Tokyo

Shinjuku, the red-light district

After staying at a classy hotel with my parents in the historic Kyoto, I spent a few days by myself in the liveliest late-night district of Tokyo, in a capsule hotel.  I wasn't expecting the capsules not to even have doors, just a pull-down privacy shade, but I slept like a princess.  Japan is an ideal place to be a single female traveler because it is extremely safe--so much so that even Taiwanese people are impressed.  The culture in Taiwan and Japan is very anti-theft.  I'm not sure if it is because of a relative economic prosperity paired with the influence of Buddhism, but unattended property is always left undisturbed.  When my friend goes for an evening jog in downtown Taipei, she leaves her backpack on a park bench.

The first day I spent with some Japanese friends of a friend, both single men who had very niche hobbies and worked long hours in Tokyo, both named Keisuke. They were really gracious, welcoming hosts to the city.  We met up in Asakusa for yakitori (grilled meat skewers) and tofu (tastes so much softer in Japan!! melts in your mouth) at a lunch place overlooking the river, as well as red bean, matcha ice cream, mochi dessert at a traditional teahouse.  Walking through the Thunder Gate to the Senso Temple, we were packed next to people coming to pray after the New Year (celebrated with the Gregorian calendar in Japan, not the lunar calendar).  Much like in Taiwan, religion is fluid and polytheistic, and my new friends couldn't name any differences between Shinto and Buddhism, except that Buddhism was imported from India via China, whereas Shinto is inherently Japanese.

Kaminarimon, Thunder Gate

When I walked to Meiji Shrine on my own the next day, I was unexpectedly swept up into a tide of worshippers as soon as I entered the huge surrounding park.  I learned the second Monday of January is Coming of Age Day in Japan, celebrating those who have reached or will reach adulthood that year.

Young women in kimonos to celebrate the occasion at Meiji Shrine

I was amazed by how huge and urban Tokyo was.  The street fashion was unparalleled  (think platform shoes and dyed hair).  Skyscrapers and designer stores were innumerable.  The Japanese public transit system was a pioneering and remarkably vast system, but it felt outdated and confusing compared to Taipei's.  Much of it is above ground trains connecting districts, rather than subterranean metro.  The train cars were often wood paneled with velvet seats, and extremely loud.  The trickiest part was that multiple lines with different destinations would come to the same track.  Despite its extensiveness, the system is still overtaxed by the dense urban population; while I was there, a new policy was announced offering incentives for citizens to move out of Tokyo.

The famous Shibuya crossing (at mid-morning)

Moat surrounding the Imperial Gardens and Palace

Business district near Tokyo Station

I was surprised by the popularity of pachinko parlors, a specific style of Japanese gambling that exploits a loophole in the no gambling law.  Similarly, there is a thriving sex industry that creatively skirts a prostitution law officially outlawing intercourse in exchange for payment.

Secluded gardens of the Nezu Museum

Shiba Park with a view of Tokyo Tower

Mount Fuji

Another day I spent with a friend visiting from Taipei.  We went to the Yaushukan Museum of military history.  Museums are always intriguing for their local revisionism, but particularly so a military history museum in a country with a history of militarism ideology.

Yasukuni Shrine for fallen warriors

Omoide Yokocho alleyway, where we chose a tiny local BBQ place
with a single counter of seating but no English menus, turned out the owner was from China
and visibly taken aback when I spoke to her in Chinese

Japanese style souffle pancakes

Finally, my friend and I went to Akihabara, AKA anime central.  In addition to an enormous shopping mall of all electronics, a Don Quixote (claustrophobia inducing general merchandise store), and a seven floor Tenga sex store, we also went to a maid cafe.  The staff was all young women dressed to the nines as maids, and the clientele was mostly Japanese men.  To get the waitress's attention, you were supposed to say nyan nyan (the Japanese onomatopoeia for meow meow), and the bathroom was referred to as the flower garden.  The food was all in line with kawaii cuteness culture, and the waitresses performed very impressive K-pop style dances in their stockings and platform shoes.  There were tons of add-on offers to buy a photo of a waitress or other memorabilia.