I’ve been wandering around Tokyo for the last week or so and its been an eye opening experience. The culture is rich, the city endless and terrifying and gray and intense. Every day I’m astonished by the differences between our societies and the way that the Japanese operate, horrified by the varieties of food that we eat and warmed by the hospitality around me.
It is an experience far from what I had predicted, I am pleased to say. Back in New York we had broad, naive expectations formed by our guidebook scouring, stories from friends and films we had seen at the theater. They’re beliefs held by many Americans, I feel, and I thought that sharing my experiences would help clear some of these ideas up. Take a look at the biggest five myths I’ve found about traveling in Tokyo:
- You won’t be a tall monster in Tokyo. While the national height average is a little lower in Japan, tall people do exist here and are not uncommon. Unless you get on a particularly short subway car, you won’t be able to see end-to-end with your friends. Similarly, your feet shouldn’t hang off the bed by 6″ when you check into a hotel. Three out of three of my mattresses so far have been fine for me and I’m pretty tall.
- Electronics aren’t crazy awesome and cheap. While Electric City does have a ton of electronics with a remarkable variety, much of it is the same as US equipment and the price is also on par. I was looking at an IBM x40 Thinkpad for about 250$ this week, which you can get on Ebay for about 270$. Factor in the Japanese keyboard and having to carry it all of the way back to the States, and it isn’t really worth it.
- People won’t stop to ask for your pictures. I’ve been with two tall people (over 6’4″), a nerdy African-American lawyer and a blond girl from Long Island, and have yet to be stopped for a picture. Some schoolchildren did ask for a photo at a temple in Osaka, but it was part of their homework assignment.
- Bowing is nice and polite, but not necessary. Japanese understand that you’re visiting and don’t necessarily subscribe to their culture so don’t expect you to bow at every transaction and conversation. This especially holds true for small things like asking for directions or buying street food.
- You can get around with English. Subway and rail stations all have English directions so you can navigate without a guide or translator.
- Matthew Firestone is not the genial Lonely Planet and Gadling writer that you think he is. He is a dangerous, dangerous drunk that will feed you cow intestines and steal your children.
As in any metropolis, culture steps away from the traditional, outlying areas and shifts towards a central, efficient system. Most Tokyo residents wear business suits around town, work hard and party hard into the early hours of the morning. Visit with an open mind and a warm heat and you’ll find it among the most amazing cities in the planet.