Things here have been busy busy busy….so half a big update, the rest when its written up…
After months of promising Damian is finally in Tokyo installing some new computer systems for his company. Poor lad was still looking a bit jetlagged when I met him after work last week.
We wandered through Akasaka from his hotel, failing to find any food on the way, I’m just not adventurous enough… we looped back around through Roppongi where we ended up in Xen again, and caught up with what has been happening for the last few months since I was back in the UK.
The next day we arranged to head over to Odaiba – “It’s Mr Neil, isn’t it? I’ll call Mr Damian” was my greeting at the hotel on arriving, which felt somewhat strange having only been there once before. Not that I particularly mind cute receptionists remembering my name…
Travelling to Shimbashi was Damians first experience of the Tokyo subway system, I don’t think it scared him too much. Finding our way onto the new transit was a little more confusing, I knew it was around there somewhere and we kept following signs but they never seemed to get us closer. So we just went up the stairs and looked up – the signs didn’t bother pointing that way.
The new skyscrapers of Shimbashi are constantly changing, there were a couple of new buildings opened since last time I was there and they’ve nearly finished the roadways at the lower mid-level (there being pedestrian squares at ground level, roadways further up, then another pedestrian level, then the transit line). Some of the artwork, fresian patterned nudes lying in front of giant television sets, was peculiar.
After a walk through the district we caught the transit at the next station to cross the rainbow bridge and head to Palette Town.
Lexus is now being used as a brand over here, until recently they’ve all been badged Toyota. As yet, I still can’t afford a new Soarer, maybe before I leave…we wandered around the racecar section and played with the giant robots, where we selected a red car because it was one where we could see the delivery mechanism working rather than because I cared to see the car itself.
Taking the automated ride to the history garage was an interesting experience – this is a track running around the showroom, it has a fleet of small cars fitted with automatic driving systems taking passengers around the track, there are three stations on the way around.
The museum was full of Americana, chrome and fins. Gods the Studebacher is an ugly car! Especially next to the 57 Chevy. Their DeLorian was covered in fake fruit this time – a realistic mockup of a European street, I fear.
Leaving the museum we ended up in Venus Fort, howcome I didn’t find this place last time I was here? Its a sprawling complex of artificial European streets and squares containing mostly fashion shops, an artificial sky and more statuary than most cities in the old continent.
Failing to find food we headed back to Decks across the teleport bridge, upstairs to HongKong town where Damian tried to introduce me to ramen, which, sadly, came in soup that wasn’t to my taste. As revenge I introduced him to the Hello Kitty shop. There are all kinds of Kittys there, Kitty dressed as a bunch of grapes, Kitty dressed as a fish, geisha Kitty, Hitler Kitty, Valentine bondage Kitty, flying to Haneda cattle-class Kitty [0][1].
Heading outside, via the antique gaming machines, we find the statue of liberty, which has to be seen, and wander back over to the Fuji TV building in the hope of finding coffee. Snoopy has gone blue and taken over the foyer, we brave the ‘do not cross’ tape to get into the cafe and watch the proceedings.
Upstairs there is a cartoon themed shop before the lift to the rotating ball – we decide to leave that for another day, and head down the steps next to more wacky escalators before returning over the bridge.
There is enough time to kill before the club in the evening that a trip to Akihabara is in order, more of the same, I’ve written about it before. This time theres a shop selling ‘wrist cameras’ for 7k (~35pounds), which is too tempting an offer to pass up, it even comes with a connectivity kit.
Back to Damians hotel for some Chinese food and trial of the new camera – we couldn’t try it in the cafe earlier since they’d been sitting unused in a warehouse for so long the battery was dead. Sure the resolution isn’t great and the upgradability is poor, but its my first wearable IrDA device so its not all bad. 100 pictures at about 120×120 greyscale.
Theres still a little time to kill after eating before CyberAge Voodoo, theres no hurry as clubs here are a little lazy about their start times. We arrive after midnight but the 1130 door hasn’t opened yet. Theres still room in the foyer of L@N so we don’t have to stand outside in the cold waiting. Theres a little payment desk set up charging people to get in the lift.
Upstairs the music starts not much different to last months, with it seeming to be more about what the DJ wants to play rather than what anyone in the audience is dancing to. After a while the guest DJ takes over and everything picks up rather, hes playing some things I recognise at least. When he’s finished his set he comes around handing out mix CDs, we don’t stay around for much longer, the music is back to its uninspired original state and we’ve got a busy day tomorrow.
[0] A nominal prize to the first person to correctly guess which of these I made up
[1] Cool, I just figured out my wiki server does footnotes [2]
[2] Yes, I write these long tedious entries on my personal wiki before posting to lj
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