Tokyo, Japan

April 14, 2024 | Mike Mikus | Asia

Hello, and thanks for visiting.

Karen and I have enjoyed Tokyo for the last several days.

Tokyo, a city of 14 million, resembles our very own New York City I many ways. It is very similar in size and population, has many similar entertainment options, and even has its own Times Square. However, it has a few really cool things that really set it apart from other cities. For example, it has its own tower, which like Paris, was built by Gustave Eiffel. It also has a bullet train and a hotel which is staffed nearly entirely by robots. Lastly, in Tokyo, you can purchase just about anything from a vending machine, and you can even pay using your phone. At a toy store, we observed several areas with literally hundreds of bubblegum-like machines where you could buy little plastic balls containing the toy of your choice. In some cases, there were even lines of kids waiting to peruse the machines…

Fresh Squeezed OK Vending Machine with Pay-by-Phone

Karen wants me to tell you that the best thing about Tokyo (all of Japan really) are the public restrooms. Cleanest, you have ever seen. Nicest paper products. Each sink has a built-in soap dispenser and blow dryer (literally all built into each sink). But the best part is, every place, every time, has a bidet. Heated, seat opens automatically, etc., etc., etc. (I think sometimes she just finds one so that she can have a rest…) Sounds like I am remodeling our bathrooms when we get home…
😉

On our first day, we explored the area around the port, visiting a park, and riding the cable car. We also knocked an item off of my bucket list, eating fresh sushi in Tokyo. It was outstanding. I especially like how they bill you. Everything comes (one or two little item each) on a little colored plate. Each color reflects a different price. You even get a plate when you order a beer. As you finish a dish, you stack up the plates on top of one-another. When it’s time to leave, the waitress has a magic wand that she runs up and down the stack of plates. It totals up the bill and when she walks over to the register, it prints a bill. Cool!

17 plates and $24 later, we were ready to hit the road. (Man things are cheap here…) Afterwards , we took a long walk to a toy store and did some shopping.

That evening, we took a nighttime city tour, and visited the tower (which is pretty much identical to the one in Paris). All very beautiful (but Karen thought Shanghai by night was more spectacular).

Tokyo at Night From the Tower (Karen’s Photo)

Today, we had an all day excursion that dropped us off at the world’s busiest cross walk. At Shibuya Scramble Crossing, up to 3000 people can cross the ridiculously busy intersection at one time. Two million people use the crosswalk each day. It is surreal!

The crosswalk is located in Shibuya, which is known as “Tokyo Time Square”. What a place. We walked through the area for several hours, and survived shopping at the MEGA Don Quijote (seven-story discount store).

What a great city! Exhausted, we returned to the ship. When we sailed away, several hundred locals stood at the port with their phones and waved goodbye for nearly an hour. Super nice, super respectful folks.