I’ve been constantly busy over last few days with work and my aunt visiting from Rijeka. There is so much I want to post about, hopefully I’ll get around to most of it. But before I archive all my Japan memorabilia, here are some little tidbits on the cities we visited.
Me looking for food while jetlagged. There are restaurants in the background.
I’ve never seen so many restaurants all over the city. They were all full too. A lot of the restaurants are quite small and all have little flags/curtains over the doors so you’d know it’s a restaurant (Like in movie Tempopo). Most of the restaurants have plastic models of the food on their menu displayed in front of the restaurant which made it really easy for Chris and me but, since we saw very few non Japanese people, I guess it helps the locals too. Even if a restaurant doesn’t have the display, there are pictures in the menu. We’ve only been to one place that did not have this (in fact, apart from a sign on the wall, they did not have menus) and that was an experience in and of itself. The noodle shops were my favourite. I can’t believe how fast people can eat soup, but I guess that is because I have not mastered the art of slurping. The Japanese food is so distinct, most of the time I did not know what I was eating, but then again, I enjoyed all the meals so no complaints there.
Gothic Lolitta Square
This area, Harajuku, is all about teenage chaos. This particular place is where Gothic Lolitta cos players hang out. We were too shy to go around taking pictures though some kids were posing for cameras. The kids in black sitting under the fence are all cos players. The place reminded me of the Dark Wave Nights but with more crinolines and parasols.
Tokyo Street
Tokyo Street
The architecture in Tokyo is mostly from late 40’s onwards. The 50’s and 60’s design is omnipresent and fun. The interesting thing about the apartment buildings is how narrow they are. What I liked the most are the trees that manage to grow in less than a square meter of “garden” afforded by the crowded architecture. In places where they don’t have a luxury of a tinny garden, people leave potted plants on the street. It gives otherwise a stark street a cozy people-live-here-and-like-it feel.
The National Art Gallery in Ottawa just bought one of these. I don’t make a point of listening to CFRA but I imagine the tax cuts-ignorance-church-and-tradition loudmouths must have had a cow.
Tokyo City View from Mori Art Gallery
Tokyo City View
Tokyo City View
Kyoto Neighbourhood
If I lived in Kyoto, I’d want to live here. Compared to apartment buildings this neighbourhood looked like Westmount. While we were there the school kids were just coming back home and whenever we passed a bunch they would say “hello” or some other greeting phrase they so obviously learned in english class such as “I like baseball.” When we would say hi back they would giggle.
The Kyoto Accord (you knew this one was coming)
In Kyoto Shopping Mall
There are only certain decades when something like this would pass through the planning committee.
A sea of taxis in Kyoto
Back in Tokyo
One way to make sure Tokyo does not get crushed again is to make Godzilla small enough not to be able to step on anything.
I’ve shown a few pictures from our trip at work and some people were surprised since they expected more crowded cities and advanced technology. We saw a lot of these, but they are hard to take pictures of. In the metro pretty much every second person was reading the news or messages on their cell phone. Akihabara (technology) district was full of technology but looked a bit on the cheapish side with huge yellow banners advertising something or other on each shop. I expected something more snazzy. The cities, particularly Tokyo were just crazy, it is something that really has to be experienced.