"Cruising" in Shibuya

What is it like in Shibuya crossing?

I promised you a video of how it felt to walk through this crossing during rush hour. Well, it is not exactly rush hour but it is a wonderful Sunday afternoon.

Click play and enjoy the busiest crossing in Tokyo.

Meiji shrine

I still do not know what to expect in Tokyo. This city is so foreign to me in so many ways.

I visited Meiji Shrine - a Shinto shrine very close to where we live - on a beautiful sunny day. The entrance of a Shinto shrine is generally framed by a Torii.

Many Japanese people visiting the shrine kiss the Torii and hug it as they pass (seemed odd to me, but the more they did it the more tempted I was to hug it too… strange).

One of the parts I liked the most was this “wall of wishes”. This is the place where people write their wishes and prayers in small pieces of wood arranged all around a somewhat important tree.


It was surprising to see so many young people in the shrine, and the mood is quite happy. Some teenagers are playing around and there are school kids watching and talking. I guess I still do not know enough about the shrines , about Japan and about their customes... 2 more months to soak it all up.

Will the wonders never cease?

As we all know, the Japanese are already enjoying technologies that the US and EU won't see for a few years. I want to introduce you to my favorite.

Let's start with the close-ups. . . .

That's right people, that is the toilet of the future. Its available right now in my office. The toilet features:

• Heated seat
• Fan which automatically starts when you sit
  
• A *Powerful Deodorizer*; activated by push button
• Cleansing stream of water WITH adjustable pressure.

I have also been informed by reliable sources that the women's toilet plays the sound of a babbling brook to mask any other sounds being created. Because, as a member of my team explains; "Japanese lady don't like people hear them pee." Fair enough.

I am clearly enamored by the technology, although the brief instant after hitting the button for the cleansing and before the stream starts is actually a little scary.

Now, Ale and I disagree about the *gross* factor in showing a toilet. She is against it. I, however, feel that in the interest of education and completeness, the toilet must be displayed. The photo was taken first thing in the morning to ensure cleanliness. However, if you don't want to see the picture of a toilet, please look no further.














In all its high-tech glory . . .

We love Japan . . . but we can't live here.

Why I can't live here . . .

Study the picture to the left. That is meat . . . the meat on the middle shelf is not the mythical Kobe beef, it is your run of the mill beef. It is, in fact, Top Round . . . the Honda Civic of the beef world.

Now, let's do some math. 100 grams is 1050 yen. So I don't have to get a calculator, let's assume the exchange rate is 100 yen to the dollar. That means that a kilo of top round is 105 dollars and a pound is about 47 dollars.

Let's repeat the exercise for Filet Mignon at the bottom of the picture. Filet is going for 315 dollars a kilo or about 143 a pound.

Why Ale can't live here . . .

Using the same exchange rate . . . those beauties are one hundred and five dollar mellons.

Any questions . . .

Outed: Tommy Lee Jones

I have a new mission: to out every American celebrity who is pimping ridiculous products in the Japanese market because they are confident it won't compromise their artistic integrity at home.

Oh Thomas. . . a super sugary "coffee flavored" beverage called BOSS!? With a freaking rainbow can? What's the matter big guy, Men in Black residuals running out on you?

For shame.

ok, so what is it like?!

We have been in Tokyo for a week, a whole week, beating jet-lag - the last 3 Tylenol PM dissapeared within the firs two days and after that Chuck and I were awake pretty much every day after 3:33 a.m. Luckily it was a long weekend so we spent those days trying to get in and out of bed (but doing so at the wrong times). This photo shows how we felt the first few days.

So, what is it like?!! well Tokyo is cool, alive, short, fun, clean, confusing and extremely polite.

- We have had people carry our bags, direct us, smiling and saying a lot of things we could not understand. Remember we are used to French service, so this for us is paradise! and by the way: no tips.

- Shops and restaurants are eveywhere, in the backstreet from our place, (between Aoyama-dori and Omotesando) there are at least 15 hairdressers, and we are talking about a 200 m street. To those of us reading this in Luxembourg: yes shops are open until 9pm (at least) and also on Sundays.

- The toilets .. Chuck has a whole post dedicated to them.

- Shoes size go to a maximum of 7.5 ... well, shoe shopping is out of the question. Shop assitants look at me with pity every time I ask for a scary 9.5

- I spent 3 hours in the supermarket, 2 of which were wasted (or invested depending on how you see things) trying to buy soy sauce and chili sauce. A whole wall full of them. After 1 h 45 m I had to drag (very politely) a Japanese woman and beg for help: "sumimasen ... can you pick a soy sauce for me please?"

- ... I am still trying to buy chili sauce

- When running in Tokyo make sure you do not try to enter a shrine with your (very small) running clothes, you will be summoned by a very polite guard, who will escort you out to Yoyogi Park.

- ahh and in Tokyo, Japanese people do not carry cameras around. We are! it's revenge now!

Rugby in Tokyo

Amazingly, our new apartment is three blocks from Japan's national rugby stadium. So, how did we spend our first Saturday in Tokyo? Did we go see a thousand-year-old Shinto shrine? Did we relax in the warm natural onsen bath? Oh no, we went to see Japan's national team play a select side from Australia. The Australians, who outweighed the Japanese by 10 kilos in every position, won the game handily but the Japanese did themselves proud.

Here I am buying tickets. I have finally achieved my life dream of being tall! I am actually having a great time, I am not sure why I have such a big smile on my face.

Here is our ticket . . . pretty obvious how to find our seat, right?

Luckily, people like to help Ale and eventually people pointed us in the right direction.


Once we found our place, it turns out that we had great seats. As you can imagine, Ale is thrilled that we are so close to the stadium. She has already made a list of the up-coming games. She has also started scouting tickets for the major Sumo tournament that starts in Tokyo in January.

I can only hope that we have enough time to work in some shrines and Kimono exhibits amidst her schedule.

We are finally in Tokyo!

All righty! After a mere 20-hour trip, Ale and I arrived to Narita Airport just outside of Tokyo. As with all long trips with Ale, it was maddening. Basically, I got to sit in a cramped, hot airplane cabin watching Ale sleep like a baby. Adding insult to injury, she wakes up right before the breakfast service (coincidently right as I am about to fall asleep) and wants to chat.

For those of you who don't know, I will be working in Japan for the next three months. Ale will be exploring, making friends and studying oregami.

Anyway, here we are on the 2-hour bus ride in to the center of town. Ale looks fresh and happy, I look like death warmed over.