“
It was here that
I found myself
in an existential
crisis.
Toilets
There’s nothing more com-
plex than a Japanese toilet.
There are top engineers from
NASA and Tesla scratching
their heads in confusion and
it’s no wonder why. The mas-
sive array of colourful lights,
random buttons that omit a
confusing ditty every time you
press them. It’s every west-
erner’s worst nightmare, try-
ing to figure their way around
a Japanese toilet, especially
when you accidentally press
the wrong button and end
up being sprayed in the rear
by a refreshing blast of water.
But, say what you will about
these confusing mechanical
| Page 25
contraptions, every morning
when you awake the toilet
seat is heated to perfection
and it’s the perfect thing to
rest your rear on before you
start the day. Trust me, you’ll
never want to go back to your
early morning, frost covered
toilet seat once you’ve tried
one of these beauties.
Robots
Any fans of Asimov’s robot
stories, or just general science
fiction fanatics have no doubt
spent an ideal afternoon
googling modern day robots
(I am very guilty of this, but
what else is there to do on a
lazy Sunday evening?) Well,
no doubt the wide-eyed im-
age of Pepper the robot has
graced your screens, with her
adorable smile and realistic
hand gestures. I encountered
her outside of an arcade in
Shinjuku. People were hap-
pily snapping her picture and
poking at the touchscreen
on her stomach. Every tap
and touch brought her to life
and she would proudly state
the intended information in a
cute and endearing voice.
However during one of these
interactions, Pepper’s middle
finger didn’t close into her
palm as the others had done,
so while she was chattering
away with marvellous vivac-
ity her middle finger bran-
dished at the crowd. I always
thought the first time I’d in-
teract with a robot they’d
give me the finger. Bring on
the uprising!
Nudity and the
bath house
Hakone A strange one to end on, but
bear with me. This is not an
experience for the faint-heart-
ed. In many Japanese hotels,
you’ll find sex-segregated
bathhouses. These rooms are
filled with relaxing baths and
grooming areas. You must go
in completely naked and pre-
pare for other women or men
doing the same.
The capital city of Tokyo is a
hub of neon energy that re-
fuses to slow down, or even
sleep. But Japan has a far
more laid back attitude to life
in other parts of the country
and there’s no better place to
venture than Hakone. A place
that marries scenic beauty
and ancient Japanese tradi-
tion. Just a two-hour train
ride from the main city and
a place of serene and rustic
beauty. It’s famed for its re-
laxing hot springs and, if like
me you’re dying to catch a
glimpse of Mount Fuji, there’s
no better place. Just head
for lake Ashino and prepare
those cameras, you won’t
want to miss a moment. At one particular hotel I
stayed at, their bath house
was on the top floor and while
most of the washing facilities
are inside, there is a place
for you to bathe alfresco. So,
with an unlikely feeling of
bravery, I headed for the out-
side space, fully aware that all
the slight and beautiful Japa-
nese women were about half
the size of my left thigh. As I
made my way outside I dis-
covered that the main bath
was in front of these slats of
wood overlooking the city, 28
floors above Tokyo. The slats
of wood sat at a strange hori-
zontal angle, with no pain of
glass separating you from the
elements. I later found out it
was so I could see out, but no
one could see in. As I gently
lowered myself into the warm
bath I could feel the brisk
breeze gently touch my face
and I gazed down on the city
below, imagining all the peo-
ple below scurrying about
their daily lives completely
unaware that they belonged
to one of the most spectac-
ular cities in the world. It was
here that I found myself in
an existential crisis. I could
feel my relationship slipping
away from me, but here in
that moment, I discovered a
new love. A love for a city that
I dreamt of for most of my life.
It was everything I dreamed
it would be and I knew this
wouldn’t be the only time I
would visit here.
Thank you for taking this
highly cathartic journey with
me. I hope you take a look at
some of the other work Travel
Antics has to offer, including
the free quarterly magazine.
The latest issue looks at wom-
en living in poverty in India
and how they navigate their
daily lives. These strong and
powerful women with melt
your heart and learn what the
true power of strength really
is.
“
Neighbour Totoro,’ but be
prepared for some strange
looks as its normally reserved
for those aged twelve and un-
der. Finally, take a trip to the
Terrace Cafe, an alfresco din-
ing experience set to a back-
drop of red pines and a col-
ourful building overlooking
Inokashira Park, then chow
down on some organic and
nutritious food. What else do
you need from a day out in
Tokyo?
Page 29
Early morning stroll in
Shinjuku
Page 30
Japanese cherry blossom
Page 31
Page 32 Top:
Tokyo sky tree against
blue sky
Right:
Pepper the robot
Photo by Alex Knight
Page 26 |