a new year, apparently!
despite my best efforts to break my wrist getting it caught between two very fierce doors, ben and i had a fantastic last day in japan yesterday. we're in tokyo now, capping off the trip the same way we started it, except not really: when we first got here, we stayed at a tiny room that stank of cigarettes in this hole-in-the-wall business hotel in ueno, a funny, half-sketchy neighborhood, because that's how we roll, baby!
but for our last couple nights we decided to go all out, american-style, and our current digs provide: free internet in the room; CLOSE to fluffy towels; a huge bed with attached reading lamps; free snacks in a lounge whenever we want them; a view of the sprawling city; complimentary bad wine; and a buffet breakfast lavish enough to make you weep if you too had mostly been obtaining breakfast from local convenient stores.
after eating our fill, we set out to asakusa, an old/new neighborhood that we hoped would be a contrast to shibuya, shinjuku, and rappongi, neighborhoods that demonstrate what would happen if 42nd street and las vegas had demon, tourist-attracting spawn, where we'd been poking around cuz that's what you do. asakusa was different! totally charming -- open air markets, temples and gardens cheek by jowl with an amusement park crammed into one city block, antique stores, and tiny noodle shops. even street vendors, upon which the japanese usually frown. (you're supposed to consume your food sitting down and focusing solely on it.)
after browsing, we hopped over to Toyko Dome City, where we had tickets to watch the Tokyo Giants clobber the -- ready? -- Hiroshima Carp. because that's a battle between equals. ben and i both felt a bit guilty rooting against Hiroshima; as ben put it, it's like rooting against the Jews. haven't they been through enough?
but the baseball game was a fantastic experience, which I will detail when I have more time ...
but for our last couple nights we decided to go all out, american-style, and our current digs provide: free internet in the room; CLOSE to fluffy towels; a huge bed with attached reading lamps; free snacks in a lounge whenever we want them; a view of the sprawling city; complimentary bad wine; and a buffet breakfast lavish enough to make you weep if you too had mostly been obtaining breakfast from local convenient stores.
after eating our fill, we set out to asakusa, an old/new neighborhood that we hoped would be a contrast to shibuya, shinjuku, and rappongi, neighborhoods that demonstrate what would happen if 42nd street and las vegas had demon, tourist-attracting spawn, where we'd been poking around cuz that's what you do. asakusa was different! totally charming -- open air markets, temples and gardens cheek by jowl with an amusement park crammed into one city block, antique stores, and tiny noodle shops. even street vendors, upon which the japanese usually frown. (you're supposed to consume your food sitting down and focusing solely on it.)
after browsing, we hopped over to Toyko Dome City, where we had tickets to watch the Tokyo Giants clobber the -- ready? -- Hiroshima Carp. because that's a battle between equals. ben and i both felt a bit guilty rooting against Hiroshima; as ben put it, it's like rooting against the Jews. haven't they been through enough?
but the baseball game was a fantastic experience, which I will detail when I have more time ...