3 November 2015
Quietly confident
Exploring Ginza and eating curry
I think I am starting to feel better.
This must be due to the amazing healing power of pineapple on a stick consumed out the front of a temple next door to a relaxation massage parlour across the alleyway from a pachinko slot machine hall.
Theres no other legitimate explanation.
What I know for certain is that I have not had a single sneezing fit all evening and have not felt the urge to fall over, scratch out my own eyes or punch myself in my previously sore joints for hours.
I also drank 2 litres of iced green tea and I think its still inside of me hours later. I can really hold my tea.
This evening I went to Ginza and surrounds and wondered where everyone was. Lots of places were shut. I kind of assumed that being a holiday people would be out and about in the evening.
Ginza was mainly tourists, the big shops were open but many of the basement eating places were closed.
Whilst wandering around I noticed painted on the ground warnings about walking whilst using a phone, and others banning walking whilst smoking. This would be prophetic.
Soon after I was walking into a quiet underground spot looking for food when a well dressed man in front of me, transfixed by candy crush or similar, took a terrifying tumble down 3 stairs. It looked like it hurt and he laid there in pain.
I raced over and extended a hand and enquired if he was ok, in English. This forced him to open his eyes, see me, and leap to his feet, brush himself off and stride away as if he were fine without giving me another look. I guess I have mystical healing powers.
Ginza is much more than just the main street, if watches and alligator shoes are not your thing, then head west towards the bullet train station at Tokyo, where you can find a lot more shops more suited to a poor Australian tourist.
Ginza main street. Has lots of new buildings compared to my last visit, and a few under construction. Cranes in Tokyo are a rare site, perhaps Shinzo Abe is an economic genius after all?
This is uniqlo. Their stores in Sydney and Melbourne seem huge but are tiny compared to this one. They are famous for having plain boring cheap clothes in lots of bland colors.
They already struggle to fill their Australian stores, so whats going to fill all these floors of Uniqlo? Theres literally one floor devoted to a basic plain tshirt, in 200 colors. Another floor is just chinos.
I think I ate here on my last visit, its all restaurants, that are all closed. Near here is where I cured a Japanese mans broken leg.
Apparently this dog is very interesting. I did not see a single female of any nationality pass without taking a photo. So I took one too.
Another new building, interesting glass. By interesting I mean I find it interesting.
This sign speaks for itself. Go in there and ask them if this is the food mart?
I have been here before, I think its called the Tokyo forum, some kind of exhibition centre. Generally they feature calligraphy, silk, or calligraphy on silk.
And finally, back in Ueno, the dinner I wanted. Curry beef, with lots of Ginger which is 'good for the healthy'.