Tokyo

I'm trying to conjure up an interesting insight into my whip la around Tokyo. I'll start with some obvious observations.

It's big.
It has lots of people.
There are a lot of tall buildings.
People are Japanese.
I can't read there script.
They use the Yen currency

Here are some facts you might not of known.

The subway is completely insanely huge. But at the same time fantastically efficient. I would compare it to a household tap. The functioning of your tap above your kitchen sink is underestimated. When you make your journey to the tap, do you ever stop and think "hang on, this might not work"?, no you don't. Well the Tokyo Subway is the same, I knew when I got on the platform and it said the next train will be here at 11:23, It was, every single time. I quickly had complete faith in it, as one does with using your tap at home. Get me?

Here's a picture of the subway. This Japanese girl is so confident she doesn't need to check the approach of the train.


It wasn't all glory though as I did come across a very pointless escalator. So, I had just spent about 10 seconds on one of the average sized escalators and on completing the journey I turned the corner to see another set making their way upwards. At first, I was slightly relived as my legs were tired by this point, on day three. Having settled into my relief I then quickly discovered just how small the electronic stairs were, and began to chuckle inside. They totaled 5 steps. Pointless all round. It took me more energy to correct my walking pattern to enter the steps correctly, than it would have done to walk the 5 regular steps. Trivial!


Tokyo nighttime.

I couldn't help but think of Seoul as I walked around, comparing minuscule details here there and everywhere. It was a pretty stupid thing to do for a number of reasons. How can you compare two cites when you have lived in one for 18 months and the other for barely 18 hours? Also, Tokyo is in Japan and Seoul is in Korea. The three big Asian cities of China, Japan and Korea are so far apart in every department. But we all compare them, with the thinking that they are, and should be similar. Not many people go to Poland and say, "I had no idea that it was so different to England". What I mean is that I kept comparing but shouldn't have. So, what I came up with is that Seoul is a very big city with the character of a village. Whereas Tokyo is a big city with the character of a big city, which in other words means, little or no character to capture the cultural minded, which in other words means, just another big city with too much going on to digest, which in other words means, next time you go lots will have changed and there will be more and more of the same, which in other words means, it's just too big. Terribly harsh and a completely unvalidated thing to say, but first impressions do count.

However, these opinions are purely based on comparison to Seoul, which as I said, is a stupid thing to do. I would highly recommend anyone of any age to go and see Tokyo, if you haven't already. I would recommend Tokyo over Seoul for a visit, but the other way round for a lengthier stay, i.e. Exapatriate-hood.

My number one recommendation would be a MUST visit to Tsukijishijo, which is an enormous and empathic fish market. It's officially the biggest in the world. But size isn't everything right? It's what you do with it that counts. They know how to work their fish I tell you know. The tempo of the place was poetic, but intense. If you didn't have you wits about you, you will get hurt, you will get run down by one or a number of the motor carts that whistle through impossibly narrow pathways and screech to a halt when a wellied (man wearing Wellingtons) fisherman lugs a sack of throw away fish heads over his back. I spent about two hours walking around the place clicking away. Every corner offered a new challenge of stacked boxes, some empty, some full to the brim with all different sizes and shapes of fish, topped up with ice. I paused many times to take in what was happening around me. The sound of knives chopping heads and electric saws, working their way down the middle of a gigantic Tuna, See picture..... captured my attention. Then the roar of yet another cart flew infront of me and then behind me, distracted me back to my purpose.

I had planned to get to the market by 6-6:30 to catch the Tuna auction, which features in every travel guide of Tokyo. Sadly every guide, web page and person that I'd spoken to said, "Make sure you get their before 7, so you can see the auction". I got there at 6:20 and the auction had finished. Not to worry there were still plenty sofa sized Tunas lying around, see pictures.



The fish market really was somehting special. The place had such a buzz about it, it made my blood run wild. I guess, having been told that it's the biggest fish market for amounts of this and that type of fish that once I was there, I was beginning to feel this was the epicentre of the worlds fish suppers. Then I started to absorb the work ethic that was being carried out. People didn't stop, there was very little talking, very little distraction from given task. People knew what they had to do and how quickly that had to do it. Some of the work was hard labour, whilst other duties were gut wrenchingly vile, despite this smiles were wide and wholesome. As mentioned, a must see.

People in Tokyo didn't have a huge impression on me. I did take stock of their fashion styles and general persona. In Korea there are a range of styles that people follow. The range is small, but still diverse enough to maintain interest and progress with society. In Japan, it's a very different story. Fashion, youth culture, trends (fashion and technology alike) are constantly changing; accordingly to factual material here and there, that I have read. I, obviously, was only there for a few days, so I can't say if styles change frequently, but I can compare current life to Seoul, and I will.



Tokyo is vibrant with fashion and alternative styles. In fact, within Seoul, Japanese fashion would be classified as alternative, but in Japan it would be considered as the norm, or should I say, one of the acceptable, main stream styles. In other words, Japanese fashion would be frowned upon, or stared at in amazement in Seoul, as it's pushing barriers and comfort zones of the Joe Bloggs of the Korean world. Korean fashion is neat, cool, comfortable, smart, sexy, classy, sophisticated, clean cut and in general acceptable. I mean all styles are acceptable to cultural history. Japanese obviously matches this, as does any country's mainstream style, but then when you go past the watershed of fashion you begin to see the crazy, eye popping, outrageous, mish-mash of styles that the youth are divulging in. In other words, there is no pattern and there's no rule, with the exception of 'absoluetly anything goes'.


Casually walking around dressed 'casually'.

I certainly didn't find any of Japanese fashion to my immediate tastes, but I'm sure if my time there had been longer I would have soon enough found a style that my closet would have welcomed.

For now, this will do on Tokyo. More photos to follow one day soon.