can just imagine what they'd be like at 3 am.

The city did feel exceedingly safe, and it feels like an exceedingly safe city anyway. I did not feel in danger once, did not need to look over my shoulder to see if I was going to be mugged (although a few people looked at me wondering if I was going to mug them.)

As I got home, I saw this billboard. Not sure what it's for, but she seems to be indicating I'm a loser.

This Time, It's Personal!

From the land where even the buildings have sequels.

Blossoming

Mmmm... Cherry Blossom ... aaaauuuuyyyyhhhhh.

These pics were taken yesterday near my apartment. The blossoms aren't in full ... err ... blossom, but they're close. Already people are making afternoon picnics and evening dinners along the river under the blossom trees.

Full blossom will arrive in the next day or so.

But don't worry ... you're not missing anything. It really isn't that special. Pause. Pause. Pause. Not.

It Must Be the Genes

Goddamn it!

They're thin. I've seen maybe five overweight people in Tokyo. One grossly overweight. Yeah, I know they have us beaten with their sushi diet and their smaller portions, but they aren't angels when it comes to food consumption. There are so MANY pastry and cake shops throughout Tokyo and always busy. I've seen slender little old ladies polish off three or four cakes in one sitting and wash it down with a frappacino. And their fat-marbled meats I almost find inedible. And while people do drink tea, sugar drinks (such as Calpis) and beer are gulped down. They don't seem to exercise too much, so it must be the genes.

We must find these genes, extract and duplicate them and make them available in pill form now!

Or maybe it's the fish in the fish tank theory. No matter how much you feed it, the fish will only grow as large as the tank allows. Tokyo is a very spatially-challenged city ... Not sure how this excuses the fat people in New York.

My Place Only Has A Shower

From a news report:

The body of a woman believed to be British was found in a bathtub full of sand on an apartment balcony near Tokyo, Japanese media reported today.

Police believe the body, found late last night, is that of a 22-year-old British woman who worked at a language school, media reports said.

A police spokesman said the body of what "appeared to be a young woman" had been found, but he could not confirm the nationality of the dead person.

The apartment where the body was found in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, belongs to a Japanese man in his 20s whom the British woman knew, according to the reports.

Police were searching for the Japanese man, the reports said.

A British woman who lived with the 22-year-old was reported to have called the police yesterday afternoon to tell them that the woman had not come home and had not been reachable by mobile phone.

"We can confirm that a British national is missing -- an English teacher -- and as you know the Japanese police have discovered a body," a British embassy spokesman said. "Beyond that we cannot comment."

How Much is That Doggie in the Window?

Well, at the Seibu department store where I saw this adorable little pup behind glass, the answer was clear: 450,000 yen which, at the current rate of exchange, is $3618 US. Pricey, but compared to the cost of melons, it's a bargain!

If You Build It...

So what does the gold sculpture atop of this building look like to you?

If you said shaving cream, you'd be wrong. If you said a flame that is being blown on, you'd make the creator happy because that was his intention. If you said it looks like a big yellow poop, you're on your way to becoming a Japanese person.

I know this blog has focused on fecal matter a little too much, but the Japanese are obsessed by it. I have been told that this building is a laugh-point for the Japanese. Part of the Asahi beer building area, it was supposed to be a shining example of the glory of Japanese design. Instead it's called the "poop" building and a source of humor for all. You see, the Japanese think poop is funny. That's what I've been told. I will take some pics of the cartoon poops to further validate my claim, so stay tuned.