Japan is a country of miracles and surprises. The ones well known all over the world (usually very stereptyped) as well as the others which most people find difficult to understand without helping hand of native Japanese.
My intention is to reveal some of the secrets of this beautiful and mysterious country.
Join me in my trip to Japan!
A can of a popular isotonic drink - Pocari Sweat. Even though the name seems to be grammatically correct it doesn't really encourage to drink. If you are brave enough - go for it, tastes a little salty.
Trains - best idea for public transport in Tokyo. Regardless of their age or sex most of the people kill their time reading comic books, writing text messages and playing video games.
This my place to stay in Tokyo - my girlfriend's friend lives here, her name is Hanae.
The flat is much smaller than it seems when looking at wide angle photographs. Two rooms, kitchen, bathroom and toilet makes it small yet comfortable place to live.
For a place like this, one has to pay about 1000 $ per month. The company Hanae works for, covers half of the rental expenses.
Tokyo is supposed to be the dearest city in the world. I don't know how true this opinion is, but when it comes to real estate prices it sounds very probable. No wonder why - over 12.5 million people populate relatively small area of 2187 m2!
On the other hand, food isn't quite that expensive.
Using portable electric stoves Hanae cooks us dinner. Those are very useful in a tight space.
These are not ordinary stoves, but microchip controlled devices. Temperature is adjusted automatically; the devices switch off once the pot is removed.
Compound of plastic elements bathroom, reminds of a sanitary module in a spacecraft. Easy to keep it clean!
Strange device attached to the water tap is a water filter for... shower.
Vending machines offer soft drinks, cigarettes, drugs and even beer. There is one almost on every corner!
Shibuya - an area particularly popular among young Japanese. One can find numerous shops, coffee houses, cinemas, etc. Also here, one of most popular shopping centers is located - 109 building, Mecca for teenagers.
On the photo - 109 building, version for men, located vis-á-vis the one for women.
Several thousands of people pass through this pedestrian crossing at every single light cycle.
Every one of Central Tokyo districts represents different styles and offers different attractions.
All of those are comfortably connected together by JR Yamanote line (JR stands for Japanese Railway).
Even though Japan doesn't seem to be a very comfortable travel destination for backpackers and language problems could make finding ones feet quiet difficult, no one will die of starvation.
You will rarely (if ever!) be forced to try to encrypt Japanese characters in order to survive - you can rely on plastic representations of meals. They look amazingly realistic!
One of the many video game spots.
Two mecha robots (just like the world famous Transformers) are guarding the screen, one on each side. Even adult Japanese love giant humanoid robots.
Video games are very sophisticated and technologically advanced. On the picture you can see horse racing simulation, providing saddle-shaped stools.
In some areas everywhere you turn your head, a video game spot pops up. One might think it should be easy to find an internet cafe. Well... think again.
When you finally find one (which is not easy), you don't just get in, pay and surf. You have to sign up first, show your ID and sometimes bring your Japanese friend with you for surety.
On the picture - an internet cafe hall with books and comic books filed in cabinets.
Here are internet stations. Each one separated.
Twilight.
Intimacy.
And of course - shoes stay outside!
This is a parking spot one have to pay over 400 U$ per month for. Cars are being parked on the spots size of their vertical projection, plus or minus 20 mm off the wall.
That's the price to pay (or rather part of it) to drive the car in Tokyo. There is no chance of parking on the street.
If you want to buy a car, you have to provide a document that certifies you are the owner of a parking spot.
Tomete wa dame! Houchi kinshi -
Don't park. Don't leave your vehicle here.
No parking for bicycles - a proof how Japanese treasure their space.
Probably that's why most of the cars seen in Tokyo look like bricks. They fit tight alleys easy.
Japan is one of the biggest car exporter on the planet, yet most of well-known types are not available here.
One can spot lots of motorcycles on the streets, but it's really hard to find a speeder. I run across only one during my one month trip. Choppers like Harley Davidson, bikes like one on the photo or scooters sized of a regular heavy motorbike are much more popular.
Typical side alley. Seems to be drowning in chaos but after a while it shows it's subtle integrity and great atmosphere.
These are real houses. Not much wider than just their entrances. Definitely not suitable for sumo wrestlers.
Modern pizza scooters. In the older types (two or three wheeled) instead of nice closed trunk a complicated device made of matted wires and metal plates keeps the load in horizontal position.
One day I've been walking down the alley around my neighborhood. Near my path there was a spring with carps (koi) swimming. They are being breed for decoration, usually in orange and white (nishikigoi).
Then an elderly man walking his tiny dog asked me about my camera.
Japanese of course... He didn't seem puzzled trying to put together very few words I know. After ten minutes of "conversation" I found out my camera is probably heavy (omoi).
During one of many walks I have lost my way. Basing on previous experience I didn't intend to ask anyone for help. Every time something like that happened I used to find interesting things on the way. This time nothing extraordinary - I got back on track basing on bilingual road marks.
If not for English translation for streets and areas I would be in trouble - didn't even try to master third alphabet (apart from hiragana and katakana) - kanji, compound of thousands of Chinese characters.
The sky over Tokyo is covered with cables. It takes a while to understand how come in such a developed country like Japan electric and telephone cables are not hidden under ground. The answer is simple - earthquakes.
Once in the middle of the night strange tremors got me woken up. The mattress was shaking and cabinets knocking against walls. I asked:
- What's going on?
- Oh, just a slight earthquake. They are pretty often. Nothing to be worried about. - Masami replied.
- All right, if you say so.
If you look closer you can see a little girl sitting on King Kong's paw. I assume it's a movie theater setting.
Street care and road works is something to mention.
Just near my accommodation, like at every building site, workers (like the one in blue overall) take care of pedestrians safety and comfort (!).
One day I got back from a long walk and found an entrance to my alley completely blocked with an excavator at work. When I got closer the blue dressed worker apologized humbly for rigors, and stopped the machine. Driver moved it back, making pass for me. And not because I'm European.
Another time I watched three service crew at work. They were trimming branches on a sidewalk. Looks like work for two, doesn't it?
Well, there was six of them:
- first one sitting on the tree, trimming branches;
- second one catching them with a net, that reminded one for butterflies;
- third one scooping them with a rake;
- fourth one sweeping lumps of wood;
- fifth one loading branches into a bag;
- sixth one just standing on the street, minding the safety.
There are lots of meaningless jobs in Japan. Another way of fighting unemployment.
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