Friday, June 1, 2012

Japan Stories: We're not in Kansas anymore

My collection of pictures that illustrate Japan being Japan.  :)


Pompadour!

Some subway stations have pay bicycle parking lots next to them.

Life sized Gundam statue!

This is Tokyo.

The bidet aside (they are pretty much standard for all Japanese toilets), I liked the button for "Flushing Sound".


I found this in the bathroom of Takashimaya, a fancy department store.

Most Western style toilets in Japan have these.  Many also have heated seats.  Fancy!
  
Found this at the Tokyo train station.


This was in a hostel.

I saw more than one instance of "r" vs. "l" confusion in Japan.  This was the only picture I remembered to take.

Locks for your umbrella.

The curry isle at the market.

Cat Cafe!  Drink coffee!  Play with cats!

Maid Cafe!  Drink coffee!  Play with... umm.

Lots of small restaurants used a machine to take payment.  You pick what you want, insert your money, and out spits a ticket.  You hand your ticket to the server.

Tasty grasshoppers.

I discovered the mother of all Japanese candy shops in Tokyo.  This is just one isle in a huge store.  I came back with a backpack filled with about 20 pounds of candy.

Multi-level parking.

Wooden bus floors.


One of the Kyoto city busses was handing out surveys.  Everybody, and I mean Everybody, diligently filled them out and handed them back as they stepped off the bus.  That would never happen in the States.

No idea what this sign was trying to say (don't get caught in the subway door?), but I thought it was funny.


I thought these convertible train seats were cool.