First Impressions

So, here we are. So much has happened since we left, it will be hard to chronicle, so I figure I’ll just start off with some impressions of Japan.

1. Maybe it’s obvious, but there’s not a lot of English spoken here, and the address/street naming system is nonexistent. Getting places without a meticulously detailed map is extremely challenging. Unfortunately, finding these theoretical meticulously detailed maps is equally challenging, so there’s quite a bit of wandering about. While this is no problem generally, since the wandering in Tokyo is often as fascinating as the destination, it can pose a problem when you have 35 pounds of bags strapped to you.

2. Japanese in Tokyo do not let their limited English stop them from helping you in any way they can. We must look as clueless as we are, because we’ve been approached several times by people of various ages offering their assistance. It doesn’t always help, but the spirit is cheering when you’re lost. In New York, I would laugh at pouty-faced tourists trying miserably to shift between an accordioned map and guidebook, staring at a talking ticket vending machine with a mixture of confusion and terror. Here, that combination is a mating call.

3. Being a devotee of the wonderful engrish.com, I had nonetheless assumed that T-shirts with absurd English phrases were relatively rare in Japan. Very, very wrong. The phrases range from the curious and misplaced (“A love is never too much to give”) to utterly bizarre gibberish (“Kick restraint: getting there is a measure of things you do for school”).

4. Very many things are shrimp-flavored. This can be quite dangerous, especially in liquid form.

5. The sushi is, in fact, very good. We woke up early this morning and, after bumbling our way through the metro (see observation #2, repeatedly and expensively), made our way to Tsukiji fish market to experience the early catch and take photos of discarded fish heads. Afterwards, we found a row of tiny sushi bars nearby, the proprietors of which presumably walk the recently deceased fish across the street and serve it up. I am not a sushi fanatic, though I dabble, but people are not lying or exaggerating when they talk about sushi in Japan. This is the real deal, people.

6. In their ads, the Japanese seem to love borrowing the most colorful English superlatives, and then using them to modify milquetoast nouns. Witness, “Exciting Hall!” Or, “Wow! Prawns!” On the excitement continuum, I see prawns as registering slightly south of “nifty,” but I guess I can drop that in the “lost in translation” bucket.

Love it so far. We will keep you posted.