More of Tokyo

No, the McFrothys didn't get lost in Tokyo.  We were too busy to blog while there, and have been caught up since in the excitement of returning to Canada.  But with so many Japanese adventures to report on, we're back!  When we last left you, we were rejoicing in the cool air and clean streets of Tokyo, and trying desperately to decipher the menus at the local restaurant we visited.

Our first full day in Tokyo dawned sunny and bright, a blessedly balmy but reasonable 18 C.  Out on the streets, one of the first things we noticed was that you are not supposed to smoke while walking down the street.  A breath of fresh air, indeed!

Left mystified by the subway and train map posted at our hotel, we set out on foot towards to the Akihabara neighbourhood, known to be the spot in Tokyo for electronics geeks to check out.  Being married to an electronics geek, I thought that was an appropriate first port of call!

Outside our not fancy but reasonably priced 'business' hotel, ready for a day of adventure.

Typical Tokyo alley along the way.

In Akihabara, one can find storefronts full of game machines, where you can put in a yen or two and try your luck at pulling out toys like the stuffed animals below.  The contents of some machines made less sense to me - if I wanted a juice box, for example, I would probably just buy one at 7-11 rather than gambling that I could win one!

This seven floor mega mall has every kind of electronics that you could imagine.  Everything from cameras to computers to gaming systems to... a whole section devoted to blood pressure monitoring machines?

Enjoying some matcha over lunch in the fancy food area on the top floor.

The closest we got to finding a Japanese Allie.

Shopping for beer fridges...  

A favourite pastime of Japanese salary men is pachinko, a game akin to slot machines, where little steel balls are dropped through a series of pegs.  The rows of machines below - empty midday - feature wrist rests so that one doesn't have to exert effort while holding down the play button, which is the total extent of the activity required.  Apart from smoking.

Spring had definitely sprung in Japan!

We managed to spend the whole day wandering Akihabara and then down along the Sumida River.

A Japanese parking garage.  They are many stories tall, and quite narrow (like 20 feet wide).  The car goes up (or down) the elevator and is slotted in its parking spot.  When leaving, the car is rotated on the circular platform, so it can pull forward onto the road.  No wasting space on those up and down ramps!

The lovely walkway along the Sumida with the Tokyo Sky Tree in the background - the world's second tallest structure.

We had planned to go out to an izakaya that night, but it was Friday and the friendly staff at our hostel advised that we had little to no chance of finding a seat.  Instead we ended up following a crowd of students into what turned out to be a Korean barbeque restaurant (though it took us a while to figure out as the menu wasn't in English and the staff spoke no English at all).

This is where the beer is?  Then that's where we shall go.

Not the most Japanese meal, but still a tasty success!

After a very busy, though not photo filled, first day we headed back to our hotel.  I will leave you with this shot of a Japanese wonder - their toilets.  Most feature heated seats (with the temperature adjustable to your liking), a series of rinsing choices, and the option of a flushing sound without the flush in case there was any need for that.  An everyday marvel!

Does your toilet come with a control panel?