Tokyo Bound

I’m Back

Sorry I haven’t been posting the last couple of days. My hotel in Tokyo didn’t have any high-speed Internet access from the room (can you believe it in this day and age) and to use the business center, the charge was $3 for every 10 minutes. So I opted to save the cash. (I’ve been on a bit of a spending spree, so $20 for an hour of internet didn’t seem like a good investment. I’d much rather spend it on Sushi and Sake.)

Friday morning the rains came, just in time for our departure to Tokyo.

One is Silver and the Other’s Gold

Yes, I’ve made yet more friends on my journey.

Irene Chen of Pacific Delight Tours, who organized all my travel arrangements, had asked me to keep an eye out for Caren and William, the other two people sharing my Japan trip. I’d chatted with them briefly on the Kyoto City Tour, but didn’t officially meet them that morning, as I was a) was too busy illegally downloading Brazilian music, and b) not going to ask every American on the tour if they were my PDT Japan compatriots.

Anyway, as we departed for Kyoto station, it became clear that the mother and son I’d met earlier were the same two people I was to keep a look out for. Boy were they surprised when I told them I was psychic and proceeded to “guess” their names.

So off we headed for the Kyoto Station. Despite the fact that I felt I was now a great expert on the Kyoto rail system, I had yet to see the main part of the station. What a fantastic architectural structure. (Picture enclosed.) There were about 15 stories of open space, with a steep uphill escalator. Quite vomit-inducing for those of us afraid of heights. Truly a remarkable building.

My first experience on the bullet train was great. The rain probably dampened the view somewhat, but no problem, I spent a lot of the 2 ½ hour ride sleeping anyway.

Those bullet trains sure are fast. Every time we passed another train, or ran through a tunnel, we shuddered so hard it felt as if the sides of our train were coming off. (Made it difficult to catch up on my postcard writing.)

On the ride north, I also had an opportunity to get better acquainted with my new friends. And, despite the fact that I didn’t share with them any of the tequila I was carrying as gifts for friends in Tokyo, we still ended up bonding. I did ply them with Butterfingers and Peanut Butter cups, so that may have been what did the trick.

In Tokyo, I parted company with then, as I was supposed to meet some colleagues from the Tokyo office of the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau. A miscue on timing, and the fact that there are about 29 billion people at Tokyo station caused my first meeting not to happen quite as smoothly as I’d hoped.

Totally lost, and not having the correct phone numbers with me, I walked through rainy Tokyo, over the Japan National Tourist Organization “Tourist Information Center.” Wet and lost, I was thrilled to find how wonderful the staff and volunteers over there were. They had me mapped up and headed in the right direction in no time.

One subway stop away (and thanks to Misako-san for coming out to pick me up) I had the opportunity to meet all the staff of the LA Inc. Tokyo office. (And may I say, what an impressive view from there, overlooking the moat of the Imperial Palace.) There I gave away my first bottle of tequila and three boxes of Girl Scout cookies, opening up much-needed souvenir space in my luggage.

And the Oscar Goes To. . .

Before I headed out to brave the Tokyo Subway solo for the first time, LA INC. encouraged me to visit the neighboring Maronouchi building, which had a display of Academy Award winning costumes. The display, organized by LA INC. and Wowow Television in Japan, was quite cool. Here you see an overview of the exhibit from the third floor. (I wasn’t allowed to take close up photos.) I saw Austin Powers’ costume, a Terminator, Nicole Kidman’s costume from Cold Mountain, and Tom Cruise’s costume from the Last Samurai, just to name a few.

Having missed lunch, I wandered through the basement of the building, home of their international food courts. Despite being tempted by German cold cuts, French chocolates, and a variety of other foods from around the world, I decided to finally have my first sushi in Japan (some kind of triangular sushi pockets.) I did succumb to the “Tokyo Clam Chowder, featured at a neighboring stand. Yummy.

Fueled with lunch and a tall Starbucks Ice Mocha (Tall in Japan being about 8 ounces), I made my way to the subway, and frankly was almost disappointed to not have had any mishaps.

At the fabulous Tokyu Capital Hotel (lack of in-room high-speed internet notwithstanding), I spent my first hours unpacking, and ultimately taking a short nap.

SPECIAL Kyushu Black Pork

Dinner that night was with my very good friend, Alex (Yukio) Kato, currently a senior mucky muck in the Prime Ministers’ office and a former director of the Japan National Tourist Office in Los Angeles. Kato-san is SO NOT the stereotype of an Asian government official. (Perhaps him telling me how much he misses dancing the chicken dance at Alpine Village’s Oktoberfest, and then proceeding to give me a small demonstration, should give you an idea of what this guy is like.)

Anyway, I haven’t seen him in three years, and it was great to catch up. He hasn’t chaged a bit. He asked me about my cats (especially Alex, his favorite, as they share the same name), and showed me a picture of his pet bunny, Lucky.

He’d had one request from Los Angeles--chocolate covered pletzels, so I brought three types. And of course some tequila. (Look out souvenir shops tomorrow.)

We had dinner at a fancy, fancy traditional Nagasaki style restaurant close to the hotel. Boy, I stopped trying to keep track of everything we ate (and drank) that night. (Sashimi, pressed fish cakes, yakitori, a marinated pork dish, SPECIAL Kyu Shu Black Pork Shabu Shabu, a Shabu Shabu rice porridge, and Castilla cake.) It was awesome.

Needless to say our drinking list was also quite long, however we ended the evening drinking a few Poisoned Blow Fish Sake drinks. Phew. I made him try it first, just in case he keeled over, but both of us have survived, so I think I’m immune to the poison.

The food, the alcohol and the GREAT company wore me out and despite my intentions to end the evening with an in-room massage, I pretty much fell asleep immediately, too tired even, to dial the phone to make an appointment.