Tokyo <<Photos>>
I was worried that I might suffer culture shock when I went to Tokyo for 4 days in 1999 - but I loved the place.
The hotel room was tiny, plastic and the fridge wired up to charge for even the movement of a drinks can to the room.
The cost of living is very high - about GBP 3 for a small cup of coffee in 1999.
The local people are amazingly polite and well mannered, something which is exemplified by the lift attendant who had to give a safety warning on all his trips up the building. I was the only other person in the lift, and obviously did not have any idea what was being said, but he went through the whole routine as if a bunch of locals were in attendance.
The local youngsters, many of whom work in the department stores, are keen to show their cosmopolitan-ness. I was buying some pressies when one of the girls serving me asked for my advice on a word they had seen in their books while studying English. "How do you say this, please ?" they asked pointing to a word in a well used dictionary. The word was "Rhododendron"....
The park and Imperial Palace and gardens in the centre of town are both beautiful and impressive.
<<Photos>>
Visited a temple and market, and the TV tower which provided spectacular views. The Sony Centre also provided some light relief.
The hotel room was tiny, plastic and the fridge wired up to charge for even the movement of a drinks can to the room.
The cost of living is very high - about GBP 3 for a small cup of coffee in 1999.
The local people are amazingly polite and well mannered, something which is exemplified by the lift attendant who had to give a safety warning on all his trips up the building. I was the only other person in the lift, and obviously did not have any idea what was being said, but he went through the whole routine as if a bunch of locals were in attendance.
The local youngsters, many of whom work in the department stores, are keen to show their cosmopolitan-ness. I was buying some pressies when one of the girls serving me asked for my advice on a word they had seen in their books while studying English. "How do you say this, please ?" they asked pointing to a word in a well used dictionary. The word was "Rhododendron"....
The park and Imperial Palace and gardens in the centre of town are both beautiful and impressive.
<<Photos>>
Visited a temple and market, and the TV tower which provided spectacular views. The Sony Centre also provided some light relief.
(20 Nov 2013)