[RD] Exploring Japan

[Truthy]

Several things on the previous page I tried to do in Japan, but failed at:
1. Bought tickets to a baseball game, but it got rained out
2. Wanted to see a sumo match, but was in Japan in an off month. Also tried to see them practicing, but wasn't successful
3. Tried to go to the top of the Skytree, but got there right after they closed the elevator to the observation deck (I did however go to the top of the Tokyo Tower)

 

[dusters]

Did you try tea ceremony? Usually it is served for 2 people, are you travelling alone?

 

[Truthy]

I went to a modern tea ceremony in Tokyo and a traditional one in Kyoto. I went in 2018 with my then-girlfriend

 

[warpus]

I got lucky with the timing and was able to attend all these events.. Did not partake in a tea ceremony on my trip though, unfortunately

 

[Truthy]

Their tea ceremonies are extremely interesting. Elaborate, but graceful, little rigmaroles layered with symbolic meaning.

 

[warpus]

Tokyo Skytree (continued)

The great thing about being a foreigner in Japan, in this case, was that it meant I got to bypass the long line that had formed by the main entrance to the Tokyo SkyTree. After showing my passport I was ushered to a "Tourist only" line, which was incredibly short. I felt a bit guilty as I walked past all the Japanese families, couples, and other assorted locals wishing to go up to the observation deck.

Unfortunately it was a bit foggy, so you can't see Mt. Fuji at all. On some days you can, and that's what I was hoping for, but unfortunately a view of Mt. Fuji was not in the cards that day.

In every single direction is a dense urban sea, with clusters of skyscrapers and other structures in the distance as well. It's quite a striking sight, and when I first stepped out of the elevator and looked around I was temporarily taken aback, and had to take a couple seconds to allow myself to take it all in

A digital touchscreen display allows you to explore the surrounding landscape in a slightly different fashion.

After enjoying an overpriced drink in the upstairs cafe, I made my way back down and found an establishment that was a bit cheaper. It also had a great view! You can see the base of the Tokyo Skytree on the right

 

[warpus]

Tokyo Skytree videos

Here is what I mean by "Fast line for foreign tourists"

A walk around the observation deck

Please excuse the lack of any sort of video or sound editing here, as that stuff can be quite tedious. I would rather spend my time focusing on future posts

 

[warpus]

Kinshi Park

This was about a 20 minute walk from the Tokyo Skytree. I saw it on the map and decided to check it out.

Rules of the park

Also seen in the area:

There are baseball fields surrounded by a high fence in this park, but I didn't take any pictures of them. I went there to maybe sit down and relax, but the place was packed..

 

[warpus]

Akihabara Electric Town

I just realized why I walked to Kinshi Park! It's right by a subway station. Not only that, the next station over is the famous Akihabara Electric City. This place was on my list, and it was really easy to get to.

I also wanted to highlight one of the things I really liked about travelling through Japan. In many parts of the country there are people everywhere. It seems packed and chaotic. However, some local customs make it easier for people to get around.

If you want to stand on the escalator in Tokyo, you move to the left-hand side. If you want to walk, you use the right. (In Osaka, you do the opposite... but that's another story for another day)

If you're wondering what Akihabara Electric town is, after WWII it emerged as a major shopping district where electronic goods are sold. Today it is more like a centre of popular culture, anime, manga, electronics, and computer-related items & ... stuff.

Somebody told me to check out a "Maid cafe", so I had it on my list. There were a couple in Akihabara, and I was pretty hungry, so I figured why not kill three birds with one stone?

I waited in a line for about 45 minutes, and was then put through a rather embarrassing lunch, as I was catered to by petite asian maids who could not speak much English, but nevertheless expected me to mimic their hand gestures and even sing along. I was awkwardly seated beside a guy who brought in a whole computer, and was leaning back slightly tapping away on a keyboard, as some sort of an anime played on a part of his monitor. All other people in the establishment were either young adults of both genders or middle-aged men.

After selecting my own personal maid from a set of photographs, I sat back and sipped on my beer. This was a strange place. I would have expected a completely different type of clientele, to be honest. It was weird and creepy, and I wasn't enjoying it at all. And this place was popular! You had to wait in line! And the guy on the computer beside me was annoying..

Then my food arrived

I should have known my food was going to look like that. But you know what? It was actually pretty good! I was really happy with that meal.

I got my picture taken with my maid and got the hell out of there.

 

[FriendlyFire]

That looks delicious (it could do with more cheese)
Though you probably had to pay extra just to be around cute maids
Think of it like Hooters but for Otakus. (It would weird a lot of people out)

Did you not vist the all the amazing shops ?

 

[warpus]

That looks delicious (it could do with more cheese)
Though you probably had to pay extra just to be around cute maids
Think of it like Hooters but for Otakus. (It would weird a lot of people out)

Did you not vist the all the amazing shops ?

Yeah, the overhead was for the privilege to be in such creepy surroundings. The maids were all half my size pretty much, from the land of Lilliput. I think anyone who enjoys visiting such a place should also visit a mental health professional and re-examine their life.

And yeah, the curry was pretty good! As for the shops, I did visit some of them. I believe I have some of it on video. I was even chased out of a video game/carnival game boutique, since they don't allow cameras inside. I'll check out the footage later today to see what I have. Most of it will likely be me walking through the streets

 

[JohannaK]

It sounds completely unreal. I mean I am perfectly aware that they exist and are working businesses but it still doesnt sound like it could be a real thing.

 

[FriendlyFire]

Yeah, the overhead was for the privilege to be in such creepy surroundings. The maids were all half my size pretty much, from the land of Lilliput. I think anyone who enjoys visiting such a place should also visit a mental health professional and re-examine their life.

And yeah, the curry was pretty good! As for the shops, I did visit some of them. I believe I have some of it on video. I was even chased out of a video game/carnival game boutique, since they don't allow cameras inside. I'll check out the footage later today to see what I have. Most of it will likely be me walking through the streets

Culture shock
Its a pity you didnt look into it before hand as regular restaurant many have specialty and food challenges around Akihabara. (Bear meat curry, or Lobster shell Ramen)

Maid cafes earn money to allow people to take photos inside the cafe so, they wont allow you to take photos
I think the stores that sell any kind of nudity have a strict no photo laws, such as X rated manga

 

[amadeus]

From my observations, Akihabara has been turning into more and more of a tourist trap rather than the old odd collection of electric parts dealers that made the area so famous to begin with.

If you like anime or manga, old knick-knacks and exploring, I found Nakano Broadway around Nakano Station to be much more enjoyable.

But it’s also been like five years since I’ve been to Tokyo.

 

[warpus]

I checked and I do not have any video footage of me there. The place did seem very touristy, and there do seem to be some seedy businesses there. For instance, while I was standing there checking my phone for directions, a girl walked up to me and asked me if I want to take her to a "Talking bar". Right away this raises my "scam" alert, since I'm not famous or rich or both. I asked her what a talking bar is, and she wouldn't tell me, and then walked away. Turns out it's a bar where you can go and talk to a girl and.. you pay for the privilege. There's nothing sexual that happens, you just talk. I'm sorry, but I can talk to women for free whenever I want. When you look around, you see women here and there, standing around, trying to get men to enter their establishment of choice. Easy to get caught up in a scam or something expensive that you will regret later

There's lots of arcades and people playing video games and games of chance, lots of electronics stores, but also lots of stores targeted at tourists. I bought a set of chopsticks nearby, I believe. I don't usually buy many souvenirs, but I ended up finding a cheap set that I liked. The chopsticks have served me well to this day, and have neat intricate designs on them, and are the only chopsticks I own

Its a pity you didnt look into it before hand as regular restaurant many have specialty and food challenges around Akihabara. (Bear meat curry, or Lobster shell Ramen)

I would have probably been into trying some of that. But at the same time, this place is so tacky, and seems so touristy, I did not stay long.

 

[JohannaK]

Hah, when I started liking sushi and tried tonlearn making maki there was a year that my whole family all gifted me various utensils to make sushi with. Also something like 7 or 8 pairs of chopsticks. It was insane. Almost all of those utensils are still in their boxes somewhere.

 

[warpus]

Yakitori

After a walk-through and exploration of Akihabara Electric City, I slowly started making my way back to the part of town that contained my hotel. It had been a long day, which you might remember started with visit to Senso-Ji temple. I was ready to unwind.. and possibly call it a night shortly thereafter.. I used my phone to locate an Irish pub in the general vicinity of my hotel that got great reviews. Supposedly they had great food and good beer on tap. I jumped on a subway and proceeded to look for the pub

Google maps and my pocket wifi worked great at helping me get around town.. most of the time..

The problem was that this Irish pub was somewhere in a sea of very tight walkways. My location on the phone was not precise enough to really help me navigate them.

I walked down a couple of these alleys, back and forth several times, and could not find the Irish pub.. and then happened to walk beside this place

As I was walking past, I heard somebody inside (in English) say "This is GREAT".. or something similar. That got my attention. There was also exactly 1 seat available.. And the food smelled delicious.. and I was hungry. I went for it.

Traditionally yakitori is a type of skewered chicken.. but from my experience at least, other meats and vegetables often get bundled under the same label.

From what I remember I got some chicken yakitori, some pork, and some mushroom ones.. It was all delicious, and I could not stop ordering skewers. I talked to some of the other patrons, before and after I put in my order, and they were all raving about the food. When my food was ready, I could understand why.

Very happy with my evening meal, and not at all disappointed to not find the Irish pub, I went to sleep almost right away after a very eventful day 6.

 

[warpus]

Akihabara Electric Town Video

I went through my video folders again and found some footage from Akihabara!

I did not bother to edit it at all though, so keep that in mind. It will show you what the place is like, more or less. but you might also see up my nose

I committed a cultural faux pas by filming inside one of the establishments where people might have been playing games of chance. I left as soon as I realized the error of my ways, as you will see at the beginning of the video..

 

[amadeus]

I looked up SEGA's policies regarding filming in their arcades. A couple of quick points:

基本的には、平日の営業時間外のロケ撮影をお受けしております。（※土日はお受けできかねます）
As a general principle, we consider requests for on-location filming on weekdays outside of business hours. (Weekend applications are not considered.)

場所貸し対価として取材・撮影協力費を請求させていただきます。
As a space rental fee, we charge coverage and photography cooperation fees. (Further down it lists the fee at about $500-600/hour depending on scheduled filming time.)

... there do seem to be some seedy businesses there. For instance, while I was standing there checking my phone for directions, a girl walked up to me and asked me if I want to take her to a "Talking bar". Right away this raises my "scam" alert, since I'm not famous or rich or both. I asked her what a talking bar is, and she wouldn't tell me, and then walked away. Turns out it's a bar where you can go and talk to a girl and.. you pay for the privilege. There's nothing sexual that happens, you just talk. I'm sorry, but I can talk to women for free whenever I want. When you look around, you see women here and there, standing around, trying to get men to enter their establishment of choice. Easy to get caught up in a scam or something expensive that you will regret later

There are a lot of legitimate businesses like this called "kyabakura" or "snack" bars. The difference from my understanding is that the "kyabakura" generally have younger staff and you will be attended to by one of them one-on-one the whole time you're there. They make conversation, flirt, light cigarettes, pour drinks... that kind of stuff. The charges are high because you're also buying their drinks and, I honestly really don't know the whole system as I haven't been inclined to ever go to one for the same reasons you mentioned.

"Snack" bars on the other hand, usually have a counter where you're seated. It's less expensive than the above-mentioned "kyabakura" as you're not attended to one-on-one and you're also not really expected to pay for the staff's drinks at least from my little experience going with a regular customer. These bars also have the "bottle keep" system, where you pay the bar to keep whatever your favorite liquor is on hand reserved specifically for you and it's a way to get return patronage. I guess it's closer to having a regular watering hole, but just a bit more expensive and with more personalized service. I'd go to one of these again, but only if I had disposable income that I didn't feel would be spent better elsewhere.

The real scam bars in Tokyo are the ones run by the (very often) Nigerians. There are lots of stories out there of people promised a good time, a chance to meet some girls, etc. and they wind up drugged and their ATM cards emptied out, or having the owner charge them some exorbitant amount before the bouncer lets them leave. The widely-recommended thing to do is just avoid areas where they are and ignore them if they approach you and keep walking.

 

[warpus]

Yes, I was approached by several men who resembled people who might have come from Nigeria, judging by their looks and accents. I was ready for it, I read about them ahead of time, before I arrived in Japan. The key is to not engage them. The same way you deal with anybody else who approaches you and invites you to some establishment. If you're in a certain part of town, you will know it's most probably a scam, or at least a way to extract money out of you.

I would usually be far too nice to just straight up ignore people, but have over the course of similar experiences in other countries learned to just go with it. The scammers usually quickly ignore you and move on to another potential target. Or just say something like "I'll be back later" and start walking away

I did some light reading on the types of establishments that exist in that part of Tokyo. None of it was appealing to me, including the maid cafes.. but those at least seemed "harmless", and I was told I should go to just one to experience it. Plus in the grand scheme of things it wasn't a ripoff, you just pay an overhead sort of fee for your meal basically