It was my 7th day here in Japan so it was also time say goodbye to the JR pass, but not before my last trip on it to the big city, Tokyo. For the next 5 days I’ll be spending it here in Tokyo before fling back to Vancouver. This was hardly enough time but this should give me enough time to at least soak my hands. The morning couldn’t have been any better and whether cold or snowy, this is the land of the rising sun! Caught some extra sleep before purchasing coffee from the vending machine and making my way to the station. While waiting for the train I saw first hand the speed of the fastest bullet train in Japan. The Nozomi ripped through the station going so fast I couldn’t even catch the front in focus. I read the Nozomi reaches top speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph) and is able to cover a 515km trip from Tokyo and Osaka in only 2.5 hours. It’s to bad the Nozomi is the only JR daytime train service not covered by the Japan Rail Pass *sad face*.
So today’s schedule didn’t go according plan. I was suppose to arrive in Tokyo, lock up the luggage and make way to Kawaguchi lake. Imagine Shinjuku, the busiest station in Tokyo have all 350 lockers filled up and to that extent I wasn’t the only one experiencing this problem. I decided to depart for Kawaguchi with my luggage and hopefully find any unoccupied lockers there instead. Because of my late departure in the morning time was also the enemy. By the time I arrived at my last transfer to the lake the sun was already making it’s way over the horizon. I had to call off the trip and save it for another occasion in the next 5 days. The great lakes around Mt.Fuji was marked down as a priority for me and so others must be cut to make room.
To start off japan offers a whole bunch of wacky and weird alternatives compared to the rest of the world, but most of you may know this already from the Internet. When your looking within the hotel sector though, the capsule inn is by far the weirdest concept; right next to purchasing a room from a vending machine! The first capsule hotel was the Capsule Inn Osaka in 1979, but it never really caught on outside the country. Each capsule inn offers a different range in entertainment, but most include a television, radio, lounge, and wireless Internet connection. Luggage is locked up and stored in a room by the front desk, while you’re able to take any carry on and store those in a locker on your floor. Privacy of each capsule is ensured by a curtain or a fibreglass door at the open end, and while some might not think this is enough I think there isn’t much to fear in Japan! Many of the hotels are used primarily by men but some offered separate male and female sleeping quarters. Designed for the busy businessmen too tired to make the trip home or from what I was told be the main reason is too intoxicated and embarrassed to face their spouses. Neither mattered because I was just a tourist willing to experience this unusual live style. But before getting to conferable I locked up my stuff, grabbed the camera and made haste to the famous Akihabara Electronic District. The subway system in Japan is phenomenal and easy to read for tourists. Within just 15 minutes from the hotel I arrived. The first place I walked into was just outside the station called Yodobashi Akiba. Before I explain anymore about the biggest electronics store in the area, I’ll let Akihabaranews cover exactly what makes this place so unique.
Dear readers, today September 17th is a non working day in Japan (well there have to be exceptions) but as a result there are very little news to talk about…so we decided to take the video camera and go visit the biggest electronics shop out there in Akihabara: the Yodabashi AKIBA !!!
A couple details about the shop first: 7 floors and everything you might be looking for from telephone, MAC, PC, games, audio, video, toys but mostly the “widespread” products, the gadgets and special goodies are most likely to be found in smaller shops…no matter what if ever you find yourself in Tokyo, you HAVE to go there!
So it’s a huge building, in order to make a nice video in front of which you won’t end up sleeping I decided to SPEED it up, enjoy the footage!
This place has an incredible selection — cameras, equipment, lighting, and anything else you can think of was available. Canon’s most expensive lens was on display with a price tag of 839,000Yen or 8400 USD! I pleasantly asked a person from the sales department if was able to try it out and without hesitation he opened the glass door and let me mount it on my camera. I walked around in close proximity scouting out any neat subjects to photograph and noticed I wasn’t entirely being watched from the corner of their eyes. My shopping experience was pleasurable and so before I left I picked up a few things from the store I couldn’t’ find locally unless I bought them online. As the store prepared to close up I decided make another trip down again and indulge myself with all the toys.
I must been having to much fun because the second I walked out those doors the grumbling in my stomach decided to feel heard. Fortunately the only place open at the time was McDonald’s just across the street with it’s welcoming lights and cute happy meals. To hungry to wonder the streets in search of an alternative I walked in, ordered a meal and went upstairs to find a seat. To my surprise the whole upstairs was crammed with students and young couples. McDonald’s setup a lounge with comfortable seating and booths big enough to seat extra if individuals brought groups of friends to hang out with. As I walked around trying to find a seat for myself, I couldn’t help but noticed how everyone occupied themselves by studying, read comics, browse the Internet or play wireless party games over their Nintendo DS’s. Who ever thought, a library mixed in with a coffee shop feel could turn up in a McDonald’s. After circling the place twice without any luck of finding a seat, I decided to made my way back to the hotel eat and call it a night. Tomorrow, Kawaguchi Lake for some Mt. Fuji goodness.
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