Sore Feet in Electric Town
Mushi Mushi World,
Well today has been fun, tiring but fun. Woke up far too early today and chatted to a few of the folks back home (Lauren) as it was about 9.30pm GMT and Pete went off round town with the camera, capturing Tokyo in the early morning, without all the crowds on the streets. Then seeing sense we all went back to bed for a few hours and got up again at about 9.30am (GMT+9). After a breakfast of Buns and Jam, and a rather delicious Ham Toasty for me, we set off on what was certainly an interesting day.
First port of call was Akihabara, or Electric Town, the only place to get the latest in electronic Gizmo. Mmm, the new 50” Plasma screens from Pioneer were on display, still like Hen’s teeth in Britain, with HD sources on them, I fell in love, and I’m spoiled for any other television. Pete dragged me into a Manga shop, 8 floors of comic book heaven, I think he actually had a little accident in his pants when I first went in, the child like gleam in his eye would have made a grown man weep. So I tagged along, and it was pretty good. I have to say, some of the titles and cover art could only be described as erm… adult, and these weren’t even the “Adult” titles, ha.
One interesting point to make is American Express Yen Travelers Cheques cannot be exchanged at the Money Exchange booths, only at banks. So if you run out of money , and need to turn some Cheques into cash, don’t… well not on a Sunday. So I think I did today on about 700\ which is about 4 GBP.
We then went to visit Otemachi Park in the center of Tokyo. On a Sunday, gathered round the Metro Station, Japanese Teenagers, and some old enough to know better, dress up as their Cos-Play character, a carefully crafted and researched secondary identity, with full background story and character. Some of them are dressed up as if they were characters from a Manga comic and some appeared to be Daemons, Junkies, Japanese stereotypes and I even so a little bo-peep shep-herd! They gather and show off to their friends and pose for tourists’ pictures. Quite a few professional photographers could be seen as this felt like the Japan that the west sees in films and TV shows, the strange youth culture in Japan of Ultra Stylized fashion, and what seemed like a form of rebellion. To a youth culture that still has to conform and to a large extent do as it’s told, they seem to let it all come flooding out on a Sunday, the one day of the week they feel they can express themselves. I am not sure what this means for the future of this nation, nothing bad I believe, but I think they days of suited conformity to the corporate line could definitely be changing as the teenagers today mix there own distinct culture with the world they can see through there television sets. Having said that I don’t believe the outside world has all that great an influence on this nation. Looking about myself today, asides from the Multinational fast food chains, I still saw a city and a people who seem to enjoy living there own lives. Mixing fashion influences and adding a very Japanese angle. I think Japan can hold out against the might of Imperial America longer, sadly, than Great Britain can.
With sore feet but lifted spirits we shuffled back on the three metro lines to our Youth Hostel for a quick shower and a spot of Blogging. Tomorrow we head for Kyoto, and a new, exciting, adventure awaits us.
So don’t forget to tune in at the same bat time, on the same bat channel for more exciting tales of Pete and Scott’s Oriental Adventure
Well today has been fun, tiring but fun. Woke up far too early today and chatted to a few of the folks back home (Lauren) as it was about 9.30pm GMT and Pete went off round town with the camera, capturing Tokyo in the early morning, without all the crowds on the streets. Then seeing sense we all went back to bed for a few hours and got up again at about 9.30am (GMT+9). After a breakfast of Buns and Jam, and a rather delicious Ham Toasty for me, we set off on what was certainly an interesting day.
First port of call was Akihabara, or Electric Town, the only place to get the latest in electronic Gizmo. Mmm, the new 50” Plasma screens from Pioneer were on display, still like Hen’s teeth in Britain, with HD sources on them, I fell in love, and I’m spoiled for any other television. Pete dragged me into a Manga shop, 8 floors of comic book heaven, I think he actually had a little accident in his pants when I first went in, the child like gleam in his eye would have made a grown man weep. So I tagged along, and it was pretty good. I have to say, some of the titles and cover art could only be described as erm… adult, and these weren’t even the “Adult” titles, ha.
One interesting point to make is American Express Yen Travelers Cheques cannot be exchanged at the Money Exchange booths, only at banks. So if you run out of money , and need to turn some Cheques into cash, don’t… well not on a Sunday. So I think I did today on about 700\ which is about 4 GBP.
We then went to visit Otemachi Park in the center of Tokyo. On a Sunday, gathered round the Metro Station, Japanese Teenagers, and some old enough to know better, dress up as their Cos-Play character, a carefully crafted and researched secondary identity, with full background story and character. Some of them are dressed up as if they were characters from a Manga comic and some appeared to be Daemons, Junkies, Japanese stereotypes and I even so a little bo-peep shep-herd! They gather and show off to their friends and pose for tourists’ pictures. Quite a few professional photographers could be seen as this felt like the Japan that the west sees in films and TV shows, the strange youth culture in Japan of Ultra Stylized fashion, and what seemed like a form of rebellion. To a youth culture that still has to conform and to a large extent do as it’s told, they seem to let it all come flooding out on a Sunday, the one day of the week they feel they can express themselves. I am not sure what this means for the future of this nation, nothing bad I believe, but I think they days of suited conformity to the corporate line could definitely be changing as the teenagers today mix there own distinct culture with the world they can see through there television sets. Having said that I don’t believe the outside world has all that great an influence on this nation. Looking about myself today, asides from the Multinational fast food chains, I still saw a city and a people who seem to enjoy living there own lives. Mixing fashion influences and adding a very Japanese angle. I think Japan can hold out against the might of Imperial America longer, sadly, than Great Britain can.
With sore feet but lifted spirits we shuffled back on the three metro lines to our Youth Hostel for a quick shower and a spot of Blogging. Tomorrow we head for Kyoto, and a new, exciting, adventure awaits us.
So don’t forget to tune in at the same bat time, on the same bat channel for more exciting tales of Pete and Scott’s Oriental Adventure
posted by Scott Leiper at 10:05 am
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