Tokyo - Godzilla, the Japanese Tourist, and the Bathroom as a Haven
Somehow or another amidst all the fog of jet lag, returning to real life, the presence of cell phones once again, and the nagging annoying sensation of feeling the need to work and pay bills, the last installment of the Legal Pad romp around the world was lost.
Here it is.
"Everything is on time in Tokyo."
"There is no grafitti in Tokyo."
"Policeman exist to direct traffic in Tokyo."
Yes, Tokyo could be considered somewhat boring if we stopped right there. But there are also some really great things about Tokyo (not to imply that graffitti is a good thing). But before we talk about the most awesome toilets in the world, we can discuss the people.
The Japanese are extremely friendly and yes, they even take pictures in their home country. Ever wonder if Japanese tourists always have a camera in their hand after seeing 2,000 of them at Yosemite National Park last year? The answer is "yes." The Japanese love gadgets. Not only that, they have great gadgets. America is behind the times when it comes to technology. Japan rocks when it comes to getting the latest iPod, camera, or cell phone.
The Japanese people are not as small as you remember from watching them running through the streets of Tokyo with Godzilla chasing them down. But close.
Japanese trash talk is great. Like the basketball T-Shirt that said "My Game = Your Shame." Actually, that was extremely rude for them. As a general rule, they are extremely polite and a nice little finishing school in Japan for America's youth might be a fine idea.
Japan is actually an extremely beautiful bunch of islands. Going back to see the rest of the island via bullet train is a high priority.
But the prime reason to visit Japan is obvious: their bathrooms are awesome.
Imagine walking into a bathroom and having the toilet lid rise up for you on its own? Imagine a remote control on the armrest (yes, an armrest) that has the time of day, the room temperature, basic options such as flush, plus about fourteen different ways to make your stay more pleasant? Imagine a seat warmer, hot air, cold air, a bidet with the option of water coming in three different patterns in cold, lukewarm or hot, all for your water closet enjoyment?
Yeah, it's that good. . .. I am working hard to convince Seth and Jeremy that this is a necessary purchase for the happiness of all Legal Pad residents.
Well, there's really not much to say that compares to the water closet experiences in Tokyo. But Seth, Jeremy and I visited various gardens, saw large buildings, took the water ferry to various places of interest. In other words, it was a good time and you should have been there.
30 days. 11 Countries (plus The Vatican) with almost 3 Billion people in population. Europe, Africa, The Middle East, and Asia.
We're home (for now).
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