Above is the *control panel* for a toilet in the Tokyo Narita airport. I am sure every American blogging about a visit to Tokyo shows this picture, but it truly highlights a giant cultural difference. Everywhere you "go" they typically have heated seats, then there are 2 types of wash, front (for women, and rear...self explanatory), these washes then have a control to adjust the water pressure, there is a deoderizer button (with varying levels of deoderizing power depending on how many times you push the button!!), many toilets also include a couple of flush levels (little flush and big flush...both characters I actually know!), and most amusing/befuddling to an American is the Flush Sound button (pictured with musical notes on it) complete with volume control! Apparently if your body is about to make noises you don't want others hearing, you would push this button and people would think you are simply flushing the toilet (of course it sounds like the toilet flush has been recorded on a FisherPrice tape recorder from 2 decades ago then played back on a cell phone or cheap laptop speaker...you are fooling nobody if you use this sound.I did get to practice my very limited Japanese and learn several more characters (for fire, exit, etc). At this rate I may be able to read more than the various instructions on my hotel room's high tech toilet soon.
Another interesting quirky cultural difference...The lab I was working in all week required that you remove your shoes when entering the lab, then put on a pair of bright green, plastic slippers from a little UV sterilizing cabinet. I am not sure the purpose of this as it was not a "clean room" so to speak and half of the users of the lab went in and out freely in their street shoes, defeating the purpose entirely.
Mmmmm...Kushiage. This is something I have not yet found in America, but given our penchant for all things deep fat fried this is a shocking absence. Our Japanese distributors took me out almost every night for wonderful meals. Kushiage is loads of fun as long as you are adventurous. The people behind the counter keep deep frying bits of anything and everything on little bamboo skewers then handing it to you until you can take no more. There were bits of cheese wrapped around trout eggs, whole baby octopus, various veggies and meats...all of it delicious.
My hotel was located a block or 2 from Ginza street which is the Times Square-like shopping area in downtown Tokyo. One of the things I found amusing on first jogging down Ginza street (beside the funny looks people gave me for jogging down a shopping street...not something the Japanese do apparently) were all the Godzilla proof signs on the buildings. They keep the signs tall, skinny, close to the building front, very vertical advertising. It is my assumption that this signage is intended to be Godzilla proof. I think my theory is quite plausable.Pictured to the left is the Kirin beer company tower in Tokyo. I found this building quite a clever piece of mega-marketing. Nearby is a very famous buddhist temple in downtown Tokyo (shown on the right.
