Enough of wilderness excursions, cosmic choreography and minging museums, I know what you want from Tokyo. Shibuya is probably the best place to see iconic Tokyo sights like too many people crowding into cramped streets, cyberpunk fashions and deafening arcades packed with pensioners, though these static photos probably give a misleading impression of how stressful and frenzied it all isn't.
Even when my senses are being overloaded, I still feel a lot more relaxed in Japan than in most other countries I've visited (Korea excepted), and even during rush hour, the scales are tipped more in favour of order than chaos. That doesn't mean this city always makes sense and isn't completely bewildering on occasion - it's Tokyo, after all. Perhaps you've heard of it?
Shibuya
(渋谷)
Shibuya crossing, which looks more impressive from above but had the same tense anticipation as that time I unwittingly ended up in a Braveheart-style charging face-off at an Alestorm gig
Hachikō: the Greyfriar's Bobby of Tokyo
The canine freak show was out in full force, at least
I tried for ages to find a dodgy whale meat place that was supposed to be here, before getting distracted and confused by things like this. WHAT?
It's tricky trying to guess which aspect of Japanese culture will explode in popularity in the West a couple of years down the line, so I hung around in Club Sega to get some ideas.
How about weird proboscis creatures?
Or plushy dicks?
Or unmelodious singing splodges? They work together, so parents have to buy at least four
Digital darts might be the most unnecessary sci-fi upgrade ever
Pachinko: I really don't know what's going on here, but I had to leave rapidly before the paradoxical combination of bright colours, old people and ear-splitting house music knocked me to the floor in hysterics. In my country, these people play bingo
How many times have I told you? It doesn't put it here!
(Great. Back to that, are we?)
This was the most comfortingly normal thing I saw all day.
My comfort zone is apparently 1962. Things made more sense back then
My comfort zone is apparently 1962. Things made more sense back then
Well, most of the time
Shinjuku
(新宿)
Tickets for the newly opened Tokyo Sky Tree were fully booked for at least two months, but it turned out this (slightly smaller) government building lets you ride up and take a look around for free
Provided you don't head up 42 floors in the wrong lift, to be greeted by this sign.
But who would be that dumb?
But who would be that dumb?
Even when I'm quite enjoying myself in a country, I always get a slight urge to end it all when ascending to spectacular heights.
Heck, why not?
Heck, why not?
おやおや!!!
