In contrast to the stereotypes in my last post, there are plenty of things I weren’t expecting, which could explain the beating that my senses are currently getting. In London you very rarely get a smell unless you can blame it on someone within close proximity. Likewise apart from the general noise of the hustle and bustle, there is little to be heard. Not in Tokyo. A whole new sensory discovery. Always a sound. Always a smell. Always a flashing light of some sort. Certainly explains the masks. Of course this might just be Tokyo, but time will tell…
Every time a train leaves the station you’d be forgiven to think that you have just completed a level on the Wii. All very jolly and certainly something the TFL could pinch to add a little joy to the morning commute.
Japanese TV is equally alarmingly and strange to a gaijin but incredibly insightful too. Similar to Japanese life in general, TV is plagued with over elaborate quantity of messages, sound and more often than not, a hyperbole presenter. Watching one show I thought ‘this must be what watching QVC on acid is like. WOAH!’ I also keep landing on this games show program whereby the hosts are two transsexuals (Arthur to Martha if you’re interested). Now that’s not a problem per se, but they’re insistent on being sexually provocative with only the male guests. Furthermore, at no point does it feel that these poor sods are meant to know that the Sheila they are getting frisky with has a bigger pair of cobblers than they do. At first I didn’t know whether to look at, look away or look on in disgust, in which I can declare the latter prevailed. The prizes of the show are totally crap too…
Japan is renowned for being a proud nation and it upholds this belief by having a dedicated slot within the sports news and keeping the country updated with their efforts abroad. Very nice touch I thought.
Oh and if what’s on TV isn’t of Japanese sports men/women and a pair of desperately failing trannies, it WILL be a cooking show. These guys really do love their food.
Tokyo has been good to me. Akihabara, Shinjuku, Harajuku, Ueno, Shibuyu, Tokyo Tower, The Imperial Palace, Asakusa Temple, Yoyogi Park and more can all be ticked.
Yokohama time.
P.S. I can confirm that all varieties of fruit tea have the same urinary reaction. Potent stuff indeed.
Steven Gradidge. Hi :) 