Tokyo, Japan- Day 3, Shinjuku and Akihabara

Life had taken over the past month, and I had kind of forgotten I had a blog. I had drafted some posts, but forgotten to schedule them. I won’t waste the posts, so here are the rest of my posts on Tokyo, Japan.

I would begin my account of Day 3 in Tokyo with the following picture I took :

Japanese Toilet Instructions

Well, if you’re wondering what that was about, here is some info on the subject under scrutiny: Japanese toilets. Japanese are quite manic about cleanliness and hygiene, which are not necessarily bad things, but you get the picture. Massage? Front? Back? They got it all. Thankfully the one I had at my hotel was less hi-tech, and er…’convenient’! If you’ve seen the video I linked, you know more about their “toilet control panels.” Ahem. Enough said.

A Waitress on Akihabara Street, Tokyo

At Tokyu Hands, I had to keep waving in front of all the walls, before a gleaming panel emerged, with a number of buttons rivaled only by a cockpit. Well, at least I was able to flush.

Once I got over the stupefaction of its high-tech loos, Tokyu hands was a delight. Especially the stationery section. Trust me, you want to go there. I went crazy buying pens, organizers, envelopes, and letter-writing sets.

The Takashimaya mall was my next stop, but since I’d already frequented one during my stay in Singapore, it had nothing new to offer.

By the time I found my way back to the hotel, I realized it was time to set off again, this time to Akihabara, the Tokyo destination for all kinds of gadgets, new and used. Multi-colored neon-signs beckoned us into tiny, but multiple-storied shops.

My husband and his colleagues proceeded to drool, while I bought myself a handy voice recorder, which can transfer MP3 files to my Mac. I can now repeat my tutor’s Italian lessons ad nauseam.

The interesting bit was the geek bar, though, in front of which pretty young girls dressed in Victorian-maid-inspired costumes were holding big placards in Japanese, presumably welcoming the geeks that frequent this part of the city. I requested a waitress to pose for a picture, and she obliged.

Day 3 in Tokyo came to an end at a restaurant which only serves Unagi, i.e, eel, eaten in a variety of ways, with rice and condiments. Yum.

Stay tuned for Day 4 in Tokyo.