Japan

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Coming from China, Japan was like this perfect world where everything operates as it should and when it should. It's a clean, orderly, safe and immensely polite society and was delighful to travel around.
Our 2 week stint began in Tokyo. What amazed us initially were:
1. the cleanliness of the streets (eventho bins were few and far between) - you could eat off them!!
2. the high fashion - everyone is well turned out, tho we did see one naked man stretched out in the Ginza area!!
3. had somehow thought japanese people were on average quite small - they're not!!

Tokyo doesnt have any really major sights but it has numerous different areas, each interesting in its own way.
We were staying in Asakusa at Sakura hostel which was convenient to the metro, had helpful smiley staff and a nice common area. It is really near the Senso-ji Temple. Buddhism in Japan is so commercial, there is very little serenity around its temples. This one we passed daily to the sound of coin clinking as people paid to read their fortunes.
Ginza is fashionable and wealthy and has fantastic department stores like Mitsukoshi, designer shops, art galleries and restaurants.
Shinjuku is probably the busiest subway station in the world, with 2M people passing thru it every day. It's young, vibrant, bright and a good place to go out at night. The red light district is around here also. Didn't see anything outrageous, just lots of sleaze bars and a few 'japanese only' bars.
We took a scoot around love hotel hill in Shibuya but none took our fancy!! Joke...not as gawdy as I had imagined. Was expecting Las Vegas style facades but they are all very understated and all you see is the cash office in the reception area and some phhotos of the available rooms. Around 4,000-5000 yen/hr

The trip to Tsukiji Fish Market was such a buzz, the excitement in the air as those massive tuna fish were being auctioned was electric. The early morning start (you need to be there by 6am) was well rewarded by a sushi breakfast!!

Our last night in Tokyo was funny as we spent the night in Manga Cafe (there are quite a few) instead of going back to the hostel. These are meant for people like us who miss the last train and so need to stay somewhere cheap for the night. You get your own little booth, which has couch, desk, PC, tv and dvd player. There is unltd soft drinks and you can pay extra for a shower. So after surfing bleary eyed til about 3am I crashed out til wake up at 6am and then off to Narita. The difference between these and what would happen in Ireland is that everyone is quiet and you can actually get a few zzzzs, no drunken eejits falling around the place!!! Then it was precision to the airport on the Narita Express!!!

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