Tokyo Ｄａｙ２
Sep. 11th, 2006 10:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dangermousieI have decided that if there ever was a real live scifi city, Tokyo is it.
I am in love.
Pictures of hot men continue to be elusive (my Japanese is nowhere good enough to come up to a complete stranger and go: "excuse me, do you mine posing for me in all your hotness?" My nerve is not good enough either) but other than that, it is all perfect.
This morning started with seeing swarms of people cross and get into Shinjuku station which was amazing. Not as amazing as the rush hour back which was even crazier: literally people so thick you moved where the crowd went. Everyone is so orderly and the train stations are so clean it is unreal. You could probably eat off the floor, though I do not recommend as I am sure someone will faint.
This morning started with that wonderful little staple known as money exchange. Now I know how agents of evil powers feel, as our money was: checked against counterfeit charts, ran thtough a machine, taken all over the bank. Meanwhile, the polite but hassled clerk tried to make small talk even though his English and my Japanese was about even. Aka none. I kept nodding and smiling, hoping I did not just agree to sell a kidney.
We went to Hakone (a nature resort) and ate eggs baked in sulfuric hot springs and took a toy train and a ropeway, but about those later...
I love nature and all, but the coolest thing is the people. Most of my pics are going to be people photos.
People watching continues to be great. Favorite thing this evening was a young couple, he in a sharp suit and a briefcase, holding hands with a girl in jeans capri pants and really casual shirt, They were walking down a large street and it was adorable.
I have decided that Shinjuku is the coolest thing ever. I have never seen so many lights, signs, hawkers, small restaurants, pachinko parlors, and sheer amount of people anywhere. If you are not energized when you are there, you are dead. We went to the "seedy" side too, but I have to say it is the nicest, best lit, most elegant area of that nature I have ever seen. I felt completely safe abd all the ads were so discreet and nicely shot, they could as well have been band ads. There were a lot of ads for host clubs too :P and I took pictures of that as the boys were justifiably yummy. Coolest thing by far in that area was seeing an elderly businessman in a suit walk by with a young, geisha-looking woman on his arm.
Oh, and for those curious? Best place to find hot guys (and gals) to look at? So far, definitely Shibuya. Unless you got $$$, in which case unless those billboards are doctored, Shinjuku is the place to be (there was one for a particular host club, which had ginormous photos of its four "stars" and I started cracking up because one of them was named Tsukasa which is, for me, with my lack of familiarity of Japanese names except from manga anime or doramas, associated with Domyouji, so my first thought was "so THAT is how the family is paying their bills for their lux lifestyle!" :P)
We concluded the lovely day with a really good and fancy meal in a restaurant with a most amazing view. So far, point nad pray method of orderibg is working wonders.
I have seven billion pics of everything so far.
Tomorrow, we go off to Kyoto!
P.S. I bought vol 12 of Hot Gimmick in airport on the flight over and heeeeee. Bad thibg to read in crowded ariport back home. Hellllllo nudity!
I am in love.
Pictures of hot men continue to be elusive (my Japanese is nowhere good enough to come up to a complete stranger and go: "excuse me, do you mine posing for me in all your hotness?" My nerve is not good enough either) but other than that, it is all perfect.
This morning started with seeing swarms of people cross and get into Shinjuku station which was amazing. Not as amazing as the rush hour back which was even crazier: literally people so thick you moved where the crowd went. Everyone is so orderly and the train stations are so clean it is unreal. You could probably eat off the floor, though I do not recommend as I am sure someone will faint.
This morning started with that wonderful little staple known as money exchange. Now I know how agents of evil powers feel, as our money was: checked against counterfeit charts, ran thtough a machine, taken all over the bank. Meanwhile, the polite but hassled clerk tried to make small talk even though his English and my Japanese was about even. Aka none. I kept nodding and smiling, hoping I did not just agree to sell a kidney.
We went to Hakone (a nature resort) and ate eggs baked in sulfuric hot springs and took a toy train and a ropeway, but about those later...
I love nature and all, but the coolest thing is the people. Most of my pics are going to be people photos.
People watching continues to be great. Favorite thing this evening was a young couple, he in a sharp suit and a briefcase, holding hands with a girl in jeans capri pants and really casual shirt, They were walking down a large street and it was adorable.
I have decided that Shinjuku is the coolest thing ever. I have never seen so many lights, signs, hawkers, small restaurants, pachinko parlors, and sheer amount of people anywhere. If you are not energized when you are there, you are dead. We went to the "seedy" side too, but I have to say it is the nicest, best lit, most elegant area of that nature I have ever seen. I felt completely safe abd all the ads were so discreet and nicely shot, they could as well have been band ads. There were a lot of ads for host clubs too :P and I took pictures of that as the boys were justifiably yummy. Coolest thing by far in that area was seeing an elderly businessman in a suit walk by with a young, geisha-looking woman on his arm.
Oh, and for those curious? Best place to find hot guys (and gals) to look at? So far, definitely Shibuya. Unless you got $$$, in which case unless those billboards are doctored, Shinjuku is the place to be (there was one for a particular host club, which had ginormous photos of its four "stars" and I started cracking up because one of them was named Tsukasa which is, for me, with my lack of familiarity of Japanese names except from manga anime or doramas, associated with Domyouji, so my first thought was "so THAT is how the family is paying their bills for their lux lifestyle!" :P)
We concluded the lovely day with a really good and fancy meal in a restaurant with a most amazing view. So far, point nad pray method of orderibg is working wonders.
I have seven billion pics of everything so far.
Tomorrow, we go off to Kyoto!
P.S. I bought vol 12 of Hot Gimmick in airport on the flight over and heeeeee. Bad thibg to read in crowded ariport back home. Hellllllo nudity!
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no subject
Date: 2006-09-11 01:53 pm (UTC)We went to Hakone (a nature resort) and ate eggs baked in sulfuric hot springs and took a toy train and a ropeway, but about those later...
I visited Hakone back in 2000, I'll have to dredge up my pictures to compare how much has changed. :-)
no subject
Date: 2006-09-13 05:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-11 03:00 pm (UTC)Geisha-woman? OMG.
And host clubs? YES. I want to go. I want to see!
♥
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Date: 2006-09-13 06:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-11 03:29 pm (UTC)I liked your comment about the energy, I said the same thing about Hong Kong, or Shanghi. I know in the near future my wife wants to spend some time in Tokyo, so I can hardky wait to see the pictures.
Bob
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Date: 2006-09-13 06:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-11 04:31 pm (UTC)And...why is everyone on my Flist talking about Hot Gimmick 12 today?
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Date: 2006-09-13 06:01 am (UTC)Because it is good? :P Have you read it?
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Date: 2006-09-13 06:22 am (UTC)Incidentally, there's a Musashi pic spam for your ogling pleasure, and Mars is finally here(along with Hana Yori Dango)
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Date: 2006-09-13 06:33 am (UTC)Jerk=Ryoki. Heeeee. HG is not something I necessarily rec as it is a bit too oddball. Would make a good dorama though.
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Date: 2006-09-11 04:50 pm (UTC)Or you can ask "Can I take your picture please?" and they can be weirded out BUT THAT'S OKAY, you can be the Weird Tourist Person.
写真をとってもいいですか？
Shashin o totte mo ii desuka?
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Date: 2006-09-13 06:03 am (UTC)I did manage to sneak in some photos ;)
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Date: 2006-09-13 06:05 am (UTC)I just watched Silence 16 and. AND.
You are probably going to be throwing hearts all over this episode. *_*
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Date: 2006-09-13 06:12 am (UTC)I want to watch!!!!
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Date: 2006-09-11 05:26 pm (UTC)Oh, you must :). Is there anyone looking like Takki???? :).
Sounds like you are having fabulous holidays! Enjoy!
In another news - the ending of "Mars" was great! I really liked "making out" scene and it was very gentle , but my favourite was the sandcastle scene. ** sniffle **
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Date: 2006-09-13 06:08 am (UTC)sniff
There are plenty of attractive men but no one as hot as Takki, alas (or not, as visible drooling is not a look I wear well)
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Date: 2006-09-11 07:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-13 06:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-11 07:47 pm (UTC)i'm just happy for you! obviously, i'm cartwheeling! ;) something which i can't do IRL . i've always wanted to go to Japan, and i'm definitely going once i have the $ and time and all that... its the blend of old culture and new, is what draws me there. guuh!
and YAY HOT GIMMICK 12!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i can't wait for HG-S! ;)
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Date: 2006-09-13 06:11 am (UTC)Re HG-S. But it seems in that version she ends with Shinogu which is。。。
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Date: 2006-09-14 06:45 am (UTC)hot gimmick S might give me spasms then... ;)
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Date: 2006-09-14 11:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-11 08:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-13 06:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-12 02:59 am (UTC)Must see in Kyoto (if you have the time) which I got from euphoria_fish:
Kiyomizu-dera: is the ultimate huge temple experience with a spectacular view and nice woodland trails. If you can only go to Kyoto once, do not miss this one.
Toji: has a five story pagoda and the main lecture hall has some famous sculptures. I was excited about this place because I had studied the sculptures in an art history class before I went.
Nanzenji: I think is the shrine Scarlett Johannson visited in Lost in Translation. And in the very back, there's a lovely garden and the ruins of an ancient railroad and Roman-style aquaducts.
Ginkakuji: is the silver pavilion. It is not as famous as Kinkakuji, the golden pavilion, but it has a better garden. Note the display of moss showing "VIP-- very important moss" and "moss the interrupter."
Nijo-jo: is the big castle and a good place to see nightengale floorboards and spectacular paintings on the walls.
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Date: 2006-09-13 06:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-12 03:08 am (UTC)I'm considering doing a scholarship program next summer where I spend eight weeks in Tokyo, stay with a family, and study. Considering your visit, do you think it would be worth it to study my ass off during the summer in order to go there? Also, is there much in the way to eat of non-fish?
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Date: 2006-09-12 12:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-13 06:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-12 12:10 pm (UTC)Also, others have already mentioned the phrase to use if you want to ask others to pose; so far I've just been trying to sneak photos on the sly. D:
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Date: 2006-09-13 06:07 am (UTC)Re: host clubs. Do it! And write up about it!:)
Who listens to what music?
Date: 2006-12-04 02:17 pm (UTC)Who listens to what music?
I Love songs Justin Timberlake and Paris Hilton