Once Upon a Tokyo

Nobody walks in LA

But everyone does in Tokyo.... unless it's raining.

One thing you have to get used to in Japan is the driving. No, not as an actual driver behind the wheel, as I don't really think I will ever be able to afford a car nor the gas nor the parking nor the et cetera, let alone the process of getting a drivers' license.

No, instead, I'm talking about being a pedestrian while the driving happens all around you. There is an unfortunate stereotype (as if any stereotype can be considered fortunate) that Asian drivers are very slow, and I honestly have no idea where this got started. Certainly it wasn't anyone who ever visited Asia. And while Tokyo isn't anywhere near as death-defying as Beijing, I have yet to get used to the craziness often around me.

Part of the problem is that the streets are so narrow as to accommodate maybe one car at a time, but they are, in fact, two-way streets. Add a pedestrian to the mix, because there would be literally no other way out of the maze of densely packed homes, and it is pretty crowded indeed.

Compounding the problem is that whenever there is rain (as there has been the past couple of days), it does nothing to slow the cars. In fact, the problem is worse because fewer people will walk or ride bicycles, adding to the number of cars. These narrow streets remind me of alleyways in most American suburbs, where I would expect people to drive maybe 5 to 10 miles an hour. Instead, cars routine drive 35 to 45 miles per hour, regardless of IF and HOW FAR AWAY they are to any pedestrians they cross.

Today, a lowered, tinted-windowed and wide-mufflered Fast and Furious fan rumbled by me with nearly a foot, if that, distance between us, because there was cross traffic and he could not wait the split second for the other car to pass and thus give me a wide berth.

Time for my best Robert De Niro: "Hey! I'm walkin' here!"

Happy Respect for the Aged Day!

I think it's just called "Grandparents' Day" in the U.S., but here in Japan they actually get a whole day off of work, making a Monday holiday and three-day weekend. (Except for our school, which has a Back to School Day so we can meet the parents.)

I guess all the other 364 days you don't have to respect the aged? No, no. Don't worry, it's Japan.

And since Japan has a declining population (a top-heavy elderly demographic rate alongside a decreasing birth rate) perhaps this day will becoming more and more popular?

Other random observations:

• My roommate works at a karaoke bar part-time, and this weekend he saw multi-generational groups coming in. (Each group of patrons get their own closet-slash-room for karaoke, as opposed to the open mic night found in most Western bars.) The dads and moms ordered gin tonics and wine cocktails, the grandmas the green tea, and the little ones the orange juice.
• I have seen a special apron in the 100-yen Store that is marketed as a bathing apron for when you bathe your grandparent (or maybe that might be your in-law?)
• Tokyo is a 'walking city', with all the stores and homes and suburbs spread out around the public transport-- and no matter how much public transport there is, the sheer number of people requires an urban sprawl. You will often see the grandmas and grandpas, a bit smaller and more hunched from age and generations of different food and health, shuffling through the sprawl with patience and tenacity. They sometimes remind me of the old Hare and Tortoise story as the world rushes past them.

So, oba-chan and ojii-san, omodeto on your special day!

Camping on the Izu

This weekend was spent camping with some friends on the other side of Tokyo bay, really on the other side of the Izu peninsula that helps form the bay. It takes a few hours to get there, but the place is really secluded (although that could be because technically there are big signs that read, in Japanese, that you aren't supposed to camp there until October 1.)

But the water was great, the friends were cool, and the weather allowed for a healthy tan. The campfire was awesome and, best of all, the water held a surprise for us.

We were camping along the beach in an area dotted with giant cliffs rising nearby from the beach shelf, and there were plenty of kelp beds and interesting fish to snorkle by. (There's even a local scuba scene!) And while it was certainly a nicely-sized inlet for a beach, in some ways the place naturally formed tide pools as the evening went on and the ocean crept up to meet us.

The surprise was discovered as the campfire died down and we noticed the crests of the incoming waves held an eerie reflection. In fact, it was not a reflection at all, but bio-luminescent microorganisms that ignited with sparkles when kicked up by the action of the water! We gathered close to watch the water wash over the rocks in the tide pools, and sure enough, the ripples glittered with flecks of bio-electricity-- a thousand tiny fireflies in the water. We trailed our fingers and created stardust. We jumped in and had speckles of light all over our bodies. We laughed and played like little children discovering something new about the world for the first time.

And it seemed to be that it was only us few who were able to enjoy this. Perhaps this only happened once a year, or maybe it never happened before. Perhaps the big sign warned everyone away and so no one could ever notice it before. But at some point, we had to come out, wistfully say goodbye, and trundle off to bed so we could finish off the weekend. It was a great way to enjoy the weekend, for sure! 

Orange Ball

Even though I'm starting my fourth year here in Japan, there still seems to be so much I don't know. I have to rely on the interwebz to help me in my ignorance. Case in point-- I never knew that banks and convenience stores and et cetera were meant to throw orange balls at shady people who try to rob them. Does this account for the low crime rate in Japan or is it in spite of it?

Not a Technological Wonderland

For some reason, Japan has a reputation of being a technological wonderland. I blame the movies.

In reality, things are, of course, more complicated. There are some things that seem advanced on the face of it. For example, my microwave has a single-touch button that will adjust the timing and power levels to heat things according to amount and weight, so I don't have to think. Similar to my laundry machine. However, it's all or nothing. I can't stop the process and adjust it on the fly. I have to stop it and then reset it, or just set it all manually in the first place. And yes, some cell phones have a lot of features, but they are features that everyone already has, just used more extensively (like watching TV) or with more variety (such as including emoticons.) 

It's nice, however, to see the hard data backing up this impression. This comes from The Japan Times' blog, which translates Japanese-only other-blogs:

• Only 85% of people polled by japan.internet.com and goo Research own an air conditioner; only 64% own a desktop computer and 27% own a video camera. 56% of respondents to an online survey said that they can’t use their smart phones (e.g. iPhone, Xperia) very well. (No details, but the source is here.)

So yes. Really there isn't as much cutting-edge stuff as you would think. The really cool hi-tech stuff is all in the research ends of things, stuff that isn't practical to be mass-produced and maybe not even practical to use in the first place. So although their love them robots, I don't see them taking over any time soon.

Shibuya Then and Now

The Tokyo Times has a blog that I just got clued into. Depending on the author of the day, you'll get a lot of Japan geekery, which personally I'm tired of and think people are long overdue to outgrow, but there are also some interesting features, such as one that shows some archived pictures of what is now the most populous intersection in the world -- Shibuya crossing.

Here's Shibuya station and the intersection THEN...

And here's the same station and intersection NOW...

What a wonderful future, I mean present, we live in!

Happy OBon 2010!

I posted this last year, so indulge me in doing a repeat:

This week is Obon, a holiday where you are supposed to honor your ancestors, typically at their family shrine. However, the way most celebrate today is that you return to your family home (that is, you leave the Big City to return to grandma and grandpa's house.) In that way, it becomes a bit like American Thanksgiving. And that's especially true in the sense that this is Japan's biggest traveling week. Hotels are booked, flights and bullet trains are filled, but many businesses (from corporations to mom-and-pops') are closed.

It's a great time to visit Tokyo, because instead of thousands of people crowding the streets, you only got hundreds.

That, and the week ends with a giant festival and fireworks display over the river in my neighborhood. Yay, ancestors!

This year is no different. In fact, I estimate that if even 0.1% of the city population has fled for vacations and/or for visiting families, then that means about 35,000 people aren't around right now. That's a significant decrease in street AND pedestrian traffic! The down side is that many things are closed as well. For example, my favorite destination whenever I return to Tokyo after a trip is to stop at the Ootoya restaurant on the way home. Couldn't do that this time, as the business center in which it is located was shut down! Just goes to show, that with every silver lining, there is a dark cloud.

The Art of Bowing

Many people may want to know about the ritual of bowing in Japan. Thankfully, there is YouTube.

And although my grasp of Japanese humor is shaky, I'm pretty sure we are meant to take this as satire. My favorite? Performing the dogeza bow after being "caught red-handed in an orgy of evil." Also? The bow on one knee if you violate the Ninja code by falling in love. Dang ninja!

Hey Kids, Comics!

In case you were unaware, Japan has a bit of a reputation for the perverse, and nowhere more noticeable than in their movies and comics. Pornography and borderline pornography and just plain out awkwardly poor taste can be found very easily anywhere you go. For example, all convenience stores have such stuff clearly displayed and accessible for anyone. There have been rare times when I’ve looked over the shoulder of somone on the train and seen images that raise eyebrows.

But to be fair, the key word there is *rare,* as it:s happened maybe a couple of times in my three years here. And while the entertainment may not be as conservative as America, the behavior around that entertainment is still quite conservative, with definite “times and places” where you should enjoy this stuff, and it rarely makes it to the public eye. It:s more like “what you do in your own time on your own ways” and everyone can ignore it.

Which makes this headline very interesting: “Tokyo assembly votes down measure to regulate child porn in comics” from the Mainichi Daily News. It seems the legislature want to crack down on such images and animation.

What’s even more interesting is that within the space of hours, this headline ran: “Minister Arai regrets booking comic-buying costs as political expenses.” I:m NOT saying that Arai was looking at any perverse comics, but the juxtaposition is funny.

Hey, Minister Arai, I know comics are getting expensive, right? 

Japanese Addresses

One of the things that can be very confusing when navigating Tokyo is the fact that addresses here are not exactly helpful. This explains why cell phones with web access (and thus Google Maps) and why taxis all have GPS standard. Here:s a video that explains what:s going on: 

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This also explains why one of the best challenges I saw on The Amazing Race had the competitors required to deliver an item of dry cleaning to an address in Tokyo. IMP-ossible!