Oh Tokyo

My last night in Tokyo, I had dinner at Shabu-zen, unknowingly sat in Scarlett's Lost in Translation scene spot. We had premium Japanese beef (paper thin and very marbled) with winter vegetables in the middle of summer. As of last night, I had spent eight weeks in Japan. Enough time to eat, look at art, make art, and meet the right people. Happy and challenged to make something of the whole trip. I can be a Japan-guide now.

Food highights off the top of my head:
1. Jangara Ramen
2. Shin sushi
3. Maisen tonkatsu
4. Champion-Ebisu steak
5. Kyubei sushi
6. Morimoto XEX


Art space highlights:
1. Hara Museum of Contemporary Art
2. Gallery Ef
3. Gallery Koyanagi
4. Mori Art Museum
5. SCAI the Bathhouse
6. 21_21 Design Site

Really fun things to do:
1. watch the fish at the Sony Aquarium, Ginza
2. watch the shadows lengthen and the sky change colors at sunset from the Wald 9th floor cinema theaters, Shinjuku
3. sit in Starbucks at Tsutuya and watch the people crossing, Shibuya
4. wander around Tokyu Hands / Itoya / Muji / Loft / any 100 yen store / Bic Camera
5. watch the elevator girls in Matsuya / Mizukoshi
6. walk around the Meiji shrine, Harajuku
7. take the skybus tour of the Imperial Palace walls and Marunuochi, Tokyo station
8. read the design and art magazines at the National Art Center library on the 3rd floor, Roponggi
9. watch the dogs prancing outside the groomers in Tokyo Midtown, Roponggi
10. walk around Ginza on Saturday and Sunday afternoons when they close the streets to cars, and the old people set up pretty umbrellas
11. go to a Pecha Kucha night in superdeluxe, Roponggi
12. walk around Comme des Garcons and Prada in Omotesando

Best Bookstores:
1. Nadiff in Ebisu
2. Watari Museum basement bookstore - the most beautiful bookstore I have ever seen, and they have English language books
3. Tower records 7th floor in Shibuya

Books you NEED to have to survive:
1. Tokyo Metropolitan Atlas - the best 2,000 yen you will spend in Japan
2. Claska Guide
3. Art Beat Tokyo
4. Michelin food guide - Tokyo has the most number of star restaurants, second only to the whole of France

Things people told me to do that I did that were not a big deal:
1. watch cosplay (costume play) dresser uppers in Harajuku and Yoyogi on Sundays (the gothic bo-peeps and elvises and ... )
2. walk down Takeshita street in Harajuku

On the whole, Tokyo was a challenge and an experience. Staying in an office building felt like I was being detained and living in a horror movie (the picture is the view from my window, isn't all that concrete charming?; the horror movie was 'The Ring'). But can't complain, it was clean and very well located in the heart of Aoyama. But the language barrier and cultural differences were the bigger challenges, add to their written language not being in our alphabet really can get you lost. But was glad for it all. The alone time pushed me to do many things I would otherwise not do. Plus I lost weight from all the summer walking. Best part was rediscovering the playing in photography.

The show will happen soon. Thanks for reading. The adventures continue.