Tokyo a Go Go

So I lived in Tokyo in the late 1970's and returning to the city always seemed a pipe-dream. But actually getting back here has been a true highlight of the trip. Apart from being far too expensive for mere mortals, the city has everything that I love in a place. Beautiful parks, bustling subways, sushi and udon shops everywhere, strange subcultures and, most importantly, the ability to have a perfect day just aimlessly walking around back streets.

Over the course of our 5 days here, we have walked Shibuya, Harijuki, the Royal Palace, Asakusa, Raponggi, Ginza, Electric City (or, for the Eddy Grant fans, "Electric Avenue") and have seen young boys who look like a cross between a Japanese Animation Character and Michael Jackson, leather shorts wearing business men, more thigh-high boots than the entire 80's video culture produced, young women dressed as maids and police officers serving pastries to computer geeks, and at least 2 million cell-phones per day in use. And that is just on the subway. We've also discovered that the entire metropolitan area seems connected by underground tunnels giving rise to our belief that the city is rife with J-CHUDs (perhaps only Gabe Robinson will appreciate the reference).

To think that we are going to be in Hong Kong in 24 hours and that the constant input won't stop for the next week is a little worrisome. K and I have been so relaxed I'm worried that being around 30 million people in a confined area for 10 days might break us. Bring on the nuttiness.

-d