japan Keyword
One for All
Probably the most common misconception of Japanese by westerners that have never been to the country is that the people are a collection of unthinking, working robots with no personalities or individuality. I guess the idea of a country working as one to the betterment of their society is seen as socialist and evil in western eyes. In reality Japanese society is something completely different.
I see Japan as almost a utopia. Sure it has its social problems, and Japanese tend to hide what they are actually thinking but the Japanese society is wonderful. This is a group of people who care for the whole, always putting themselves last. The old adage of “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” fits pretty well here. Everyone is conscious of how they are acting and if they may be offending, annoying or disturbing the people around them. Phones are OFF on the trains. People don’t STEAL. There’s no litter. People are polite in the street. This is not because LAW says they can’t do or say certain things. It’s just that they know that it’s not a good thing for the whole. It the way people should act. I don’t think a billion people can live so well in such a small space without thinking about how one persons actions affect the rest. Someone tried to explain to me that the reason that there isn’t much stealing, or anti social behaviour, why you can leave your wallet on the train and expect to get it back with all your cash is that ones actions are considered based on how that person would be perceived “in the public eye”.
Western Society seems to think that “free speech” or even “freedom” means being able to do what ever you want, when ever you want, which I think is absurd. It gets taken completely out of context. Like someone being a lout, yelling at people and causing trouble in the street. Sure you’re allowed to do this but really: is it good for the whole? I believe everyone should come to Japan and experience their mentality. It really opens your eyes to how good life could be if everyone just considered their actions and put others first.
Enough ranting. I’ve done heaps around Japan, too much to write up individual posts for, so instead please enjoy this collection of photos from around beautiful Tokyo. Area’s photographed include the hostel, Harajuku, Asakusa, Tokyo, Asakasubashi, Shibuya and Ginza.
Club Pure, Shibuya
Saturday night saw my first night out on the town for this visit to Japan. Finally getting a few of my new friends together in the same place at the same time we headed into Shibuya, Tokyo’s ‘younger’ part of town. A couple of the girls had a friend, Greg, who had been living in Japan for 6 years, and we met him at the station. He took us to an awesome japanese style private restaurant which was great fun, but left us to continue on our night unaided.
We were looking for Club Pure, a place that had been recommended to me by a few people, including the manager of the hostel I am staying at. It is a hip hop club, typically american styled. The main benefit of this club was the cover charge, 3500yen (about 55 Australian dollars) which may sound steep, but included all you can drink from 11.30 till 5am. Boy did I get my money’s worth. Shots at the bar were never passed up, beer flowed freely. We danced all night to cheesy R&B and Gansta rap, people watched and had an all round great time.
Catching the first train home we all managed to fall asleep, missing our stop and having to navigate our way back through the labyrinthine collection of train stops and subways till we got back. Not something that is easy to accomplish while trashed. I flopped onto bed at about 7am, head spinning, reeking of cigarette smoke and booze. The new day was calling, but I needed a few hours sleep before I could face its fury.
Anyone looking for a cheap, cheerful and most importantly FUN night in Japan, head over to Shibuya and search out Club Pure. You wont be disappointed.
Imperial Gardens
Somethings worth seeing are worth seeing twice. Like the Imperial Gardens. I wandered the gardens a couple of years a go when I last visited Japan. It was around the same time of year too. The gardens almost completely hibernating for the winter. The cats I saw last time were there, as was the massive field of dead grass. I was still entranced by the strange, manicured beauty of the place. I took far less photos than last time however I did snap a few of my new hostel buddies. One highlight though was spotting the first few sprouts of cherry blossom around the place. I am still a few weeks early for the full blossom time, but it was still nice to see.
After the gardens we visited Tokyo Dome, I place I hadn’t yet visited. Tokyo Dome is the major sporting venue for the city. Today there was a baseball match that seemed to have attracted all of Tokyo to see it. Lines ran for miles from every entrance. Seemingly millions of baseball fans standing in the cold, clutching at pennants and gloves. Attached to the stadium is a series of thrill rides. A few of us got on the Dolphin Thunder a roller coaster that ran above the roofs of the area. Parting with 1,000 yen (about $16 dollars at the current exchange rate) was a bit hard for a minute of entertainment but damn, it was worth it. The ride STARTED with an 80 meter vertical free fall and then looped and swung in and around itself, darted through the middle of the ferris wheel and out over the street. It was a blast.
Tonight I hope to go out for a drink, something I haven’t had the chance to do yet on this trip to Japan. I need to get my groove on somewhere. Soon.
5am? WTF!
Got up at 5am this morning. It’s the best time for the fish markets apparently. Caught the train, my legs still wobbly as they tried to wake up. A group of us from the hostel wandered the dark streets in search of the entrance. What a place it turned out to be.
Everything was moving. Live fish, crabs, eels wriggled and squirmed in styrofoam containers and buckets everywhere. Huge black and silver tuna’s lay enormous on wooden trolleys. I have never seen such massive fish. Modern day samurai’s dice up the huge creatures with razor sharp swords as strange motorised trolleys raced around the warehouse. There were creatures I have never seen before. The spectacle of it all was pretty amazing.
We left the markets with the sun up, and found a fresh sushi place that was serving the day’s catch. I couldn’t stop eating the delicious sashimi. I have never tasted anything so fresh. The day had only just begun and I was already stuffed with more seafood than I would like to admit. The prospect of the free egg and toast breakfast back at the hostel didn’t really tweak my appetite but we headed home anyways. Planning for the rest of the day has begun, over coffee in the common room. I really should get some sleep though, but there’s too much to do!
Anne Hostel
Tiny is one way to describe Anne Hostel, home for my week in Japan. Wonderful is just as appropriate. Situated off the beaten track, close to Asakusabashi station the Anne Hostel appears, from the outside, to be just a small door in a typical Japanese suburban building. At the top of it’s four floors, slipping off your shoes you enter a neat little reception. Welcoming smiles beam at you from behind the counter. A Flat screen hangs godlike from the wall of the Japanese style common room. Travelers are plonked on tatami mats covering the floor. I felt at home as soon as I walked in the door.
When I say tiny though, I mean tiny. Tiny Rooms. Tiny Reception. Tiny common room. Tiny showers. Tiny toilets. No so tiny that you’re uncomfortable though, just tiny. Exactly what you’d imagine Japan to be like.
The word tiny can’t describe the enthusiasm of the staff. Quite the opposite. I have never felt such warmth from hosts. They obviously take pride in their Hostel, and love every minute of being around their guests. I look forward to seeing what the rest of the week turns up.
Sardines
I think my travel agent pulled some kind of sick joke on me by booking my flight to arrive at Narita airport at 6am. By the time I had picked up my luggage and passed through customs it was around 7am. The train trip from Narita to the edge of town is about fourty-five minutes, putting the time I would be hitting Tokyo proper smack bang in middle of the morning rush.
The trip turned from a nice, leisurely train ride to peak-hour chaos. Increasingly people piled onto the train. I managed to wrestle my guitar onto the luggage rack just as the last bit of space was consumed, but my backpack and daypack ended up between my legs. At one point I didn’t need to try to balance any more, the bodies around providing me with more than enough support to disconnect myself from the hand grip. The mass of bodies moved with the train, wobbling and waving with every turn. They moved down the carriage with each application of brake from the driver and returned to their spots as the train moved off again. More people were herded in by the handlers with their little white gloves at each station we hit. Japanese faces were literally pressed against the windows of the carriage, the walls and my shoulder blades. The momentum carried the swarm of people like seaweed on the tides.
I was getting kind of creeped out. There were hips and hands and arms and legs everywhere there shouldn’t be. I felt violated, and stared steadfastly through the window; too nervous to look around at who or what was poking into my personal space. I started to puff myself out, standing tall, pushing back against the flow of people. Up straight I was bigger and taller than 90 percent of the people in the carriage. I got to sticking out my elbows, trying to make space. It wasn’t working. Getting tired of being on guard I took off my headphones and looked around me, putting on my best “fuck off, weirdo” face. The train was silent. Strangely, eerily silent. Save for a few quiet coughs not one of the multitude of people crammed in around me made a sound. There was not a bleep from a cell phone. No school yard secrets were whispered between teenagers. Not even the distant tinkle of j-pop on headphones punctured the silence. I have been in Libraries louder than that carriage. It was so quiet I felt like whistling, just to break the implied tension that the silence generated. What’s more is that most of the people, including the four commuters pressed up against me, appeared to be asleep! Eyes closed, lids not even fluttering, calm, distant expressions on their faces. This was their moment of Zen. I relaxed. I rolled with it. All were one.
Finally reaching my stop, I groped for my guitar, apologising profusely in my sorry excuse for Japanese and started moving through the crowd. As packed as the carriage was I got through easier than I had imagined. Even with eyes closed my fellow sardines made space as I wiggled through. Incoming passengers waited calmly as a couple of other commuters and I popped out of the doors and onto the platform. The hole I left was quickly consumed, filled by eight Japanese salary men all assuming their eyes-closed, dreamlike look as the train pulled away. One of the guards on the platform smiled at me and gave me a little nod as I stood back taking a deep breath. I nodded back, picked up my gear, put my backpack on, and headed to the opposite platform to catch my connecting train. I decided to keep my gear on me this time. It was only a couple of stops. I stood first in line for my train. After only a moment it arrived, and a few people exited the packed carriage. I took a step towards the door and then suddenly I was careening across the gap. I didn’t so much as get on the train; I was forced. My feet lifted from the floor as about 15 people behind me, much more than the amount that left the train, rushed forwards. Gloved hands squeezed more commuters into the carriage, the doors ground shut and we rumbled onwards down the line.
I popped out the other side of the train at Asakusabashi Station, quickly found my hostel and dropped my bags. Still wearing shorts and thongs I hadn’t felt the one degree weather, but I changed into some jeans and whacked on a jacket after the staff at the hostel informed me it might snow today. SNOW!
This is Japan, and I love it.