Tokyo, after 5
Travel to Japan is an occupational hazard for me, albeit an enjoyable one. But with anywhere
from two to five visits per year, it has become a relatively familiar destination. Things I simply take
for granted (take a train or bus from the airport - not a taxi; no shoes on tatami; green tea ice
cream is delicious) are not so obvious for the first-time visitor. This two-way culture shock added
to the fun of a recent set of marketing meetings as we coordinated external communications in
Europe and Japan. The daytime meetings soon gave way to a different sort of training, through
immersion in "after five" Tokyo nightlife. Here a some of the pictures, and mercifully none of the
karaoke videos!
Travel to Japan is an occupational hazard for me, albeit an enjoyable one. But with anywhere
from two to five visits per year, it has become a relatively familiar destination. Things I simply take
for granted (take a train or bus from the airport - not a taxi; no shoes on tatami; green tea ice
cream is delicious) are not so obvious for the first-time visitor. This two-way culture shock added
to the fun of a recent set of marketing meetings as we coordinated external communications in
Europe and Japan. The daytime meetings soon gave way to a different sort of training, through
immersion in "after five" Tokyo nightlife. Here a some of the pictures, and mercifully none of the
karaoke videos!
52
| 2007 May 13-17 |
| Tokyo by day. Everything is polite and professional by day, but the tone changes in the "Blade Runner" cityscape when the sun goes down and "after five" begins. It's basically a continuation of the same work day, but with different rules. |
| Out for dinner in reasonably priced hip little restaurants. The raw theme went beyond the traditional sushi and sashimi, and included raw beef and even raw chicken. For dessert? What else, but green tea ice cream? |
| Fortunately, as usual we were in the hands of expert guides. After demonstrations on how to politely pour the sake, we started to politely drink the sake, and things got a bit more friendly. Next of course was the inevitable karaoke session, in an economic "karaoke box" with the ladies, and the next day at a more upscale Ginza establshment with a...mamasan. |