One of the most apparent things you notice once you enter Japan is how the culture cultivates niceness. Traveling all across the country in the United States I get a good sampling on how different regions of people are like. Traveling to the northeast you get a lot of good old fashioned hardnosed colorful attitudes, to the south some classic southern hospitality, to the north a good smattering of friendly faces everywhere but when you enter Japan, as a country, they are all unified in polite pride. Everyone you meet are happily polite and very helpful, especially to foreigners. They all take pride in their work and work hard at what they do. If there were discontent, they hide it very well as we interacted with merchants from large and small venues. Take for example, while we were lost in Odaiba looking for the booze cruise, I asked a young couple who were there visiting from northern Tokyo where the ticket office. He identified he spoke English and then proceeded to take me from place to place trying to find out where we were supposed to be, spending nearly 20 minutes walking with us. I find it very difficult to imagine a similar situation happening in the US, granted there are those rare occasions but that is the exception, not the rule. Other times we were offered help as we consulted our map looking like a lost tourist, all very friendly and helpful. Crime is rare and even in Shinjuku, the capital of seedy behavior; it’s safe to walk the streets going about your business. Japan is founded on a culture of respect and we should take a page from their example and be nice to one another.
So we started the day late again, suffering from travel weariness, going to bed late and general vacation contentedness, we finally got going to our destination, Odaiba at two after a quick lunch. We headed there to see what the tourist island offers and to try to find the booze cruise which was highly recommended to us by our friends. The booze cruise is a two hour cruise that sails Tokyo bay offering unlimited drinks to its patrons. Also in Odaiba was the life sized Gundam statue, a giant robot that has been in the hearts of the Japanese youth for the past 30 years.
We enter Odaiba from the Tokyo Hamamatsucho Station and are greeted by a modern commercial tourist site. Odaiba is home of many museums, shopping malls, entertainment complexes, and beaches. The Fuji television station is located here as well, a unique building with a piece of it shaped like a ball that moves from one side to the other. It is a popular destination for many Japanese who want to get away, have some fun and go shopping.
We made our way to the shopping mall called the decks and located an information desk. Here we found out that the marine lines were just outside the mall and Michi did some shopping for some incredible sales on clothes. Outside we were greeted with a special event, a hello kitty event sponsored by green Tokyo. They had a water show on the beach and had a makeshift tent full of hello kitty merchandise. Being a hello kitty fanatic Michi took a look at their wares and picked up some items for our friend Erica.
We headed over to the boat dock to look for tickets for the booze cruise only to find out that the dock only serviced water taxis. Being thoroughly lost we headed inside the mall again for a bite to eat and to hopefully find an answer to our mystery. Fortunately we found another information desk where the attendant was more fluent in English and understood our request. She pointed out that the Gundam statue has been moved to the bay side and that the booze cruise is found on the main land at Hamamatsucho Station. She plotted a course for us, using the above ground rail and sent us on our way. On the way out we went to the mall food court where Michi enjoyed a curry dish with chicken and I had a Kyoto style yakisoba dish.
Before heading to the train station we walked up to the Fuji television station where they were having a special event. We looked around the station at all its favorite cartoon icons that came from it and headed out but not before stopping for a quick restroom break.
In the men’s restroom I decided to have a go with the infamous Japanese toilets, you know the one that talks to you and washes your butt. I never had an opportunity to use one just yet and the one they had inside the station was a deluxe one. All I have to say is WOW! My butt and anus have never felt better in my whole life. The Japanese are known for innovations and this definitely tops their list. Why haven't we caught on with this? The Europeans have the bidet but it doesn't even come close to the Japanese toilet. It washes, rinses, dries and keeps your but warm all in one sitting. I have to get myself one of these when I get back to the states!
We took the train to the Hamamatsucho Station, which along the way showed off a marvelous view of the Tokyo skyline from the water and rainbow bridge. By now the sun has set and it was getting close to the departure time for the boat. Upon getting there we didn't know where to go or where to buy tickets and we had less than 45 minutes left. Walking around lost I asked a young Japanese couple where the ticket counter was. We saw the ship but didn't know where to get tickets. Shogo Kato identified that they knew English and was visiting Odaiba for the day since it had been many years since he visited this island. He proceeded to walk me to the train station to ask the attendant where it was but no one was on duty. We walked back and then to the boat finding no information. On a hunch we headed down to the street level where we witness thousands of Japanese men and women in their Yukata and kimonos lining up to get on the boat. He asked one of the line assistants who pointed us to the ticket station. He then walked us to the area, identified which counter we had to be at and then left us in the line. He and his girlfriend we're so helpful we will remember how he went above and beyond the call of duty to help us out.
Unfortunately at the ticket counter we found out that we had to make reservations to be able to attend this festival and apparently in recent years it has become extremely popular among Japanese youth, especially because they had unlimited drinks during the entire three hour cruise. We wanted to see if we could make the trip for tomorrow or the next day before we leave but we found out later that this was the last week before many headed back to school and that the ship was booked for the entire week. The reason they were all wearing outfits was because they received $10 off the $30 ticket if they wore the robes, a significant savings. Saddened but this wild goose chase, we headed back to the train station and called it an early night. Hopefully tomorrow we will get some more accomplished since our time in Japan is quickly drawing to a close.
We got back, had some drinks and decided to give Dominoes Delivery a go and see what pizza was like from an American franchise.
OH BTW, please keep in mind that I composed this entirely on my iPad during the ride on the train back home.
The toilets are great, especially in the winter! You have to wonder, with all the great and weird Japanese innovations, why can't they keep their houses warm at night and cool during the day?! Our apartment could get down below zero at night! We had portable heaters everywhere. But since the house had no insulation, as soon as you turned the heater off, you were frozen within minutes.
ReplyDeleteI'm telling you, the heated toilet saved my life!