:: gia’s blog ::

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When Brian was busy at his conference, I went off for a day trip…

Just another day in Tokyo.

My lack of updates has been noted. I’ve been busy, OK?!

Here are my thoughts on Japan lately:

1. I LOVE Japanese “Washlettes” (the hi-tech toilets). I think I’m now addicted to them. I can’t use one- anywhere- without trying all of the buttons out. And as I’ve just now found out, after a long day full of meetings and a few hours in Akihabara (”Electric City” ie the Tottenham Ct Rd of Tokyo) there’s nothing better than a go on the Washlette.

2. I will not rest until Virgin train staff in the UK bow when they enter and leave a carriage. I Will. Not. Rest.

3. The Japanese, the English (not the British) and the Germans were all separated at birth.
Japanese- love drinking
Germans- love drinking
English- really love drinking
English- weird sexual perverts
Germans- weird sexual perverts
Japanese- very weird sexual perverts
Japanese- like to think they are superior to everyone else
English- like to think they are superior to everyone else
Germans- really like to think they are superior to everyone else

The Japanese give the Germans a good run for their money when it comes to efficiency. One could probably literally set one’s watch by the trains here.

The Japanese, like the English (proper English, not the screwed up thing that’s happened lately with the Nanny State crap) are so polite that it verges on rudeness. They also share the worship of tea and the love of immaculately manicured gardens, as well.

4. Only 1% of Japan is Christian. The rest are Buddhist or Shinto. We haven’t seen one whacked out, annoying or messed-up dickhead and there is virtually no crime here at all.. Work it out for yourself.

5. I never knew squid could melt in your mouth.

6. Tokyo is a perfect city.
Yeah, yeah, I’m sure if I lived here I’d find its faults, but I’ve been many places around the world where I’ve thought, ‘Nope. I never want to go back there again.’ But not Tokyo…It’s Blade Runner, it’s Coruscant, it’s *exactly* how we will be living in about 20 years’ time… as long as we don’t let the religious whackos ruin it all for us.

OK… It’s late. As I mentioned I had meetings today and then spent a few hours in “Electric City” looking for a good deal… I bought a Sanyo Xacti DMX-C6 (the Japanese model, not the UK/US VPC model. I got the red one) and a 1GB SD card for £150 less than the camera alone sells in the UK. I honestly wasn’t expecting to find cheap cool tech here… I’m about to scream with joy.

So, I’ve got to go so I can plug it in and fawn over it as it charges.

We took the Bullet train to Kyoto this morning and spent the afternoon wandering the streets around the temple.

Tomorrow we’re going to see the Geishas perform- they only perform for the public in April… so we’re rather lucky we’re here now. We’re going early to do the tea ceremony before their performance…

I took this picture outside the Asakusa Temple in Tokyo. Will one of you Sunshine people email me to let me know if you think it should go up on the Sunshine site or not…?

We were hit by jet lag today so didn’t leave our hotel until about noon. We first went to the Imperial Palace Gardens. I took loads of photos of flowers… then noticed that pretty much every person over the age of about 60 had a considerably better camera than I did, AND a tripod, and was taking exactly the same photos as I was… I stopped taking photos of cherry blossoms and took a photo of carp in the pond instead. (click pics for big versions)

We went to a couple department stores so Brian could look for some clothes… but he’s at least a third taller than the average man here… so it was an unsuccessful shopping trip.

We got back to our hotel, showered, changed and then headed to Shinjuku…. again. This area was Ridley Scott’s inspiration for Blade Runner and where Lost in Translation was filmed.

We had booked a table at the Kazue restaurant on the 40-something-th floor of the Park Hyatt Hotel. When we arrived Brian said we had a table at ‘Kazoo’… I couldn’t stop laughing for about an hour.

Along with all the usual raw fish, seaweed and pickled vegetables one comes to expect from Japanese food, we ate:
*Whole baby squid which Brian was more freaked out than I was to eat.
*What we were pretty sure was cooked chicken brain dipped in raw egg. We definitely dipped it in raw egg and it was all folded up, greyish and small and looked like a brain, so we figured that’s what it must be as the rest of the chicken was there as well…
* About 10 glasses of sake each.

We then headed up to the New York Bar on the 52nd floor… which is where Lost in Tanslation was filmed. We sat right behind Bill Murray.

We had 3, maybe 4 cocktails… stayed until closing, hopped in a cab… and now we’re back at our hotel, pissed…. and ready for bed.

We’ve got about 6 hours left of our flight… but we’re on broadband, baby… This is what we’ve been up to the last few hours.