Back From Japan...

[s|k]

I'll post some pictures when I have some. I had a good time, but I really hate to travel (it took two days to get back - mostly waiting between trains/flights).

Some interesting/disconcerting ubiqutious Japanese technology:

Toilet seat warmers with butt sprinklers (every hotel had these and so did the home I stayed in!)
A remote control for *everything*.

I spent one night in a traditional Japanese hotel. It is nothing like a normal/western hotel. People just barge into your room, after quickly knocking, and they come in all the time. They serve food inside your room on a small table by which you squat/sit. It's all seafood - large shrimp, fish eggs, squid, ocotpus, sea urchin, clams, miso soup, sushi, unagi, etc. I found myself eating things for which I didn't know the name and and could not understand it's origin. The Japanese have managed to scrape up something edible from every crack and crevice of the ocean's floor. You sleep on tatami mats, took steaming baths in hot springs (This was really nice as was right on the cliffs hanging over the ocean - I have great pictures.)

Finally, the parts of Japan I visited were amazingly beatiful. Even Tokyo was breathtaking, except the poverty ridden parts around the Shitamachi area - there a camps of squatters living along the edge of the river system in Tokyo.

I'll have pictures soon, I have to develop some of them. :0

[queball]

How does one dry one's butt after using the butt sprinkler?

[s|k]

Originally Posted by queball

How does one dry one's butt after using the butt sprinkler?

I don't know, I found the whole experience unsettling, and I proceeded to turn it off immediately and then prayed to god for forgiveness.

[All Systems Go]

Originally Posted by s|k

A remote control for *everything*.

Is this one giant remote for everything with 20 million buttons, or does every item have it's own personal remote so you end up with 1000 remotes?

Originally Posted by s|k

I found myself eating things for which I didn't know the name and and could not understand it's origin.

that's probably for the best...

[Yahwe]

Originally Posted by s|k

Some interesting/disconcerting ubiqutious Japanese technology:

butt sprinklers

you really are ghastly.

[djbass]

what Yahwe said.. bidet look it up

[s|k]

Originally Posted by djbass

what Yahwe said.. bidet look it up

No, that's not what this is. And **** Yahwe...

[s|k]

Originally Posted by Horn

sounds really good, what was the nightlife like ?
how did you communicate ?
how receptive were the natives ?
(was that the right were, or is it meant to be where ?)

Ayako and I really don't drink or go out to clubs or anything. We have a pretty quiet life. I am getting married to a native, so I have to say they are pretty nice! I did feel different, and while Ayako and I were together we did get the occasional stare. Foreigners, especially outside of Tokyo, are pretty rare, and for one to be paired up with a Japanese girl, must very out of the ordinary. At the traditional Japanese hotel I was assumed to be her husband, and that's what I was called.

Also, I did not communicate much at all, Ayako spoke for me. Her brother could speak some English, but besides that I spoke only to her for about a week. I really like Japan, it is a very friendly place.

[Vaio]

So, was it BIG in Japan ?

[Radical Edward]

Originally Posted by queball

How does one dry one's butt after using the butt sprinkler?

there is sometimes a dryer. Maybe he didn't find the button.

[Marilyn Manson]

Originally Posted by Vaio

So, was it BIG in Japan ?

Suit you sir!

[Deffeh]

Japan is the one place in the world id actually like to visit. I find it fascinating. Considering i havent left Britain since 2000, and never on my own, and have no direction in life, perhaps i should start a "Japan" fund.

[Kurashima]

Originally Posted by Deffeh

Japan is the one place in the world id actually like to visit. I find it fascinating. Considering i havent left Britain since 2000, and never on my own, and have no direction in life, perhaps i should start a "Japan" fund.

When you get there, youll discover that not all schoolgirls have 38DD breasts, the bars and clubs arent filled with women wanting endless hours of sex, and there are no demons hidding in the houses in the hills spending their nights trying to take over the world.

Although you may find Pinky & The Brain doing that, since nobody has heard from them since the last Animaniacs run.

[dda]

Originally Posted by s|k

Also, I did not communicate much at all, Ayako spoke for me. Her brother could speak some English, but besides that I spoke only to her for about a week. I really like Japan, it is a very friendly place.

Is Ayako available to speak for you here?

[Yahwe]

Originally Posted by dda

Is Ayako available to speak for you here?

quoted for genius

[Deffeh]

Originally Posted by Kurashima

When you get there, youll discover that not all schoolgirls have 38DD breasts, the bars and clubs arent filled with women wanting endless hours of sex, and there are no demons hidding in the houses in the hills spending their nights trying to take over the world.

Although you may find Pinky & The Brain doing that, since nobody has heard from them since the last Animaniacs run.

If i wanted the schoolgirls id go to Malaysia. May swing by there on the way back. Im fully aware that ill be the drunkest man in Japan. Also, im not sure what film you're referencing to. Tell me so i can download it!

I just think there are enough appealing things about Japan to make it a pleasant culture shock. I cant say the same for anywhere else. India, Africa. those arent pleasant. Give me bum sprinklers over malaria anyday

[Kurashima]

Originally Posted by Deffeh

If i wanted the schoolgirls id go to Malaysia. May swing by there on the way back. Im fully aware that ill be the drunkest man in Japan. Also, im not sure what film you're referencing to. Tell me so i can download it!

Id say just assume every 18 anime movie in existence and youre on the right track.

(although i was specifically thinking of Devil Man, which is actually not half bad)

[Radical Edward]

Originally Posted by Deffeh

Im fully aware that ill be the drunkest man in Japan.

only if you're rich. Beer is very expensive, and lots of Japanese have almost no tolerance.

[Kurashima]

Originally Posted by Radical Edward

only if you're rich. Beer is very expensive, and lots of Japanese have almost no tolerance.

Watching Bravo's "Drunken Japanese Businessmen" show will confirm this.

[s|k]

Originally Posted by Kurashima

Watching Bravo's "Drunken Japanese Businessmen" show will confirm this.

I'd like to see that. :0

[Nusselt]

I didn't think japan had poor squatters, i thought technology eliminated all that. Shit-a-machi indeed.

[Deffeh]

Originally Posted by Radical Edward

only if you're rich. Beer is very expensive, and lots of Japanese have almost no tolerance.

If i actually pluck up the bollocks to go to Japan, i'm fairly confident i'll take a bit of money.

[s|k]

Originally Posted by Deffeh

If i actually pluck up the bollocks to go to Japan, i'm fairly confident i'll take a bit of money.

Japan is a very polite society, with strict rules of behavior. If you go to Rapungi, you'll see a lot of foreigners not being very polite, and that is the place to go if you want to drink and go stupid. Rapungi is very expensive, just the fee to get into a club can start at $50, don't ask what the drinks cost.

However, outside of Rapungi, I don't advise that you get drunk and dumb. If you do may get a beat down by the Japanese Police who will throw you into a prison where you'll eat fish heads and rice while you loose a few years of your youth not speaking to anyone.

[Radical Edward]

Originally Posted by s|k

Japan is a very polite society, with strict rules of behavior. If you go to Rapungi, you'll see a lot of foreigners not being very polite, and that is the place to go if you want to drink and go stupid. Rapungi is very expensive, just the fee to get into a club can start at $50, don't ask what the drinks cost.

However, outside of Rapungi, I don't advise that you get drunk and dumb. If you do may get a beat down by the Japanese Police who will throw you into a prison where you'll eat fish heads and rice while you loose a few years of your youth not speaking to anyone.

It was nothing like that when I last went to Tokyo.

[Deffeh]

You cant fool me, ive watched Adam & Joe Go Tokyo

[IncubusGod]

The hilarity of seeing Japaniese people try to handle alcohol would be worth a trip. Here we only get business men getting hammered, in large groups I'm sure it would be quite entertaining.
The last time I encountered such beings, I was in Dublin. They were in a pub, trying to 'blend in', in their suits, ties and shoes which could pay a mortgage for about six months.
They all were sporting pints of Guiness and doing their best not to show how about half a pint was making them legless.
Their 'guide', a pretty blonde girl from Cork, looked like she needed some rescue so I started to chat to her, and then them.
One pint later about 3/4 of them were flushed and tearing off their ties and opening buttons. About another half pint later all were minus their jackets and ties. Some were swaying. Some were singing in hushed tones. All were laughing manically.
The most surreal part of the converstaion was when a short japaniese man started to talk, saying how much he enjoyed the "dancers" today. The girl looked puzzeled and asked what he ment, they hadn't been to a dance place that day.
So it emerged, they had been to a Hurling match. In Croke Park none the less.
Basically they had been part of a 70,000 strong crowd watching two teams of 15 men beat the shit out of each other with large hurleys and a small leather clad ball.
Only they had been unable to see the ball from their vantage point. Meaning they had interpreted the entire game as a choreographed dance spectacle. With 70,000 screaming people shouting on.
After the laughter died down from me and her, she tried to explain but he was well on his way to oblivion.

Later we learned they were told they would be going to this large stadium where the Irish would watch men with sticks dance around without music. Obviously one buisnessman had gone and brought back this impression to his colleagues, which then was passed on to others venturing here.
Oh those crazy japaniese bastards.

[s|k]

Originally Posted by Radical Edward

It was nothing like that when I last went to Tokyo.

Well, I didn't really go out at night, but like I said it depends on where you go.

[TheBerk]

When i was there i found the Roppongi district to be pretty much as you describe it, it is the main centre of nightlife for the Gaijin, if you do venture there, go to Mogambo's, a cracking little shot bar filled with westerners they ahve a tradition there that if you ring the bell in the middle of the bar you buy a round for everyone there and get your photo and name added to the hall of fame, now it is probably best to do this on a quiet monday or tuesday .
However, not far from our hotel in the Akasaka district we found a nice little whiskey bar, this was staffed by 6 japanese girls, and frequented by japanese buisness men. The staff were extremely helpful, if one couldn't answer or didn't understand a question, they would find a girl that did. At one point they even asked a customer for help as we asked for directions to and around Akihibara, the customer whipped out his laptop, brought up a map of Tokyo and gladly helped us.
On the first night we were there I saw 3 japanese buisness men rise to settle their bill, it came to roughly 38000 yen, or approx 200 pound, this is a lot of drink and maybe a small meal, between 3 people, i was amazed, yet they seemed to think nothing of it apart from being a bit worse for wear.
Another night we walked back to the hotel to see buisness men asleep on the streets, in their suits, so they could catch the first train to work in the morning. A very strange sight and experience.