Traveling Tech-Savvy Tokyo

November 2010

While I was getting ready for yet another business travel – this time to Japan – my Japanese client told me – there are only 2 things that you will need to survive in Tokyo – Money and Bowing. We laughed it off and soon, I landed in the land of rising sun. And what I discovered, was that in addition to bowing, and loads of money, I will also need to-

• Learn how to use chopsticks. Yes, for real, learn to eat rice with chopsticks.
• Develop a fascination for hi-tech toilet seats. And learn to identify what each button means – from seat warmers to deodorizers
• Not pick up my cell phone in trains. And also learn to hold my breath in a full train.
• Not tip. People will feel insulted and come after you to return the money.
• Feel comfortable around people when they “slurp” their food
• Vend alcohol off a vending machine (yes – no kidding!)
• Appreciate wrapping is as important – not just for gifts, but also food items. The way they wrapped my croissant made me feel so very special.
• Appreciate and follow the order, even while you window shop. If you take an item out of a hanger, ensure to keep it back with similar cm spaces in between the two.
• Click the divas – ask them for their photo and they will oblige; and feel very happy
• Watch out the prices before entering a restaurant. It is not a norm to pay $10 for coffee or $80 for a cucumber shushi roll
• Saki can be hot or cold – I need to specify
• Roasted green tea is something to die for;
• And - be polite ( yeah, the most difficult one for me).

And – when I learnt all this, I loved very clean, super, uber cool and stylish Tokyo.

Some of the photos from my experiences there:

Akhibara – most frequented destination for electronic shoppers. Go to Akhibara for fresh sushi rolls, maid cafes, and of course if you want to buy electronics.

Asakusa – for the very famous Buddhist temple ( Sensoji), local shopping for Kimonos, chop sticks, local snacks and other souvenirs ( Nakamise) and Pullman rickshaws

Imperial Palace Gardens – for a very serene experience. The gardens are abundant with all the prime elements of a Japanese Garden (Bridge, Arbor or wooden sitting area, pagoda, stone benches, pebble path, water falls, tea houses, stepping stones, and bamboo structures). The water is so crystal clear that you can see complete shadows.

Shibuya  for popular shopping and entertainment. It has colorful and busy districts, packed with shopping, dining and nightclubs. Another place, especially for foreigners for shopping and clubbing is Roopangi Hills.

Shiodome –a redeveloped city district in Tokyo, with breath taking skyscrapers and a large variety of shops, cafes, restaurants, theaters, hotels and other attractions.

And, since nothing is ever complete without shopping – a heaven called The Ginza. It is famous for Sony building, upmarket shopping, dining, and entertainment, numerous department stores (I really liked Matsuya) boutiques and cafes.

Samurai - not the real one 

Beer Tower

Meiji Shrine – for experiencing culture, seeing little divas all dressed in Kimonos for various ceremonies, and simply strolling.

Tokyo tower – but of course  modeled on Eiffel Tower; taller by 13 ms, and red. It has a phenomenal observatory deck, and do take out time to sip coffee at the café on tower, and enjoy spectacular views. On a good weather day, you can actually see Mount Fuji from the observatory.

I totally loved the hi-tech modern and traditional contrast. And I would totally go to Japan to explore the other parts of the country.

Arigatou