Snapshots in Tokyo

What draws us back to Japan again and again is difficult to pin down. It’s certainly not the sights. To be sure, there are beautiful shrines and temples in Kyoto, sweeping views that span Lake Kawaguchiko to the Pacific Ocean atop Mt. Fuji, and beautiful parks around Tokyo. But if revisiting seemingly postcard-perfect attractions were a draw for us, maybe we’d be booking another visit to China… and, well, that’s fairly unlikely. The charm in Japan can’t really be captured in a photograph. Try as you might, it’s not going to carry over into hours of home video either. You can see plenty of starstruck gaijin trying to document everything from the airport terminal to the bathroom to every meal. On prior visits, that has been us as well. So what sets Japan apart exactly? The country is clean, orderly, and more polite than most places. All of that helps. For us though, I think the biggest attraction is the cultural emphasis on creativity and achievement that carries over into nearly every aspect of daily living. People just seem to take a little more pride in their work and focus on making things the best they can be. The “best” encompasses both form and function. Of course, the form part is what is most striking. It allows for cute and whimsical elements to all sorts of everyday items. Common businesses and mundane products somehow manage to have adorable mascots. Rarely are foreign concepts strictly imitated… they’re reimagined, interpreted for Japanese consumption. It could be a “German” restaurant that sells frozen beer and schnitzel with curry and rice, or an established brand like Krispy Kreme selling six donuts as a premium treat for $17 in flavors that would never be conceived elsewhere. Hobbies like darts or yoyos, once they catch on in Japan, take on an obsessive quality that is fascinating to watch. People just don’t seem to do things halfway. The thing is, just fast-forward a couple of years and you can be certain that many collective obsessions will have been replaced with new ones. Sometimes that can be really cool, and other times a little confusing, which itself adds a bit to the charm.

We both love all of the collectible miniature figures and phone straps that are ubiquitous in Japan. The capsule machines that dispense these collectibles are about as common as drink machines. We refer to all of it as “jangle,” and have a pretty good collection of it ourselves. Most of the offerings make perfect sense: collectible figures of popular anime and dramas, trading cards, and other popular mascots. But then, in the mix, there will be something like collectible tomato replica phone straps with six different types to collect (the rare one is the sliced tomato with mozzarella and basil). Other strange ones were tiny collectible folding chairs, carts to hold the chairs, school desks, and shopping carts, all only a couple inches in size. They’re big sellers though. Browsing through Radio Kaikan or Akiba Zone rental box shops, you can get a sense of which ones have been hot in the intervening months. As for the why…. I have no idea. Somehow though, seeing everyone else obsessing over these collectibles kind of makes you want them too. There are limits though… One fad I’d be happy to see die down a little bit are the “idol” cards. Many shops in Akihabara now are dedicated to selling collectible cards of mostly PG-rated shots of seemingly middle and highschool aged “idols” (performers?). Seeing groups of otherwise normal grown men swooning over these cards, for sometimes more than $100 apiece just defies explanation. Otherwise, the weird anime stuff (i.e. “camera man”), cute mascots, and awesome new tech are all still here as usual.

We managed to book our stay this week right smack in the middle of Akihabara, just outside the central station exit. This made for a very different experience from prior stays that were a bit more suburban. Poring over some of the stores here over multiple visits reinforced that 1) Akiba is our favorite side of town, and 2) we never spent nearly enough time here on prior visits. Really, you can spend days just browsing through the magnificent weirdness that is this side of town. And we did just that. From every floor of Yodabashi, to all the big box places and cramped shops along Chuo-dori, to the back alley vendors and quirky cafes. And for the retro video game fix, certainly some time at “Traders” and “Super Potato.” We also met up with a friend in Yokohama and visited the “Ramen Museum,” or “Ramusement Park” there. There are nine different varieties of ramen you can try there. We made it through three, our favorite being a very hearty European-influenced variety. Another interesting evening out was a visit to “Alcatraz E.R.” in Shibuya. This is a small themed restaurant that has been featured in many shows. It has basically a dilapidated prison-hospital theme, complete with creepy orderlies (and clowns?) and sexy “nurses” that are a bit harsh and authoritative with the patrons. We had shots of “medicine” and a mixed drink served out of a mannequin head. Good stuff.

Before we knew it though, the week was up, and it was time to head back home. Of course we’ll be back, and sooner rather than later. For those that know us, hit us up. Any excuse to visit Tokyo is a good one.