Tokyo / 東京

Well I finally went to Tokyo, with three of my coworkers. It was also my first time on the Tsukuba Express (TX) which is the train with 20 stops between Tsukuba-shi and Tokyo (specifically Akihabara). We de-boarded at Asakusa Station, my first view of Tokyo. Asakusa is a district of the Taito special ward, which may not mean much to you, but that’s OK since it means little to me since I am still not that familiar with Tokyo. Here we ate lunch, tendon, which is fried deliciousness. We also went to the Senso-ji temple with their huge chochin (lantern) and busy booths. It was my first time visiting a Buddhist temple in Japan. Although it is similar to those in western China, there is also something very Japanese about the place. This place was very busy and very pretty, especially since it was so very close to full-blown sakura season. People wearing kimonos, rickshaw drivers, and even a glimpse of a ganguro girl, yup I was in Tokyo.

We walked around Asakusa, bought some traditional sweets that are famous in this district, I was told, and we checked out some stores and booths. This is also a really good place for buying traditional Japanese attire like kimonos, but they are rather expensive. I may eventually buy a yukata instead, which more of a summer garment (or for onsen) and much cheaper in price.

After Asakusa we went to Tokyo Tower, then the tallest building in Japan, but since March 29th it has become number two (losing to the Sky Tree). Instead of taking the elevator we took the stairs on my request. The views were pretty nice, but it was a bit cloudy so not the most crisp scenery of Tokyo. The tower looks like the Eiffel Tower, but it is taller and lighter (it happily advertizes), and was completed in 1958.

We then went to the Ginza district because one of my coworkers wanted to buy a key bag (not sure if that’s what they are called) and is actually the real reason why we were in Tokyo in the first place (my sightseeing was as an added bonus). Ginza has expensive stores and reminds me of New York, but much cleaner. We went to the Louis Vuitton store where he purchased his bag for about $300. Basically the store was full of overprized things, most of which were neither attractive-looking nor practical in my opinion. There was a light jacket that was around $2,000! It wasn’t waterproof, small pockets, and not particularly warm, I guess name brands really mean a lot to some people.

Our last stop on this trip was Akihabara, since that is the last TX stop. In case you don’t know, Akihabara is the place to go for electronic stuff and for otaku material. If you do not know what otaku means, you are definitely not otaku, so don’t worry too much about it, I guess. Since I belong to the non-otaku group of people in this world, I found this place amazing to people watch; maids on the street energetically inviting us to their cafes, electronic stores spilling their goods on the street, arcades, and a plethora of lights. Since it was my first time in Japan and my coworkers rarely visit Akihabara themselves, we went to a maid café (it was everyone’s first time to one). We went to one called @homecafe, which was on some random floor of a store called Don Quixote (which from the looks of it specializes in selling costumes).

So what is a maid café? Yeah I didn’t know either. Basically you wait in line for about an hour then you are let in to this café where the hostesses and waitresses are dressed in French maid outfits with their own personal touch of bows and diadems and other such accessories. Then you can order just an overpriced drink or a set. We each got a set which came with a drink and either a photo or a game with a maid. I opted for a picture since photography is prohibited in these establishments and I wanted some photographic evidence of being in one. My maid chose bunny ears for me, we made a bunny face, and a picture was snapped. If you chose a game and you lose, then, well you just lose. If you win you can win a prize, like a sticker. A cheap sticker. When you are brought your drink, the maid makes you chant some nonsense/cutesy phrases a la moe moe. We also got a membership card and some moe moe candy. All this fun for around $30, waay too expensive for a photo and a small juice, but definitely worth the experience, at least once. I was basically completely awed by this place and cracking up on the inside the entire time. Even my coworkers thought this was an “interesting” place. Oh and sitting next to us was this guy who himself came in a maid dress and a Pikachu hat, I really wish I could have taken a picture.

And that concludes my first trip to Tokyo. A great place full of things ranging from the traditional to the modern, the fashionable and the downright strange.