>> P.89
50THINGS28.MANYTHINGSCANFEELALITTLEEXPENSIVE,UNTILYOUPASSTHROUGHAPORTALANDENDUPINTHEBRILLIANTALTERNATIVEUNIVERSEOFTHE100YENSTORE.THEREYOU’LLFINDAGENUINELYBAFFLINGARRAYOF,WELL,EVERYTHINGANDIT’SALLAVAILABLEONTHECHEAP.29.JAPAN’SPOPULATIONISDROPPINGVOLUNTARILY,WHICHMANYPEOPLEREGARDASDISASTROUS.BUT,WHENYOULOOKATTHEWORLD’SILLSANDAGLOBALPOPULATIONSOARINGPAST7BILLION,ITMAYPROVETOBEASTRANGELYPRESCIENTWAYOFLIVING.30.WHENVISITINGSHRINESANDTEMPLES,IFYOUARECONFRONTEDBYASTRONGSMELLTHATREMINDSYOUOFYOUROLDSCIENCECLASSATSCHOOL:DONOTWORRY.THEREHASN’TBEENACHEMICALSPILL;IT’SRAWALCOHOLSLOSHINGAROUNDINTHESTOMACHOFTHEWELL-OILEDTOUR-GROUP-TOURISTSTANDINGNEXTTOYOU.31.THEMODERNNINJAISDISAPPOINTINGCONSPICUOUS.32.SUMOINCEREMONIALDRESSRIDETHEMETROINTOKYO,WHICHISONEOFTHEMOSTSURREALSIGHTSAGAIJINCANSEE.33.AHIGHNUMBEROFNATIVESWILLBEVERYCOMPLIMENTARYIF,ASAFOREIGNER,YOUDEMONSTRATECOMPETENCEWITHCHOPSTICKS.34.JAPANESEPEOPLEAREANDROIDS–THISEXPLAINSTHEAMOUNTTHEYCANWORKWITHOUTSLEEPING,ANDWHYWEOFTENFINDITHARDTOKEEPUP.35.THEBRITISHTOILETISTOTHEJAPANESETOILETASAPOINTYSTICKISTOALIGHT-SABER.36.ATRAGICALLYLOWPERCENTAGEOFORIGINALWOODENSTRUCTURESREMAINFROMJAPAN’SOLDDAYS.IT’SPERHAPSUNSURPRISINGGIVENTHEUNFORTUNATEHISTORYOFNATURALDISASTERSANDONEVERYLONGFIRE-BOMBINGCAMPAIGN.HOWEVER,THEMANYRECONSTRUCTIONSTHATSTANDINTHEIRPLACEAREOFTENSEAMLESS.WETHINKTHETOURISTBOARDSHOULDSTOPTELLINGPEOPLETHEY’RECOPIES–FOREIGNERSWOULDNEVERKNOWOTHERWISE.37.IFYOUAREEVERSTUCKFORASEATONATRAIN,SEEKOUTAGAIJIN.IT’SVIRTUALLYGUARANTEEDTHATNOONEWILLBESITTINGNEXTTOHIM.WHY?WEDONOTKNOW.38.FORUS,KAISEKIDININGISABITLIKEPLAYINGBATTLESHIPS:MOSTTHINGSPLOPHARMLESSLYINTOTHEMOUTH;SOMETIMESTHERE’SABLASTOFTASTYSATISFACTION;ANDSOMETIMESITFEELSLIKEAPUNCHINTHEFACE.39.AT79,YOU’DEXPECTYOURGRANDMOTHERTOTAKEITEASY.HELL,SHE’DDESERVETO.BUTINMIEPREFECTURE,YOUMIGHTFINDHERFREE-DIVINGFORABALONEASONEOFTHELEGENDARYAMADIVERS.40.TAIKODRUMMINGISEVENHARDERTHANITLOOKS.41.RAWCHICKENISPERFECTLYEDIBLEANDDELICIOUS.42.RAWHORSEISPERFECTLYEDIBLEBUTQUITEAVERAGE.43.IFYOUEVERTHINKYOU’REAGOODPERSON,GOANDVISITTHEPEOPLEWHOHAVEVOLUNTEEREDSINCETHETSUNAMISTRUCKINMARCH–YOU’LLSOONFEELVERYINFERIOR.44.EATING36BOWLSOFNOODLESISNOT,ASJAMIETHOUGHT,AMIGHTYACHIEVEMENT.NO,INTHEHEROICSPORTOFWANKOSOBA,IT’SARUBBISHEFFORT.45.FASHIONISASERIOUSANDOFTENLUDICROUSBUSINESSINTOKYO.46.YOUCANNEVERBOWENOUGH.NOTEVER.47.IT’SALWAYSWORTHCHECKINGTOSEEIFADOORSLIDESFIRST,RATHERTHANFRUITLESSLYPUSHINGANDPULLINGATIT.48.TOGOFROMTHEFRONTDOOROFARYOKANTOTHEBATHROOMREQUIRESTHEFOLLOWINGSEQUENCEOFFOOTWEAR:REMOVESHOES,PUTONSLIPPERS,WALKTOROOMANDTAKEOFFSLIPPERS,LOCATETOILETANDPUTONNEWBATHROOMSLIPPERS.RELAX.49.THEREAREPLENTYOFMOREEXPENSIVEANDLUXURIOUSOPTIONS,BUTGOODYAKITORIWITHACOLDJAPANESEBEERISONEOFLIFE’SGREATCULINARYPLEASURES.50.WEWOULDNEEDTOREPEATTHISTRIPABOUTFIVEORSIXTIMESTOTRULYCOVEREVERYTHINGJAPANHASTOOFFER.BUTFORTHETIMEBEING,THERE’SPLENTYTOBEGETTINGONWITH.383943
| < 
| 
> | 
>>
