Thursday, June 08, 2006
Tokyo-rama
Joe and I just made it back from our first trip to Tokyo. It was a fantastic trip and a refreshing change from the daily grind. Invigorating! Although Joe seems to be even more tired now.
Tokyo is a big, crowded, stylish and fast-paced city. Women teetered by on their high heeled shoes, brand-named handbag dangling from an elbow. Men dressed in either of two ways: the office uniform of black tie, white shirt, black suit/ or carefully styled androgynous. Everyone carried a cell phone. At any given time you could count on about 50% of the people around you to be staring into one. (A few even talked into them!)
We began our vacation in Shibuya, the Times Square of Tokyo, known for being the busiest crosswalk in the world. I would have to say that there is a good possibility that this is true. I dragged Joe to a Starbuck's on the corner, which from the second floor has the perfect Shibuya view. (I think I heard in the "Lost in Translation" director's commentary, that that's where they filmed their Shibuya crossing scene. We were informed, however, that no pictures were allowed...shucks.) "A mass of humanity," Joe kept saying. That it was.
Three days later, we wrapped up our trip in Harajuku, a really cool, crazy hubbub of life. Another mass of humanity. I've never seen a place so crowded just because. I mean, there was no street fair or concert or any big kind of attraction, and yet the streets seethed with people. You could spend all day there just people watching, and it seems that the Sunday we were there, the entire under 20 population of Tokyo had the same idea.
In any event, I'll have to write about all of the in-between parts of our trip soon. But I need to do it in chunks, 'cause there's just to much to tell about: the fish market, the kabuki theater, kimonos, sumo dinners, wood block prints and subways, shrines and fortunes, palaces and dank hotel rooms. And nice airports which don't make you stand in line for 45 minutes before making you take off half of your clothing, rushing to your gate for your delayed or cancelled flight.
Also, we have pictures to post (and other surprises!)
Take care!
-Kelly
Tokyo is a big, crowded, stylish and fast-paced city. Women teetered by on their high heeled shoes, brand-named handbag dangling from an elbow. Men dressed in either of two ways: the office uniform of black tie, white shirt, black suit/ or carefully styled androgynous. Everyone carried a cell phone. At any given time you could count on about 50% of the people around you to be staring into one. (A few even talked into them!)
We began our vacation in Shibuya, the Times Square of Tokyo, known for being the busiest crosswalk in the world. I would have to say that there is a good possibility that this is true. I dragged Joe to a Starbuck's on the corner, which from the second floor has the perfect Shibuya view. (I think I heard in the "Lost in Translation" director's commentary, that that's where they filmed their Shibuya crossing scene. We were informed, however, that no pictures were allowed...shucks.) "A mass of humanity," Joe kept saying. That it was.
Three days later, we wrapped up our trip in Harajuku, a really cool, crazy hubbub of life. Another mass of humanity. I've never seen a place so crowded just because. I mean, there was no street fair or concert or any big kind of attraction, and yet the streets seethed with people. You could spend all day there just people watching, and it seems that the Sunday we were there, the entire under 20 population of Tokyo had the same idea.
In any event, I'll have to write about all of the in-between parts of our trip soon. But I need to do it in chunks, 'cause there's just to much to tell about: the fish market, the kabuki theater, kimonos, sumo dinners, wood block prints and subways, shrines and fortunes, palaces and dank hotel rooms. And nice airports which don't make you stand in line for 45 minutes before making you take off half of your clothing, rushing to your gate for your delayed or cancelled flight.
Also, we have pictures to post (and other surprises!)
Take care!
-Kelly
