But, what did I get to see?

Tokyo was okay.

I managed to get to Akihabara, the electronics district. Some of the gizmos they have are unbelievable. The best I think I saw was an in car radio, CD player and navigation system that could do a 3D display of the terrain that you were driving over, and when you had stopped, or if the kids were bored, it does TV as well. All in Japanese of course, but I'd love to bring one to Australia and (a) see the terrain map for the salt lakes or around the Simpson Desert, or (b) put in Akihabara as a destination, while in Sydney and see what it suggests is the best route to get there.

Shinjuku, one of the shopping areas has a train station that services 2 million people a day. I think they were all there when I was there. And they moved very fast. Sometimes I felt like I was in either Baraka, Koyanniqatsi or Powaqqatsi (or however they are spelt). This was heightened when every time a JR train leaves a station a bit of music plays, something that Phillip Glass might have inspired. Surreal. Very surreal.

Hama Rikyu Garden was quite good. The sakura (cherry blossoms) were out. It wasn't as well manicured as I expected the garden to be, but perhaps that was just this garden. I've got lots of photos of it, so you'll have to ask me to see them, as words won't explain what it looked like. Imagine going to the Botanical Gardens and looking though the eyes of an Eskimo. It was different, beautiful, but not the pristine image of snow covered lakes you'd be used to back home.

Where else? Well I was staying in Suidobashi, which was okay. Not much exciting stuff there. Shops, homes, basket ball courts on roof of building across from the YMCA.

Look, let me put it this way. Tokyo was Tokyo. It was the people, and the things that make it weird and wonderful. Perhaps the photos (if they turn out okay will describe it better.) As I said (I did, didn't I) I could have spent an entire day just taking portrait shots of people. Even just staying at one place, like Shinjuku train station would have done it. But I really didn't get to see the "sopts" of Tokyo in the end. Anyway, I've got lots more of Japan to see.

And I did get to see the Golden Turd, as described in the Lonely Planet book at Asakusa. And yes, it was golden, and turd shaped. And very, very large.

I think if and when I get back, I will have to stay in Tokyo for about 2 weeks and do it properly. Like Sydney, you couldn't really do it in a day.

Tokyo, been there done that

Actually, I did very little in Tokyo. It's now the last day, and I really didn't get to see that much. Well, I saw a lot of the back streets yesterday while I was lost trying to get to Hama Rikyu Garden. Note to self: turn left at Monorail station, not right.

Anyway, am staying at a YMCA, I won't do the hand actions ... this time ;-) The Western Style breakfast I've been eating was okay, except for the salad with mayonnaise next to the runny fried egg and sausage. Okay, it was a re-interpretation of Western Style breakfast. At ��200 (that's a Yen symbol, I hope) I can't complain.

Impressions? Well, where do I start ...

I'm getting the hang of the language. Except the other day when I went into a little sandwich store and asked if the sandwich was egg. Except I said "tomodachi," instead of "tamago." I was asking if the sandwich was my friend (tomodachi). Thankfully the old woman behind the counter said it was egg and ham. It supprised me that she said that in English ... or my $2.95 Star Trek Universal Translator was working.

There are a few things I noticed straight away. Bicycles and face masks. I think the bikes are free to use, if you see one that doesn't look like anyone owns it, then just pick it up and ride away. They all look the same, as through some factory in 1960 closed down because the style of bike suddenly became unpopular. As a public service they might have just left the remaiing stock all over Japan. Somehow I don't think that's true, but it sounds good.

Every now and then I come across a Japanese person wearing this thick face mask that covers their nose and mouth, sort of like a surgical mask. It's for their hayfever, to stop pollen getting into their system, and for them to not sneeze onto other people. I think flu sufferers might wear them as well. So they are not for the pollution (which doesn't seem any worse then Sydney,) and not for the neuroticly clean and hygenic people to stay healthy.

Most Japanese speak English it seems. But only a little. Well actually, no matter how much they speak they'll either say "a little" or just "no." Even with no English, some minor communication can be made.

There also seems to be an extreme contrast between the old and the new. I've got some photos of really old buildings next to games stores, and temples surrounded by technology shops. Some buildings look like they survived WWII bombing, and some don't. It reminds me mostly of Surry Hills.

All the stereo types are here. Sarari men falling asleep over their food, or on the train seat next to a beautiful woman, who has to lean away to stop the man snoozing on her shoulder. Mountain Witches, Schools kids, suits, Kimono wearing older women. I could spend a whole day just catching the train photographing people. Everyone here has style.

If I had a cat to swing around my hotel rool, it wouldn't last 2pi radians (that's 360 degrees for you luddites.) Even the door was lower then a Western door. I thought I had arrived on the 7 1/2 floor from Being John Malkovitch.

A few of the Westerners I've spoken too have been really good. One or two mention craving to have an English conversation (even the French bloke! Well, he just wanted to talk about Tokyo, which was really good.) The American, Steve, at breakfast this morning, met all my expectations of an American, except he was better travelled than most. One or two didn't speak any English, or Japanese I wish them luck. One English bloke got me first, when I asked him if he spoke English, he said "No, I don't."

Yesterday morning, there was this strange man with a wooden trolley walking around the back streets. He had a loud speaker on it calling out something, my initial impression was that it was a Muslem call to Prayer. When I found him, I had no idea what he was doing. I think he was selling something from this rickety old trolley but I don't know. I was in a hurry to get to the post office, and when I came back he had moved on. Perhaps it didn't happen. Maybe it was a lack of sleep.

Even nerds here look the same, but stylish.

Chiba City Blues

The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.

I didn't end up getting to see the port of Chiba. Much against the advice of Eli, the youth worker at Roseville Uniting Church, I decided that I wasn't going to book any accommodation for my first few days in Japan. When I got to Chiba I discovered that the pokey hole in the wall Tourist Information booth didn't have a very good English speaking person. After much hand waving and deliberation I discovered where the cheapest hotel was. After getting lost trying to find it, and then finding I had walked past it about 5 times, I discovered a sign out the front that I said "something something something something 3pm something something something." Being about 11am, I decided to go shopping to buy my camera.

After having landed that morning, catching a train into Chiba, discovering that I really had packed too much, and generally felling really, really tired, it felt like I had landed into a long running Anime. The fog at the airport, the construction sites, the police and armed guards at the airport edge, birds flying in slow motion.

When I needed some change for the locker I decided to use McDonalds for a cafeine fix. Over here, they look different but the same. The helpful person immediately whipped out a menu with pictures on it for me to point to, and nod my head. All those Japanese lessons immediately forgotton.

At the station, when I sat down to have a nervous breakdown there were some rather old men, drinking Sake out of glass jars. It was about 9am. One walked over to me to me and said "Amerikan?" I responded in my best Japanese, which also happens to be my worst Japanese with "Oosutoraria-jin" which, hopefully means Australian. Better then what I did a little later with the egg sandwich.

I still think I'm down in China Town in Sydney.

At about 2:30pm I walk back to the Supa Hoteru and there is a new sign out front. A very bad sign. A sign in Japlish, which I think meant they were full. At this point I started working out how to get back to Oosutoraria. I lugged my gear back to the station, cursing again about how much I packed and the third thing to do after getting accommodation and food would be to post stuff back home I didn't need. The Tourist Information booth started becoming even less helpful when they wouldn't phone up anywhere for accommodation. (Well, most information said Tourist Information places did that sort of thing.) Started calling places. Started hearing the words "furu" - full. Started mild panic. Remembered about a phone number for English speaking help for people like me. Called it. They gave me some numbers for places in Tokyo that I might be able to stay at.

"Furu."

Eventually found a YMCA that had space. I think the only reason they had space was because they aren't on any map, guide book or directory. They aren't that remote (2 train stops from Akihabara.)

After all that, the first day wasn't so great. In fact, it sucked. Big time. Well, it can only get better.

Quick note: I've abandoned my attempt to use my own system for updating pages. Blogger seems really easy and took about 15 seconds to set up. Although I don't know how to back date posts yet. I need to experiment a bit more with it. Will post more soon. Must eat.