This morning, we have a 10am reservation for a tour of the Tokyo Imperial Villa. We are herded into a large visiting room with 40 Japanese tourists & handed audio guides. We are directed to use the restroom or browse the gift shop before we set off on imperial grounds, for there are no restroom breaks on this 2.2-km, 1.25-hour walk. In our group of approximately 40, only 4-8 of us need English translation & they thrust little machines at us. One guard leads us with a megaphone, giving out information in Japanese & occasionally blurting out, “English audio guide: Number Eleven.” Two other guards follow the perimeter of the group, roughly directing us to walk on the left side of the road or chiding an individual when he strays too far from the group to take a picture. The uniformed, middle-aged guards are brusque and callous, & in order to rush us, one says, “Prease walking.” When the group crosses a bridge into the imperial villa, we are warned verbally & on the audio guide against walking on the raised sidewalk near the railing because it is dangerous. The uptight guards are one factor that ruin our tour experience.
The pace of the tour is incredibly slow. There is no attempt to communicate with foreigners except “English audio guide: Number Twelve.” We cover very little ground in an hour. The audio guide itself is a waste of time as well. It gives minimal information, probably not nearly enough compared to the tour guide’s explanations. The audio guide barely describes the architecture of the buildings & says nothing of the emperor’s life except that he emerges from the imperial villa a few times a year - New Year’s & his birthday on December 23rd - to receive applaud & address the people. When we return to the visiting room, nobody is allowed to neither use the restroom or peruse the souvenir shop. We are quickly herded back to the entrance of the villa & set loose.
The entire tour of the Tokyo Imperial Villa is a waste of time. Don’t go! Sure, the fact that grounds are still in use by the royal family & its employees might justify tight security, but the tour is too limited & restricted to really enjoy. If the tour group were broken into smaller groups & the guides more friendly, multi-lingual, & informational, this tour would be more enjoyable. Robby thinks that the guards’ anxiety stems from a fear of liability. The audio guide warns us to watch our step on the slope. What if one of us tripped & fell on this 15-degree hill? Neither of us think that the Japanese sue much, but there must be a reason for the tour’s draconian attitude. We consider that they are concerned about our well-being, but that can't be true because the tour wouldn't have stunk worse than a rancid fish market.
After being thoroughly disappointed by the lame tour, we head back to the hotel for some rest. In the afternoon, we set out for Shinjuku in search of the Toto showroom. We find a police station, receive directions, & find ourselves on a fast elevator 27 floors above the Shinjuku skyline. In case you are unfamiliar with this brand, Toto is a superb company that produces efficient bathroom & kitchen appliances & fixtures. It is most known for its technologically advanced toilets. Many toilets in the showroom automatically raised their lids when approached by a user. They all have panels that display multiple features, such as the bidet spray (with at least 3 settings; two for men, one for women). Of course, the toilet seats are heated. The most expensive toilet has a digital display & costs $11,000. Toto also makes tiny sinks for tiny bathrooms. These sinks are about 10 inches wide & 6 inches deep. The faucet comes out of the top of the sink, & water drops vertically. When I first saw one of these tiny sinks in Amsterdam, I was blown away by the space-saving size. Toto’s kitchen faucets are also impressive. Their bathtubs, like all Japanese tubs, are small but deep, & some shower heads are stalks with faucets on the side & squirt water horizontally as well as vertically.
Experiencing a unique Toto product will change your whole toilet & bathing experience. But be ready to pay a pretty penny for these water-efficient, high-tech appliances.
The Shinjuku area is relatively crowded for a Monday night. I don’t like walking through Kabuki-cho, where loitering men hawk their female goods (“hostesses”), so we walk through the shopping area. We end up really liking UniQlo, the Japanese version of Gap but larger & of better quality. The clothes are simple & in solid colors, but the quality of the material is durable & comfortable. Robby purchases a pair of convertible pants that are so short that they hardly need to be convertible. I buy a t-shirt dress & layered skirt. We spend about $52 on these three pieces. Then we go to Taito Games & spend $14 on the funnest video games! One involves jumping & racing on a pogo stick. There are a few good first-person shooter games. In one, called Spice Island, we are two tourists on a back of a Jeep, shooting giant tarantulas & wasps. Then there is another called Razing Storm (I think), which was like Time Crisis but the player has a shield. Robby likes it better than Time Crisis. Of course, we play Super Mario Kart too, the arcade version which doesn't exist in the U.S. Robby is extremely happy that I can have fun at an arcade. If you hate noise, don’t walk into these arcades. The noise is incessant & thunderous, & you’ll walk out with a booming headache.
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