A Weekend in Tokyo

Japan was fun. And very expensive.

Ramen shop in the Tsukiji area Tokyo.  Ramen originated in China.

Shinjuku area in Tokyo. Lots of young Japanese people.

Ticketing consoles in a Tokyo subway station. The subway map and pricing charts above the machines are really easy to understand (yeah).

Subway train in Tokyo. Has a retro look to it which adds a cool factor. The subways are really well maintained and clean. People don’t talk on their phones in the subway trains in Tokyo out of courtesy for others. Quiet.

Coolest scooter ever.

Design and utility.

Princess for a day. I wasn’t the only who thought she looked tip-top. This photo was taken at a place called Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, Tokyo.

Maybe a wedding? Not sure.

Fancy Toyota limousine with a swinging roof for those of us who feel that ducking our head getting into a car is just too uncomfortable.

Sign posted on the wall of a bathroom stall.

Shop-owner with a sense of humor.

Food ordering computer at our table. Kind of like in “Back To The Future Part 2″ when Marty orders a Pepsi at the diner.  The tablet is removable for ease of use. That’s our friend Jeong Eun. She is Korean, but studied at a famous design school in Tokyo. She is now working for that school in Tokyo.

Japanese Izakaya style food. Izakayas are Japanese bars that serve appetizer-sized dishes.

Little cubby holes where everyone puts their shoes. Typical in traditional Japanese restaurants.

Appeared ordinary. Just one of many, many vending machines in Tokyo.

Until I read this.

It seems like everyone smokes in Japan. Everywhere. That’s why hotel management decided to put a “no smoking in bed” sign on our bed. Certain Hollywood movie scenes would be in trouble if this was a rule everywhere.

Can’t stop smoking. Indoor smoking station with an exhaust system. Every McDonald’s in Tokyo I went to had a designated smoking area.

This was our toilet in the bathroom. Toilets in Japan need to be installed near electrical outlets. Bide and seat warmers come standard on most models.

That’s what Tokyo looks like from Roppongi Hills Mori Tower. It cost us 1,500 yen each to get in, which is just under $20 USD. That’s the Tokyo Tower on the right side, aka “the fake Eiffel Tower.”

Our big night out included Womb, a nightclub in Shibuya (this is the club where the Japanese girl in the movie “Babel” took ecstacy for the first time).  Shibuya is know as the center of nightlife in Tokyo. A little pricey. Cover was 3,500 yen, which is close to $50 USD.

We almost missed the club because it was so quiet outside the club. It was unbelievable when we got inside. Probably a thousand people in 3 different levels of the club. They were also very particular about photo-shooting. When I tried to take a picture of just the front door, the bouncer freaked out.

Drinks were expensive, but not outrageous. Beers were 500 yen – about $7 or $8 USD. Kinda cool – they have beer vending machines on the first floor.

Busy Tokyo subway tunnel.

Building security at the Shinjuku Metropolitan Government Building. Better view than the Mori Building, and it was free.

You guessed it. The sign means, “don’t get your fingers caught in the elevator door because you will cry.”

View from the 45th floor of the Shinjuku Metropolitan Government Building. They are actually twin towers. We checked out the views from both buildings, although they were very similar. You can see Mount Fuji on a clear day.

Weird.

Weirder.

Weirdest.