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Published: April 26th 2010
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Since Japan is ridiculously expensive compared to anywhere else we have been (even more than Canada), we decided to couch surf. We stayed with a young Japanese guy named Ryuto, which means ‘traveler’. His entire flat was smaller than the size of my bedroom at home. The front entrance was also the laundry area, bike storage and kitchen - much smaller than my bathroom at home. He then had a tiny bathroom similar in size to an airplane’s, but also fitting a tub and shower. And lastly, there was the living room/bedroom, separated by the Japanese traditional sliding door. He also had a bunny living with him named Mococo who was a temporary snuggle-substitute for Oliver. This was a traditional Japanese flat. They use their space wisely!! When the 3 of us lay down to sleep we took up the whole floor space. We had a good time with Ryuto. He told us all about Tokyo and planned our time there. He was very musically inclined and had these cool African gourds that he played. We had so much fun playing them with him that he gave us his old pair. We’ve been practicing during our down times, in the park
or on the buses.
Our first day in Tokyo we went to see the Imperial Palace gardens and explore downtown. Japan is very different from China. There are lines painted on the roads, and all the meridians have perfectly sculpted hedges, or flowers. All the cars are clean and in one piece. There are many bicycles in Japan like China, but in Japan they are state-of-the-art. These are high-tech bikes, that I felt afraid of touching least I scratch or bump something. They also have what Dana calls the ultimate mother machine, which is a bike with a seat for a baby on the handle bars and a seat for a toddler at the back. The biggest difference is that everyone stops at red lights, and no one even J-walks (Dana and I got big scornful looks when we did this - but we couldn’t help it, it has become a way of life for us). Also, there is not much traffic in general compared to China, possibly because their subway is the most extensive thing I have ever seen (please see photo of the map).
The women in Tokyo are dressed to the nines at all times,
and wear the craziest fashions I’ve ever seen. The current fad is a long white lace skirt, with moccasins, a faded jean-jacket and dyed blonde hair in big curls. Everyone had this style going, so weird. Accessories were over-the-top, and a huge part of everyone’s’ outfits. All their hair was also done in elaborate styles and they all wore fake eyelashes. These girls must take hours to leave the house everyday! We went to one area Ryuto recommended to see teenage girls going crazy shopping, and it was a zoo! Dana and I had sushi for dinner - which cost us a fortune!!! It was good, but they mix wasabi into the rice so I couldn’t avoid it. I personally like the sushi in Vancouver better.
Our second day we went to the Shinjuko area and lay in the park there for a few hours amongst the cherry trees and watched families and little kids playing. Shinjuko is also where they have all the crazy electronics so we went to check out the crazy stores with the newest, gadgets. They even have previews of things not yet released. We went to the Canon store which was an 8 floor
building that had anything and everything imaginable for your camera!!
We went to Sheboya which is another place to see frenzied girls shopping. There is also a famous but crazy intersection that has a pedestrian light and 100s of people cross every which way. We have a video of it, but you can see a photo of it below.
We of course also saw some temples and many ponds with giant carp.
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Eric
non-member comment
I enjoyed your Tokyo post. It looks beautiful fun there. My blog is looking for travel photos and hostel reviews. If you have the time, email us some at dirtyhippiesblog@gmail.com or check us out at dirty-hippies.blogspot.com Continued fun on your travels, Eric