Tokyo Daytripper: Tobu World Square In Tochigi Prefecture

Posted on November 4, 2006 by tokyofox

The Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, The Statue of Liberty, The Pyramids, Angkor Wat, Taj Mahal, Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China as well as dozens of other archetectural structues. 102 of them in total and I managed to see them all yesterday but how did this happen I hear you ask! Well, that’s because my mate Gideon I went to Tobu World Square in Tochigi-ken which is a few hours north of Tokyo. All of these world wonders have been scaled down to 1/25 of their original size.

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I was really impressed with the attention to detail though I’m not sure if the snap-happy Japanese noticed so much of this in pursuit of getting their photos taken in front of the world famous monuments. This is the type of place they just love and in some ways is similar to Madame Tussauds in London. All completely fake but its as close as many will get to the real thing. Sad to say, but in some ways the birds-eye or panoramic views of these architectural works and ancient monuments will be sufficient for some.

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The European and Asian zones were the best for snapshots but I liked the Japan zone for detail (but not for photos) as it was more ‘model-railway-like’ than the rest. These many Japanese historical building structures showed the traditions and cultures of the country and how life is lived compared to the tourist traps featured in the other zones.

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I didn’t click here too much as I have been to or can go fairly easily to them given my location. The masterpiece though had to be New York City as this showed so much attention to detail with the little people (that’s the plastic figures and not the actual Americans!) living their normal lives and just going about normal business.

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The Changing Of Seasons

Posted on November 2, 2006 by tokyofox

Into November now and the temperature has definitely changed here over the last month or so with the hot humid summer weather being replaced by a fair few showery spells, a lot more cloud and the occasional outbreak of sunshine and high temperatures.

However, I still think its just about warm enough to wear short sleeves but I can’t help feeling (even) more isolated when most other people are donned in jackets and scarfs. The Japanese tend to change their wardrobe based on the calendar rather than the actual temperature.

I have heard that its their custom to make such a change at the start of September or October and this may also be due to there being less space in their rabbit-hutch like homes so a decision has to be made when to make the switch and I can’t blame them for wanting to get the most wear out of their new seasonal clothes.

I also find that the heating inside places is far too hot and similarly the aircon is too cold in the Summer. For me theres not too much difference in what I wear from season to season with a jacket or jumper being the only addition as the temperature drops and that moment may not be too far away now.

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Dining Out: Umemoto In Zoshigaya

Posted on October 31, 2006 by tokyofox

Yet another food story I’m afraid. Since I started jogging (over 3 months now and counting!) I have seen a lot more of my local area and on the days when I have ran in daylight I have often been past a tiny little ramen restaurant called ‘Umemoto’ which typically for Japan has a long line of waiting customers outside the entrance by the side of the road. Luckily when I went to this place last Sunday lunchtime there was hardly anyone there which was surprising given the time of day and the fact that it only holds about 15 people at one time.

Like a couple of days before the dish was ordered by machine (this kind of thing is one reason why very little communication is done at times in this country) and I then went in and sat down at a low table in a small room decorated with hundreds of customer photos and messages from Japanese celebrities who have eaten at this famous restaurant.

‘Umemoto’ is a place of character and I really liked the feel of it compared to the soulless chain restaurants and my negibuta (literally translates as long onions & pork) ramen dish was very tasty. I have been living in my current place for 18 months and this restaurant is only a two minute walk away so its a little sad that I had never been there (excuse: its on the side going away from the station so I rarely have reason to be walking that way) but I will make more of an effort to return there soon.

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Dining Out: A Sparrow In The Works!

Posted on October 29, 2006 by tokyofox

On Saturday night I went to an early 20th century Japanese themed izakaya here in Ikebukuro which was full of many cheap dishes including some more unusual ones such as frog which I sampled. No problem eating this and it just tasted like chicken but much more bland.

However before that we were a little surprised to see sparrow on the menu as we had no idea that they were even edible. In fact having seen the horrible looking thing on a plate I still think its not edible! If something is prepared so that I can eat it without any picking then I am happy but this looked impossible to eat as so much of it seemed hard and there were lots of thin bones in it too. In the end I just couldn’t bring myself to eat it.

This may be for one of two reasons. Firstly, maybe it’s to do with liking sparrows too much when I was younger.  It may take me a while to get to the point but bare with me for a moment. As bored children my friend Jamie and I started up a decathlon in my back garden which involved the first nine events including throwing a cricket wicket as javelin, using a broom handle to pole vault over an obstacle that was the same as the high jump and the hurdles.

However, we considered the final 1500 metres event to be too taxing so we changed that to sparrow shooting which for eight or nine year olds involved pointing a golf putter up into the skies at the sparrows and then providing our own gunfire noise. We sure knew how to have a good time didn’t we?!!

So surely this juvenile fun(?) with sparrows can be the only reason why I didn’t even dare to take a bite of the poor bird! Either that or I was just a big yellow belly!

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Beating The Queues

Posted on October 29, 2006 by tokyofox

I have talked before about how Japanese people are prepared to queue up outside restaurants for long times if it means getting good quality food. As one who has not much sense of taste when it comes to food I have always found this way of thinking as a little crazy, particularly in Tokyo where there is always gonna be another restaurant around the corner.

When I met up with my mate Shinji on Friday I felt like a change from the usual cheap and cr*ppy tabe-hodai (all-you-can-eat) places we go to. So instead we decided to go to ‘Tonchin‘ which is a ramen restaurant on one of the backstreets in Ikebukuro which always seems to have long queues of people waiting outside it. Luckily we went late afternoon so we were straight in and once we had worked out the ticket machine we were ready.

For me, ramen is still basically just a load of noodles in some soup with some other stuff dumped in there for good measure. I usually prefer my food to be a bit more solid looking rather than of the liquid variety. To be honest though it was nice and I am glad that I have now been to ‘Tonchin’ but I still don’t think its something I would wait in line for.

Also, these places can be a little intimidating as they’re not so foreigner-friendly in terms of English or pictures and one can feel under pressure when facing the ticket machine with a load of people waiting behind you while you try and work out the Japanese so I was thankful that I had a Japanese friend with me although it wasn’t straightforward for him either.

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Welcome To The (Concrete) Jungle!

Posted on October 22, 2006 by tokyofox

My Canadian friend Christine (who I have been mates with since our time working together at N*va a couple of years back) came back to Tokyo recently as she missed her Japanese boyfriend. Proof that it’s not just the guys who are fixated on the Japanese. I met up with her in Shinjuku yesterday for the first time in a few months and with nothing much to do we went to the Metropolitan Government offices which are two towering blocks on the west side in the skyscraper district.

For the very reasonable price of b*gger all, we went up to the 45th floors of each tower to see a view which is not beautiful but nonethesless makes interesting viewing as the concrete jungle stretches as far into the distance as the eye can see with very little in the way of greenery. A true urban city!

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O-eshiki Festival At Kishibijojin Temple

Posted on October 22, 2006 by tokyofox

Not really being doing much lately as been so busy with work and the cover shifts that have come my way. Thats why I have been resorting to writing about general observations rather than doings. Maybe also a sign that after two and a half years here that I have done all I can think to do and am now living life here as something other than just a tourist.

Running for three nights from Monday last week was the O-eshiki Festival in the Kishibojin Temple grounds located quite literally within spitting distance of my house so I thought I would put my head in to see what was happening. To the ignorant ‘gaijin‘ eye of myself this seemed just like any other festival celebration in terms of the food and game stalls and the precession of musical playing performers dressed in traditional festival wear whatever that may be. No doubt anyone who knows better than me would say different!

This has also been a very noisy time with the constant banging of drums (a drum which resembles a stick being belted as hard as possible against a one handed table tennis bat-type drum) and blowing of whistles and chanting during the evening as about 50 lit lanterns were paraded around the area.

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Japanese Service With A Smile

Posted on October 19, 2006 by tokyofox

“How many Japanese workmen does it take to change a lightbulb? Ten – one to change it and nine others to stand around watching him doing it!!”

That may be a cr*p joke but at times it seems like Japan has zero unemployment as those businesses in the service sector are characterised by half a dozen people doing the work which one would probably do elsewhere in the world. This is particularly the case in shops and restaurants where each and every one will utter “irasshamase” as you walk in. This welcome, though occasionally over the top,  was something I missed when I went back to England nearly two years ago where the service is just not a match compared to here.

The same can also be said of some of the foreign bars in Japan too where a few times I have had my change just slapped down on the counter without the usual running commentary that takes place during each checkout transaction. Service with a smile is important and you certainly get that in Japan especially from the cuties who are the predominant figures in the service industry or maybe it just seems that way as they are the ones I remember!

It may also have something to do with Japan being a society where theres still a strong sense that women are here to serve which is further reinforced by the weekly magazines including the womens ones. I shouldn’t forget about the men though, especially my mate Keisuke who has been in Tokyo selling Mango juice this last week which he constantly did with a joyful smile.

However, one of the most mesmerizing parts of Japanese service has to be in ensuring that you don’t have an accident of sorts when construction work is being done. A cone or no entry/danger sign is usually sufficient overseas and they have them here but on top of that they also have what is usually an old man (ojiisan). He waves a fluorescent baton type lightsaber at you thereby shepherding you in the most obvious of directions which more often than not is just the direction you’re walking in anyway! These most unnecessary employees have even been stood in a corner ushering pedstrians along in the one possible direction!

As for controlling the traffic, a one armed flashing mannequin is employed to direct traffic but it seems these mechanical 2D robots can’t be trusted fully so the 24 hour ojiisan is employed to watch that and assist too and just to be safe a colleague or two are usually just a few yards away doing the same pointless job. Nevertheless it is these kind of things that make living in Tokyo so different and memorable compared to what we may consider more “normal” in the western world.

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I Am The ‘Spokes’ Person Against Japanese Cyclists!

Posted on October 10, 2006 by tokyofox

This may be a case of ‘the pot calling the kettle black’ but what the hell. These things happen as we grow up I guess. I spent most of the first 23 years of my life cycling to and from school and work and often riding fairly recklessly annoying pedestrians on the pavements but now the boot appears to be on the other foot.

Tokyo has more people in less space than London but a big difference is that the Japanese ride predominantly on the paths. That is not such a problem but what really gets on my nerves is that some of them just seem to think they rule and can just mow everyone down who gets in their way or ring their bells which I consider so rude. Whether or not pedestrians have the rights of the paths and the cyclists are doing anything wrong is something I’m not too sure about to be honest.

Whereas UK law, for example, may stipulate that both hands must be on the handlebars at all times the same can definitely not be said in Japan’s capital. In fact it seems that to see such a thing here is unlikely as the Japanese are more often than not chattering away or even writing e-mails on the ubiquitous mobile phones. Smoking or holding an umbrella are two other popular activities done while trying to dodge in and out of the pedestrians and it’s far from common to see someone doing a combination of two or even three of the aforementioned acts!

Add on top of this, the fact that lights are not used so often and that there is a tendency to ride (in a wobbly fashion which is almost crying out for them to be hit by something or someone) on the wrong side of the road pressed up against the curb.

Of course I understand that bicycles need to be used more in order to protect the environment and one immediate benefit of these crappy bicycles with the baskets on the front is that they often provide a useful bin for many people due to a huge lack of public bins.

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Losing Track Of Time

Posted on October 6, 2006 by tokyofox

One of the great things about Japan is the amazing punctuality of its trains. They are timed to the very precise second. However, when there is even the sligtest of delays it becomes frustrating but why? When I used to get the train to work in England the trains were more often than not late but I was used to that situation where I expected them to be about 5 minutes late.

However, having become accustomed to Japan Railways network being on time its bl**dy annoying when they’re late as you don’t usually need to plan for such things. Anyway, yesterday there was a 35 minute delay while I travlled on the Joban (not so) rapid line. Still, no-one seemed to be getting angry with anyone else, particularly the JR staff. Definitely a case of higher expectations leading to bigger disappointments.

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