Weekend In Japan

So it's been a couple of weeks since I got back from Japan and I have had a little time to think about my impressions. Up until now, I wrote about first impressions, but this entry is made (not too surprisingly) after I took too long to enter first impressions!

Japan is much different than I expected in many positive ways. While there may be dark alleys and ramshackle areas, everything is clean and the people take pride in what they have. There is an informal formal-ness to the way of life which is quite pleasant. The people are very friendly and so helpful that it makes me embarrassed sometimes!

My goodness, I have never seen so many surfaces used for advertising! In my opinion, this is way too much, but it is a part of the Japanese life. I can see why there are laws in Hawaii to prevent the abuse of advertising signs. No wonder the Japanese like to come here - it's a break from the ads!

Tokyo is wonderfully modern, but more than that, it is efficient. I may have passed by more people in one weekend in Japan than I have seen in six months in Hawaii! Everyone is polite, if not friendly, and extremely helpful. The service industry is focused on SERVICE! I have learned to do things myself if I want to have it done, but I could learn to rely on the service that people provide in Japan - all with no tipping!

Interestingly, I toured Tokyo all day Sunday and then returned to Hawaii to spend Sunday with DeAnna! I found myself saying "On Sunday morning, Fred and I..." but of course, it was Sunday morning and I was in Hawaii with DeAnna! My friend and co-worker Fred was such a gracious host and patiently shuttled me around Tokyo. Perhaps the best highlights were the shopping places where you got to see the non-tourist side of Japanese people. Simply amazing!

If you ever get the chance to be a tourist in Japan, GO! And when you do, don't stay inside - jump on a train and explore! What follows are some pictures from 2 days in Tokyo.

I couldn't resist this picture with huge Japanese anime and McDonald's french fries in the background...




I found this Barak Obama mask in one Japanese store. Who knows what people do with it... is it a popular item for Chinese New year?



This is my "Where's Waldo?" shot. Yep, I'm somewhere in the mass of people that transition through Shinjuku Station - over 1 million people per day!



Sunday morning in Tokyo. The streets don't really start getting busy until after noon. We were out touring as early as 10:00am and things were mostly deserted.


Dedicated to DeAnna! Japanese love cute stuff and this sculpture is a tribute to English cuteness...




Here on the streets in the canyons of Tokyo shopping district. These streets were the inspiration for the look of the movie, "Blade Runner". The streets are closed to vehicles and fill up with shoppers by mid-afternoon.

This is as close as I got to a Samurai!






We visited one of the main temples in Tokyo. There was a lot of activity in and around the temple. Large pots of incense were burning to purify the faithful as they entered the temples and priests dressed quite similarly to Catholic priests, performed chants and lead worshippers in ceremony. I was never quite clear what they were worshipping though. For the Christian with a relatively clear understanding of his God, the array of idols and rituals never seemed very focused.



Another shopping district near the hotel. The streets are smaller and the shops more intimate. Many smartly dressed vendors politely shout the virtues of every product under the sun!


Yes, I took lots of pictures of McDonalds while I was in Tokyo... It wasn't so much that it was kind of wierd to see the American icon in so many locations, it was that they were always packed with people and mostly open 24 hours! They only had about 10 menu items. Oh - Diet Coke is actually Coke Zero!

From the hotel lounge, I spotted Mount Fuji on Saturday morning. Later in the day, the weather clouded up and I didn't see it again before I left. I was told that it was an unusually clear day. As you can see, Tokyo goes on and on for miles, bounded only by mountains, the ocean and the sky!

What an experience! I hope to return some day and see even more. For now, it's back to work in boring, hum-drum Hawaii... I know, I know - you really feel sorry for me! :-)