July 19, 2006
What is Tokyo?
A shopper's delight.
A dizzying mass of humanity.
Countless mazes wrapped into one big puzzle.
Twenty people stuck in a phone booth.
A place where everything and anything is for sale. One bizarre example: A frankfurter pie. Yep, you guessed it, a wiener sold inside a pastry, just inches away from a stack of donuts. Hmmm.
***
The days are starting to run together a bit right now, but the excitement over everything new isn't going away. And it won't.
Here's a quick rundown on the names of some of the people I've met in the past two week: Megumi, Tanaka-san, Ito-san (the boss of the my boss; he also goes by the nickname Sam), Ai, Ayako, Motoko, Keita, Karen, Barbara, Barry, Ben, Yumi, Miya, Yukiko, Andrew, Peter, Eric, Hiroshi (a Pittsburgh Steelers fanatic, the longest-tenured sports dept. employee at The Times who happens to be well-known as Japan's most prominent NFL writer - he's covered, if I recall correctly, 13 straight Super Bowls. In fact, after the Steelers won the Super Bowl in February, members of the Steelers' organization remarked that Hiroshi must be happy, huh?i, Kaz (aka "The Kazmanian Devil" and one of the sports dept.'s writers/part-timers) and Suguru; Masayuki and his son Hiroyuki and his wife Noriko (surname is Yoshikawa); ... Cesar, Steven and some names I've forgotten. [Many female names in Japanese end with the suffix "ko."] Now that I've got a new box of business cards, which are written in English in Japanese, I can officially introduce myself here. It's more common to introduce oneself in Japan by handing someone a card with two hands and slightly bowing. ...
Over a quick bite to eat last week, Karen, Barry and Ben, all of whom are copy editors for the Times' national and foreign desks, were discussing the obstacles Japanese journalists encounter on a regular basis. For one, it's very difficult to get real access to government sources. Usually, press releases are issued but that's about it. Most mainstream publications don't get much beyond the basic outline of a new policy or government decision. My knowledge, of course, is limited on this subject, but it's referred to as the "kisha club," the conservative old guard that government bureaucrats are a part of. Now, if some media outlet or journalist digs too deep or rocks the boat, so to speak, that person is less likely to be given regular press releases or be given a chance to get interviews when needed for stories, at least that's what I've been told.
***
How to avoid getting bored on the walk to work: Compare the endless variety of umbrella patterns all around you.
I tried to purchase sumo tickets for Day 8 of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday, but they were all sold out. It was the midway point of the tournament. I don't quite know the logistics of buying a sumo ticket off a scalper, or where to fine them in Nagoya if there were any, so that was out of the question. Matches are shown every day on TV during the six national bashos (tournaments). Some are completed in the span of 1-2 seconds. A quick shove out of the ring is all it can take for one to win a bout. Watching replays of the bouts, it's amazing to see the way the sumo wrestlers use their hands to gain leverage on their foes. One can wonder how good some of these guys could be as offensive linemen in college and the NFL. They might be triple-teamed, but still find a way to push out of that jam! Of course, they'd need to increase their foot speed just a tad.
***
It's time to back track to Sunday. ...
I ventured to Asakusa, an historic section of central Tokyo, in the afternoon with Aki. Took a nice stroll through the streets and small shops near an old Buddhist temple (see the accompanying photos). This district was bustling with people but was orderly and relaxing in a way, too.
I picked up a few postcards, which a few of you will find in your mailbox any day now. I'll find more cards sometime soon, so keep your eyes open
After 90 minutes or so wandering about, it was time for a break at a small café. Ice-cream floats are known as "Cola Flouts" in these parts. Mine was a cool tonic on this hot, sticky day. Several cups of ice water were refreshing, too. Aki enjoyed seeing photos of my family and friends in the States. She remarked that Elyssa and Erica, my
Arizona nieces, are so cute. And she's right! Big hugs to you both from across the miles.
The day was young so there were more diversions ahead. Aki and I met up with her younger twin sisters, Yumi, an office worker for employment agency Manpower, and Miya, a graphic designer, near the waterfront. We took a leisurely trip on a suijyou bus (water taxi) and saw much of East Tokyo -- high-rise apartment buildings, ritzy hotels, the mega-huge newspaper Yomiuri Shinbun's office (this company, Yomiuri owns the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, the New York Yankees of Japanese baseball, and by far, the nation's most popular team), the National Sumo Museum, sculpted gardens, Rainbow Bridge and more than a few birds enjoying the warm weather. We got off the boat in Minato-ku and ventured off to the Tokyo Tower.
From there, it was a long line before getting an elevator up to the observation deck, where one can see an extraordinary amount of lights, the city glitters in all 360 degrees. From up there, it's almost mind-boggling how big Tokyo has become. To wit: Odaiba-ku, a newer section of the city, was built on reclaimed land.
Aki and her sisters treated me to sushi and a huge bowl of misu soup at a well-regarded sushi restaurant near Tsukiji Market. The place is called Sushizanmai near Shimbashi Station. At this restaurant, you walk upstairs, take your shoes off and get a wooden square with the number on it representing the locker your shoes are in. Everyone did this. No exceptions.
We ordered a grand variety of sushi and a bottle of Kirin beer. Four cups were poured and it was time for the toast. Konpai, or cheers, we said gleefully and sipped the tasty brew.
After filling up on sushi and soup, it was time for the post-dinner green tea. Oishii (a good word to remember), or delicious, I thought to myself. Then, after getting my shoes, I glanced up to where the sushi chefs were busy preparing another batch of dinners. I smiled and said, "Sushi wa oishii desu." The head chef, at least he looked to be the man running the show, was animated as he repeated my remark to his co-workers. They smiled and waved and I walked down the stairs feeling good.
More thumbnails ...
