TOMFORD

Every little thing keeps me awake when I'm jetlagged. Definitely check out Taiwan. The city itself is a bit dated, but so are the prices of everything. Except international hotels are unexpectedly few and expensive.

TOMFORD

edited

flyertalker00156

Fully Enjoyed! Thanks for sharing again!

helvetic

Enjoyed the trip report! That said, I must disagree vehemently with this sentiment. The fact Japan is unapologetically different and doesn't bend over backwards to cater to foreigners is one of the things I love about it. I also love the fact that people don't speak english to you—it's refreshing in a world where it's otherwise impossible to learn another language because using english is too easy.

I think Tokyo is wonderful. It blends old and new, traditional and modern, and it's filled with things to do and see. It's almost impossible to get bored. And you'll find incredibly unique out-of-this-world experiences you can't do anywhere else; from seeing the youth culture around Harajuku & Yoyogi park, to the craziness of Robot Restaurant or the Tsukiji fish market at 4am.

That, and the food is 100% incredible everywhere. The best spots aren't overpriced sit-downs with fancy service; they're hole-in-the-wall spots with no table seating and no english speakers; where you're likely to have to order from a vending machine with Hiragana/Kanji labels. (Google translate helps. And a lot of pointing and gesturing.)

I can't wait to go back next month!

TOMFORD

You can't disagree with a statement that says "I don't like..." unless you know more than me what I like and do not like

Many Asian cities blend old and new. If you want more history - Beijing, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Seoul, the list goes on and on. If you want more modernity, look at the same list. They hold onto their precious history but let go of their parochial ways. That's what allows them to advance more as international cities. Look at how much those cities have advanced versus how much Japan has advanced in the recent past.

I love all Japanese food, but I think the fascination with hole-in-wall places is not with the actual taste of the food. Surely fancy restaurants serve higher quality food than hole-in-wall places. I think what hole-in-wall places satisfy more than your palate is your soul. Similarly, few reasonable people truly enjoy not knowing how to get around, but people enjoy it in their souls for the feeling of being somewhere "exotic" or for making them "cultured". And that feeling might even earn the place a few vacuous praises along the way.

I disagree with your claim that the "best spots aren't overpriced sit-downs with fancy service" because 1. there is no such thing as an overpriced restaurant in Japan and 2. Japan's quality to price ratio when it comes to food is unbeatable. You might not be able to comfortably afford a restaurant, and that's fine, but if you love good food as much as I do, no expensive restaurant is not worth saving up and making the trip for.

DFW_CK

As always, AMAZING trip report.

TOMFORD

^ Many thanks, glad yall liked it!

phranktzi

Thanks for another great report!

arlflyer

I've only ever made it to a couple high-end restaurants in Japan because I've always been too busy punching mystery buttons on the ramen ticket machines, doing order-by-pointing with plastic models in restaurant windows, and stopping at multiple 7-Elevens on the same block in a 5-minute span before, oh look, there's a patisserie across the street...

That said, even the expensive stuff always seemed worth it compared to what you'll get at a similarly priced place in NYC/DC/etc. And that was at 100 JPY/USD. Kicking myself for not making it out there last year when the exchange rates were real nice.

Agree the best thing about Japan is there is literally no such thing as a bad meal. The competition, density, and rents are just so intense that every little place has to be on its A-game 24/7 or it would be out tomorrow.

Gripevo

Bahahahaha awesome.

Seat 2A

What a great trip (and a beautifully photographed report). Thanks for this great addition to the Trip Report Forum! ^^

TOMFORD

Made me spot a typo!

^

nydave11

Great report! I am going to take a shot here. The barefoot guy in the lounge is obviously Tarahumara Indian. They are the tribe that is know for its barefoot running. The reason he wears his phone on his belt is that he is a member of their relay team and must keep his hands free to pass and receive the baton.

If you don't like that theory I have another. He is from the company that installed the tile and is checking to make sure that the heating elements under the tile are working correctly. That is why he has no bags, as they would cause an uneven heat distribution near his bare feet.

Last theory is that he just had a "fish" pedicure and wanted to show off his sexy toes.

Choose your poison.

TOMFORD

As #2 and #3 are actually possible, I will pick #1 as my poison.