Images of Tokyo

Well the original purpose of this blog was to identify ideas and cultural differences between the states and Japan and illustrate how things could be made better. My first blog highlighting the benefits of a well developed public transportation system was one of those. I've strayed and I'm slowly getting back to it.

Today I'm just highlighting some images from Japan. These pics, taken by my wife, are two of my favorite images of Japan. The top is of Shinjuku, just northeast of Shinjuku station, the lights, the energy, the chou line, I miss it. Would you believe that the Kubukicho red light district is in the middle of all of this just past the train line on the left. That's not exactly what I want to highlight about Japan but rather the fact that everywhere you go there's not much you can't find. I know, 40 million people, of course you can find everything. Well, Tokyo is actually a bunch of cities, there are major areas like Shinjuku, Tokyo, Ueno, Ikebukuro, and Shibuya, and some smaller ones like Tachikawa, our local area. Even in Tachikawa pop. 175,000 there are designer stores, giant electronic shops, up scale restuarants and what seems like dozens of Starbucks. Having anything you could want so accesible is a major convenience, and in reality the options are probably necesary considering the apartment sizes.
The second image was taken in Harajuku, Tokyo. It was taken after my wife and I ate at our favorite Mexican restaurant there. Would you believe she likes Mexican food better there than here in Texas (to her credit it is really good). Anyway this was a new advertising scheme we saw in several shops around town, don't know if it'd work in the states, and not sure about the optimism when everything was marked down 70% for the FINAL SALE, I appluad the creativity though. I went to my local grocery store this morning. I pulled into the parking lot and saw signs that said "Thank you" on the backs of the cart returns, interesting. I went in and made some selections. As I returned to my car the big sale item for the week was advertised prominently as I pushed my basket into the cart return. Don't get me wrong, the store could be getting you in a good mood by thanking you when you come in and trying to put the sale idea in you head for your next visit when you leave, but I don't think the creativity will be as effective.

For more photos from Japan and around the world,
http://www.genevievesawtelle.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/igoglobal/
and if anyone wants good Japanese Mexican food, Fonda De La Madrugada;
http://www.fonda-m.com/