WARNING: parts of this post are disturbing and unsuitable reading for a whole range of people etc. Read on at your own risk. If for any reason you are not disturbed, you should probably have a think about that, as you really should be.
Yesterday I had a fun filled day in Tokyo which I will not cover in its entirety as I am quite hungry and keen to get to the hotel restaurant for breakfast - they do blueberry pancakes with maple syrup. Need I say more.
I started the day with the aforementioned bus tour (nearly GBP50 for a half day - it's not cheap here!). This started with a trip up Tokyo Tower, the TV tower with a viewing platform at 150 metres, so as soon as I am back to HK I'll upload the pictures. The views were amazing. If you're not familiar with the layout of Tokyo pull up a google* map now. (*Other service providers are available).
The city is circular with the centre being the Emperors palace, which covers 250 acres. The palace itself is surrounded by waterways and parks making Tokyo very green. Interestingly the city spreads out in circles around this (really, you do need to be looking at a map for this to make sense).
There are few tall buildings due to the frequent earthquakes. A combination of these and WWII means there are few old buildings, although I have now been to one of the oldest neighbourhoods which till has a few traditional old-style Japanese houses. They are as beautiful and intricate as you would expect.
After Tokyo Tower we went to the gates of the Imperial Palace (you cannot go in) and then onto Asakusa for the Senso-ji Temple (a beautiful shrine) and Nakamise Street (tourist shopping hell...).
It was interesting to see but I would not recommend a bus tour as you get little time at each place and, having now mastered (ish) the subway, this is a better way to get around.
I opted for the bus drop off at Akihabara, a centre of electronics and anime. There is no electrical item you cannot buy here. Software, hardware, probably the i-phone 400 or its equivalent. This is where new technology in everything from phones, cameras, computers, a talking hello kitty, robotic pets and sushi shaped pen drives are displayed, showcased and tested. Officially electro-geeks paradise.
It is also famed for its "Maid Cafes'. The guidebook advises that these are harmless and a way for people to live out their liking for anime (cartoons). I beg to differ and I have since been assured that (a) I should not hav
e gone; and (b) there definitely is a sexual undertone to Maid Cafes.
Yesterday I had a fun filled day in Tokyo which I will not cover in its entirety as I am quite hungry and keen to get to the hotel restaurant for breakfast - they do blueberry pancakes with maple syrup. Need I say more.
I started the day with the aforementioned bus tour (nearly GBP50 for a half day - it's not cheap here!). This started with a trip up Tokyo Tower, the TV tower with a viewing platform at 150 metres, so as soon as I am back to HK I'll upload the pictures. The views were amazing. If you're not familiar with the layout of Tokyo pull up a google* map now. (*Other service providers are available).
The city is circular with the centre being the Emperors palace, which covers 250 acres. The palace itself is surrounded by waterways and parks making Tokyo very green. Interestingly the city spreads out in circles around this (really, you do need to be looking at a map for this to make sense).
There are few tall buildings due to the frequent earthquakes. A combination of these and WWII means there are few old buildings, although I have now been to one of the oldest neighbourhoods which till has a few traditional old-style Japanese houses. They are as beautiful and intricate as you would expect.
After Tokyo Tower we went to the gates of the Imperial Palace (you cannot go in) and then onto Asakusa for the Senso-ji Temple (a beautiful shrine) and Nakamise Street (tourist shopping hell...).
It was interesting to see but I would not recommend a bus tour as you get little time at each place and, having now mastered (ish) the subway, this is a better way to get around.
I opted for the bus drop off at Akihabara, a centre of electronics and anime. There is no electrical item you cannot buy here. Software, hardware, probably the i-phone 400 or its equivalent. This is where new technology in everything from phones, cameras, computers, a talking hello kitty, robotic pets and sushi shaped pen drives are displayed, showcased and tested. Officially electro-geeks paradise.
It is also famed for its "Maid Cafes'. The guidebook advises that these are harmless and a way for people to live out their liking for anime (cartoons). I beg to differ and I have since been assured that (a) I should not hav
e gone; and (b) there definitely is a sexual undertone to Maid Cafes. So, to explain. Maid Cafes are typically staffed by schoolgirls (of the 16+ first job type rather than junior school, but still). The staff (Maids) wear maid outfits, often with a cartoon theme (so pink, heart shaped bags, bunny ears or similar). The cafes do not serve alcohol, but serve basic lunch, coffee and cakes.
As you arrive the Maids greet you with "hello Master". Are you starting to gt the picture? However, due to it being cartoon focused it is a little like Hello Kitty on speed. They are very girly and giggly and when your food arrives you go through a little routine together (making your hand into hearts) and say "make delicious" a lot - about your food. You may also end up with hearts drawn on your food in ketchup (make delicious!).
You can have your food here and the Maids will talk to you, photos are forbidden but you can pay to have your picture taken with your favourite Maid (no, I didn't do this).
Before I continue can I just check that you are alarmed at this point? If you think this sounds interesting in a tourist / odd way, fine, if this strikes you as a good way to get your kicks please get off my blog now, you're making me feel uncomfortable. Thanks.
So I was there, having read the guide book thinking, hmm this makes me feel very awkward but the book says its all ok so maybe I'm just not being open minded.
Having now checked with my tour guide from that afternoon (more about that later) I should have been awkward. She was horrified I had been. It is a place men ("who are unable to have relationships") go to who like that kind of thing... (I refer you back to young girls dressed as maids).
This did fit entirely with one customer at the cafe I went to (there were also tourists a plenty). Fat (check), sweating (check), carrying Hello Kitty stickers??? (check). He had with him albums and albums of all the photos he had had taken with the Maids and was pouring over them (the photos) whilst handing out said stickers (you remember what your parents said about strangers and sweets right?).
The Maids themselves don't directly do anything other than serve food and chat. But...
Anyway I'll stop here, as you probably get the picture. I don't want you to go away thinking that this is what Tokyo is all about, it's not and I'll wax lyrical about all the 'good' stuff later. But it does certainly have a seedy underside.
There is a population crisis here with fewer and fewer children being born. Young women are independent and have their own jobs, houses etc but it remains unacceptable to live with someone or have a child out of wedlock. Men and women socialise separately and I am told it makes it very difficult to meet anyone. Childcare is expensive and it is not possible for women to have children and continue to work, so may are either choosing not to have children, or simply find it too difficult to meet someone to do so.
If you want a life with minimal human interaction you can buy anything you want out of vending machines, including fresh cut flowers (which would be handy for a few of you I know...to be clear, the easy access to flowers, not the lack of human interaction).
Right, on that happy note I'll end as I would like non-vending machine pancakes. If I get a wriggle on I'll be off to the old City. If not, I'll be shopping ;)
You can have your food here and the Maids will talk to you, photos are forbidden but you can pay to have your picture taken with your favourite Maid (no, I didn't do this).
Before I continue can I just check that you are alarmed at this point? If you think this sounds interesting in a tourist / odd way, fine, if this strikes you as a good way to get your kicks please get off my blog now, you're making me feel uncomfortable. Thanks.
So I was there, having read the guide book thinking, hmm this makes me feel very awkward but the book says its all ok so maybe I'm just not being open minded.
Having now checked with my tour guide from that afternoon (more about that later) I should have been awkward. She was horrified I had been. It is a place men ("who are unable to have relationships") go to who like that kind of thing... (I refer you back to young girls dressed as maids).
This did fit entirely with one customer at the cafe I went to (there were also tourists a plenty). Fat (check), sweating (check), carrying Hello Kitty stickers??? (check). He had with him albums and albums of all the photos he had had taken with the Maids and was pouring over them (the photos) whilst handing out said stickers (you remember what your parents said about strangers and sweets right?).
The Maids themselves don't directly do anything other than serve food and chat. But...
Anyway I'll stop here, as you probably get the picture. I don't want you to go away thinking that this is what Tokyo is all about, it's not and I'll wax lyrical about all the 'good' stuff later. But it does certainly have a seedy underside.
There is a population crisis here with fewer and fewer children being born. Young women are independent and have their own jobs, houses etc but it remains unacceptable to live with someone or have a child out of wedlock. Men and women socialise separately and I am told it makes it very difficult to meet anyone. Childcare is expensive and it is not possible for women to have children and continue to work, so may are either choosing not to have children, or simply find it too difficult to meet someone to do so.
If you want a life with minimal human interaction you can buy anything you want out of vending machines, including fresh cut flowers (which would be handy for a few of you I know...to be clear, the easy access to flowers, not the lack of human interaction).
Right, on that happy note I'll end as I would like non-vending machine pancakes. If I get a wriggle on I'll be off to the old City. If not, I'll be shopping ;)
MAID cafes??? This is not what hello kitty was designed for (I think/hope)...
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