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48|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTCITIESTOKYOTRAVELLINGINEVITABLYLEADSTOCOMPARISON.IT’SASIMPLE,UNFORTUNATEHUMANCONDITION.HOWDOIKNOWATOBEGOOD?ICOMPAREITTOBANDC.IT’SVERYHARDTOSWITCHOFF.WHYNOTJUSTSTANDBACKANDENJOYAINITSOWNTERMS?LIKEISAID,IT’SUNFORTUNATE.BUTITDOES,ATLEAST,GIVEYOURJUDGEMENTSOMEGROUNDING.WHATUSEWOULDITBETORUNAROUNDINSTARTLEDWONDERATEVERYLITTLETHING?APERSONCOULDSOONENDUPAGIBBERINGFOOL,NOTKNOWINGWHATWASGOODANDWHATWASBAD.IFA,BANDCAREALLSIMPLY“AWESOME”THENHOWCANYOUPICKTHEMAPART?THANKFULLY,KATYANDIHAVEVISITEDAFAIRFEWOFTHEWORLD’SGREATCITIESANDHAVEACCRUEDANALPHABETOFLETTERSWITHWHICHTOCOMPARETOKYO.SOHAVINGBEENTOLONDON,NEWYORK,ROME,SHANGHAIANDTHEREST,HOWDOESITMEASUREUP?THEFIRSTTHINGTOSAYISTHAT,UNEXPECTEDLY,TOKYOISTHEQUIETESTOFTHEBUNCH.THECARSARENEAR-SILENTANDPRODUCEFEWEMISSIONS;THEREAREN’TMANYSMOG-BELCHINGBUSESEITHER.NOONEHITSTHEIRHORN.STREETVENDORSDON’TSHOUT.PEOPLEHAVEBETTERTHINGSTODOWITHTHEIRTIMETHANTOHAGGLEOVERTHECOSTOFABOTTLEOFWATER.EVENINTHESPRAWLINGTSUKIJIFISHMARKET,PEOPLEAREDIGNIFIED.TOKYOISAPRETTYSEDATEMONSTER.YETIT’SLOUDINOTHERWAYS:PEOPLEAREN’TAFRAIDTOSPLASHCOLOURACROSSTHEIRCLOTHES,HAIRANDFACES.THERE’SANIDIOTICNUMBEROFGOOD-LOOKINGPEOPLEPERSQUAREMETRE.MANYCRAVEATTENTION.THEREISANABSURDOBSESSIONWITHWEARINGGLASSESDAY27OCTOBER12THTOKYOCITY,TOKYOMEGACITYONETHATCARRYNOFRAMES;THIGHHIGHBOOTSANDHOTPANTSAREEXTREMELYPOPULAR–NOTLEASTWITHTHEMEN.THERE’SANOTHERLOOKTHATPUTSAVERYSTRONGEMPHASISONIMPOSSIBLYLARGEHAIRANDFRILLYCLOTHESTHATCOMEINGOLDSANDCREAMS.INSOMEPARTSOFHOKKAIDO,AKIDWITHATWO-FOOTTALLMOHAWKANDPIERCEDEYEBROWSMIGHTBEBURNEDASAWITCH–HERETHEY’REJUSTANOTHERBARMAN.SOMANYFOLKARETRYINGTOSTANDOUTFROMTHECROWDTHATTHEY’VEFORMEDAPSYCHEDELICMOBOFTHEIROWN.INALMOSTEVERYWAYITFEELSCOMPLETELYREMOVEDFROMTHERESTOFASIA–HELL,TOKYOFEELSREMOVEDFROMJAPANITSELF.JUSTASLONDONHASBECOMEITSOWNTEEMINGENTITYINBRITAIN,ANDNEWYORKFEELSLIKEITSOWNNATIONWITHINTHEUNITEDSTATES,SOTOKYODEMANDSTOBEREGARDEDINITSOWNTERMS.THEWORLDCOMESTOTOKYO,ANDINATOWNSORELENTLESSLYCOSMOPOLITANASTHIS,IT’SPOSSIBLETOEAT NATTOFORBREAKFAST,AHAMBURGERFROMASTREETSTALLFORLUNCHANDMICHELIN-STARREDFRENCHCUISINEFORDINNER.ANDAFTERTHAT,HEADTOABARANDTAKEYOURPICKOFTHEWORLD’SWHISKIES.OFCOURSEIT’SALLFABULOUSLYEXPENSIVE,BUTWHATDOESTHATMATTER?EVERYTHINGANDEVERYONEISREPRESENTED.TOKYOWANTSFORNOTHING.THECITYSEETHESWITHLIFEATALLTIMES–YOUNEEDONLYVISITSHIBUYAJUNCTIONTOSEETHIS.ORHEADTOANYSUBWAYSTATIONAT6PM.BUSINESSMENFILLTHECARRIAGESLIKEBLACKANDGREYJELLYBEANSINGREATJARS,ANDYETTHETRAINSMAKETHEIRWAYSEAMLESSLYTHROUGHEIGHTLANESOFTRAFFIC,WITHMONORAILSABOVETHOSE,ANDMETROSBURIEDUNDERTHEGROUNDBELOW.WITHFIVEHONGKONG’SWORTHOFPEOPLEBREATHINGTHESAMEAIR,THEREARENATURALLYSOMEVAGRANTSLURKINGTOO.LIKEALLTHECITIESOFTHEWORLD,THEY’REDRAWNTOTHEVASTPARKS,TOSNOOZEONBENCHESWHILEDUCKSQUACKATTHEIRFEET.IFTHEY’REREGARDEDASUNTIDY,THOUGH,THEY’REINTHEMINORITY.PEOPLEYELPANDSQUEALABOUTTHENEATNESSANDORDERINSINGAPORE,BUTTOKYOISEVERYBITASCLEAN,ANDEVENMOREFUNCTIONAL.THEREARE35MILLIONREASONSFORTHE CAPITALOFTHEEAST NOTTOWORK,YETSOMEHOWITDOES.HOWDOESITCOMPARETOOTHERCITIESAROUNDTHEWORLD?MAKENOMISTAKEABOUTIT:THISPLACEISAWESOME.IREALLYMEANIT.
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