Tokyo - First Impressions

Well, it's been five days since I arrived and I've come into a spot of WiFi, so this seems as good a time as any to upload a post.

Japan, the land of the rising sun, sushi, bullet trains, karate and advertisements with endless viral potential. The last time I saw this much ethnic homogeneity was the series finale of Friends! Ba dum. Seriously though, this place is certainly among the most interesting or at least the most different in which I have ever been. India, despite the poverty, felt more familiar in certain ways. While most of Tokyo (the only place I've been so far) superficially bears the trappings of major cities in all regions of the world - skyscrapers, subways, international fast food chains - everything has some kind of a spin on it that can delight or unnerve (sometimes both), from the bells and jingles heralding the arrival of a train to a station or the changing of a pedestrian traffic light from red to green, to the endless mascots and cartoons gracing the (numerous) public service messages.

One of the key messages in a history book I read before I came was that the process by whichJapan modernised/westernised was undertaken, for the most part, at its own discretion and not not via colonialism, and one can definitely perceive the legacy of that distinction. With certain notable exceptions such as signs on public transport, things are labelled almost exclusively in Japanese, and much of the English one does see appears to be merely for stylistic purposes, or as a gimmick, and not for the purpose of conveying information ("sure, I'm glad this will give me a happy and refreshing life, but what is it?!!"). I guess literacy is something that I usually take for granted. I suppose if I was in a rush to get anywhere or do anything in particular this all might be annoying, but so far I've been happy just meandering and stumbling upon points of interest.

In any event, the language barrier can cause Japanese culture to seem somewhat inscrutable; I spend a decent amount of time trying to imagine what the experience of other individuals is like, even in my own native culture(s). Being here, that general wondering about other peoples' consciousness and values is writ large, as I look at the people around me on the streets and in the subway and try to imagine what their lives are like and what makes them tick. I spend most of my life thinking (implicitly or explicitly) "I look 'normal' , my dietary habits are 'normal'" and being here (as is often the case in foreign countries) I realise that's highly subjective. It's very humbling and I'm already a pretty humble guy.

Before I briefly describe what I've been doing so far, I want to mention how great it has been reacquainting myself with travel and particularly the sense of living in a giant interconnected world. Say what you will about the ills of globalisation, but to me it will always seem incredible to consider that we live in a day and age where one is able to stand at a street corner in Japan with a Chinese mobile phone capable of accessing most of the information ever known to mankind, and to do it while drinking a can of coke. While I recognise my tremendous privilege, I'm no prince, just an ordinary middle class person and the fact that these experiences are available for any humans at all is, frankly, pretty cool in my book. Nice one homo sapiens.

What have I been doing:

I've really been running around the city a lot, taking advantage of a metro pass, and visiting the various famous neighbourhoods, each known for its particular character:

I roamed Shibuya, with its 'Times Square on speed' vibe (see the famous zebra crossing featured in Lost in Translation) with mouth agape at the sensory overload, strolled through high class Ginza (kind of Fifth Avenue vibe), perambulated about  Akhibara, or "Electric town" and joined a walking tour of the scenic Imperial Gardens on the grounds of the old Edo Castle, framed by the steel and glass office blocks.

I explored the packed main street of Harajuku, one of the centers of Japanese youth culture, where seemingly every teenager in the land comes to buy the latest clothes and accessories. I suppose to a certain degree I've always had a sense of not being a hip Japanese teenager, but the feeling was certainly more acute at Harajuku. It was certainly something to see, but I preferred the quieter side streets with a slightly more hipster-y feel.

I've visited a couple of the Shinto shrines that dot the city providing a welcome refuge from the frenetic chaos of their surrounds, and I've tried to plumb the endless depths of this ancient spiritual tradition by casually watching some locals in worship. I think I've pretty much got it.

What next? 

Tonight I'm planning on climbing the iconic Mt Fuji, a couple of hours outside of Tokyo (common practice is to climb at night to arrive at the summit in time for sunrise). Almost immediately following my return to Tokyo, the plan is to move on to Osaka and spend some time in the Kansai region (Kyoto, Nara etc.) before heading down to Hiroshima.

Below is a sampling of photos with no particular uniting thematic thread.

Hope to post again soon.

David

I'm don't know exactly what this is, but I'm pretty sure Leviticus forbids it

Cool foot pressure walkway near Ginza 

Used book shop area in Kanda. There's something comforting about browsing book shops, even if they mostly contain Japanese books

 

Since the advent of the Tamagotchi, many have been disposing of the formerly common pet bottles

Small shrine in Shinjuku 

This place in Harajuku where you could write down a wish and hang it. Obviously I asked for unlimited wishes. It's like they haven't even seen Aladdin 

Sake barrels offered as tributes - at the grounds of the Meiji Shrine 

Extensive grounds of the Meiji Shrine. Forest calm in the middle of the city 

Arms storage building at the Imperial Palace gardens