http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=8OO1RyMg_WY
Tokyo Page 3
I started off the day planning to just go to the National Museum, chill out, and wait until my rail pass gets activated. I've realized that Japanese people walk a lot, and quite fast at that! Maybe that's why they're so thin (in addition to their healthy diets).Along the way, I passed through Akihabara, the electronics/otaku mecca of Japan. Strangely enough, it has lost its appeal to me, though I did go and try and find the "Tondemo Crisis" PlayStation game (no luck!).
Ueno was the first time I saw a bunch of old old people; I even saw an old lady selling some produce from a box next to the subway entrance. I figured Ueno might be where old people hang out! Then I saw some trippy stores nearer the station, so maybe it's where the hipsters hang out too. Lastly I saw one, then two, then a horde of homeless folk. So maybe that's where the homeless hang out. One happening place!
Over 35% of the workforce is temp/contract/dispatch workers. They get very little pay, no job security, no unemployment benefitis. Thus, they get hurt the most and the quickest. I've seen homeless before in Osaka (with some extravagant tent housing), but not congregated like this. They were quietly waiting for some food from a local church.
The museum itself was blah; I've seen most of this stuff but it was still a good refresher of Japanese history. The highlights for me were: 1) a voodoo doll by the Uichi people; 2) the difference between tachi and katana swords; 3) a beautiful metallic Buddhist prayer banner.
Lastly, before I fell asleep (like the dozen or so tourists napping at the museum), I headed over to Shinjuku/Harajuku. Despite being the "fashion center" of the young'uns, it was basically the same-o same-o, with people pretending to be non-conformist. I mean, I doubt those girls wearing a cat outfit sewed it themselves.
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