Japan: Inner Geek

For Thursday, October 27, 2011

Tokyo

I went with Karlee (from Canada) to the Tsukiji fish market late in the morning. Unfortunately, the real action begins at 5 or 6 AM, so the show was mostly over when we got there. We perused the aisles of the market anyway and saw some cool things, then exited and ordered relatively cheap, super fresh sushi bowls at a nearby restaurant. Karlee was going to meet a friend at Ginza, and I had already been there, so we parted ways. I didn’t know where I was going next, so I pulled out my map and iPhone and decided to go see the Sensoji Buddhist temple next in the Asakusa district. But first, I had to use the toilet in the subway station, and for the second time since the start of my journey I faced a squat toilet. I had to really go, if you know what I mean, but I knew of no other toilet nearby, so I was committed to having my first squat experience. In Japan, of all places. I was sure it would happen in South Korea, not Japan. Anyway, having read my Going Abroad book from cover to cover, I was prepared, my technique was flawless, and everything went according to plan. The temple, gates, and pagoda were incredibly beautiful. There was a nearby Shinto shrine that I visited as well. I was much more impressed by the Buddhist temple. Shinto shrines seem to be much more minimalist; if you’re not into the religion, you don’t seem to get as much out of visiting them as the Buddhist temples, at least aesthetically. Maybe that’s the idea? Next I went to Ueno park and strolled around the trees and ponds. There was a man holding food in his hand and tiny birds were flocking a nearby tree trunk and hopping onto his hand and arm two or three at a time. I entered the Tokyo National Museum and looked at the Japanese art exhibit for an hour until my legs were tired. I returned to the Toco hostel and checked out, then checked into Anne Hostel Asakusabashi. I rode the subway to Akihabara, the geeky part of town, and checked out the multi-storied arcade buildings and ate some sushi. I had wanted to see the HEY arcade in particular. When I entered, I noticed there was a staircase leading to a basement level. I descended and found what looked to be a crowded manga shop. I started perusing the shelves, working my way around the outer shelves of the store. I wasn’t paying attention too closely at first, but I gradually noticed things getting more and more sexually explicit, until it was clear that I had stumbled into a hentai shop, not a manga shop. I wandered back upstairs and explored the upper floors. Each floor seemed to have a rough video game category, like shooters, fighters, or gundam (flying robots fighting other flying robots). I bought a lemon drink and a strawberry ice cream cone from a vending machine while perusing the rows upon rows of machines cast in hazy blue light. Soak it up.