October 3, 2007

Tokyo (JAPAN)

First Day in the Laboratory and a Night at Shinjuku

I can postpone no longer: today I had to visit the lab and meet the dozen or so researcher scientists and graduate students who will be working alongside me. The professor in charge of the laboratory was away for conferences today, so it was a bit of a free for all in his absence. After a round of introductions, the Japanese brought out can after can of Asahi beer. What followd was a string  of 'Kanpai' ('Cheers') as I was introduced - Japanese style. When things finally settled down several of the graduate students showed me around the building, and the highlight was the ping-pong table down the hall. We played a string of games as everyone was surprised I was good with the paddle, and in the end I went undefeated. This was no small task as the Japanese have wicked spin and powerful slams (they hold the paddle the 'funny way'), but they were no match for my kung-fu reflexes (I play very defensively). This room, dedicated entirely to ping-pong and even having padded walls, is where I hope to spend most of my time.

In the evening I met two of the other American students and we headed for Shinjuku. We were planning to climb one of Tokyo's larger towers (none are that high because of earthquakes) for a night view of the city. We had to fight the rush hour jams on the subway lines, which was an experience like no other. There are actually men whose job it is to push passengers onto the train so that as many people get on as possible. It is ridiculous!

We alighted at Shinjuku Station, the busiest metro station in the world, and were confronted with a maze of underground tunnels and shopping malls. In Hong Kong there is a shopping mall for most MTR stations, and in Singapore there is something similar, but at Shinjuku Station there is an entire city built underground. We walked nearly a mile along the automated walkways (similar to what exist at large airports) to reach the appropriate exit. It took us directly to the government tower where we waited in line for the elevator to the top floor. My ears popped on the way up, but the views of Tokyo were impressive. I never realized what a spread out city Tokyo is - the metro area has nearly 50 million people (the largest in the world)!

Afterward, we ate at a sushi bar (the conveyor belt variety) in the busy Shinjuku district. Most of the dishes were only 105 yen (under $1USD), but the quality was far lower than I was expecting. Good sushi is quite expensive, and I will be saving it for the big occasions. Also, I have been told it isn't so much the sushi which burns a hole in your pocket (expensive sushi averages $15USD/two rolls) but the sake that goes with it (around $25USD for a small jar).

We finished off the night by walking through the red light district and checking out the arcades. I ended up playing a game of Silent Hill, which came down to shooting as many zombies as possible before dying. It was good fun, but after one game I had had enough. I hope I never turn into the kind of person on the right. How an adult man dressed in business wear can go from the office to pounding an electronic drum is beyond me, but he is not alone here.