We saw our touriestiest thing yet today: Tokyo Tower. It was like… seven tourist activities in one, and we did as many of them as we could reasonably handle. It is kind of a cool structure, and the observatory had glass bits in the floor where you could look down onto all the red steel bars and whatnot. Also one of the tourist exhibits on the fourth floor was a hologram gallery and there’s no arguing with holograms.
We found a place with an exotic menu of Belgian beers, then headed back to Shinjuku for $3 udon tempura from our new favorite noodle place. It’s down a crowded alley near the station, and even at nine o’clock people were lined up to eat at one of the half dozen stools. We slurped down our meals in less than five minutes then wandered out in search of coffee.
After coffee we wandered into then got lost in a Donkihote. It’s a real shopping experience: narrow aisles wandering through a maze of neverending light and sound and product; little monitors everywhere playing demonstrations and/or bizarre music videos. Fridges, Gucci handbags, DS games, tents, sex toys, cat food, TVs, tazers and beer. It’s no wonder Wallmart hasn’t been successful here; Donkey’s has that niche filled buthow.
We stopped to look at the $2000 kittens in a pet shop next door, then wandered down a long street lined with what I gather were male host bars. They were all called “Lady’s” something and featured headshots of young gigolo-haired guys. We gawked some more until midnight and the last train approached, and we had to head back or prepare to sleep at a Manboo (an Internet Cafe with private cubicles and recliners – I hear some people live in them).
So, another typical Tokyo day. Yesterday we were visited by thunderstorms; tomorrow we’ll probably chill out here and do whatever. We’re down to just two ghostly roommates in this big quiet building, but it’s set to fill up again soon I think.
