2015-09: Settling in

Tokyo is a fascinating city with much to explore.

It’s a multi-cultural city sparking memories of the subcontinent…

… but you’d never see this in India.

These Hare Krishna followers happily chanted as they strolled through town.

But here’s a reminder we’re in Japan.

Take a look at this elevated train platform. What is the purpose of that thick cable?

It’s to prevent the pieces from falling during an earthquake.

Signs like this are frequent. Earthquakes are always on the mind.

The Sales and Marketing team threw a “Welcome to Japan” party for me.

This is meat and tofu, soaking in raw egg. Yes, I ate my first ever raw egg (the eggs are safe to eat here – my colleagues have never heard of salmonella).

Our #1 rated dealer in Japan hosted a black tie event to celebrate his 7^th award for this top honor…

…including an R&B band from South Carolina (they’ve lived in Japan for 16 years).

Convenience stores are frequent. Can you imagine my transaction here?

I paid the water bill. Yes, convenience stores accept payment for utility bills.

We are still in the height of rainy season. This is the umbrella stand at our office.

So many women come here in search of something they did not receive from their parents…

Height.

The streets and train stations of Tokyo are inundated with women risking twisted ankles in search of a slightly elevated perspective.

The saleswoman at this store happily modeled her pedi-platforms.

I’m re-learning how to drive again… in a right-hand drive car… on the left side of the road. Everything is completely backwards. I was pulled over by the police today, but my lack of Japanese and their lack of English worked to my favor. They said something I didn’t understand and then pulled over the next car. Unfortunately, I have no idea what I had (allegedly) done wrong.

When moving to a new city, all the basics need to be re-established. I went searching for a barber and found this location down a narrow alley.

Wow, a Dodgers fan here in Tokyo! With scissors in hand, he started out fairly shaky on the mound (he went at me as if I were a Yankees fan). But he settled down and went the distance and saved the game in the 9^th inning. This is now my new barber in Tokyo.

As you can imagine, fish is a diet staple in Japan.

The supermarkets have endless variety.

If it comes from the sea…

… it’s edible.

This display is certainly eye-catching.

Now this is what you call merchandising! Enjoy. ts

 

 

2015-08: Tokyo Transition

 

After 3+ years in Delhi, we moved to Tokyo on May 30…

… from the world’s second largest city to the first (which includes urban clusters, as measured by the United Nations).

Priority number one was to make sure the dog arrived safely, which she did. Her name is India (aka: Indie). A colleague asked if we will rename her now moving to Japan.

Moving is never easy, and moving internationally is rife with forms, applications, visas and rules, rules, rules – but with much perseverance, we cleared all the hurdles.

In an effort to keep rabies out of Japan, strict laws apply when importing dogs, including a 6 month quarantine. Indie’s clock started in February when a blood sample was taken, frozen, and expressed to Tokyo for evaluation. She will be free from quarantine August 24^th.

Leaving the airport, seatbelt usage is required on the bus.

We arrived safely in our new neighborhood.

We later found lunch here at Tokyo Station.

The main thoroughfare in Ginza is closed to traffic on Sundays, allowing pedestrians free roam of the streets…

…with unique architecture.

Some came via bikes…

… very pragmatic bikes.

BMW’s downtown showroom nearby was bright and colorful.

And then we had the best meal of our lives… Steak! (Hindus and vegetarians, avert your eyes).

We noted the restaurant TVs were set to American baseball games.

Shopping is still a mystery.

But we did spot some familiar products.

Andy Warhol, eat your heart out.

This is now breakfast for us.

Japan is home to 127 million people, spread across 6,852 islands. Japan is the world’s 3^rd largest economy and 3^rd largest car market. Tokyo sits on roughly the same parallel as Charlotte, North Carolina in the U.S., and Malta in Europe.

Rainy season started in early June and will last about 40 days. Umbrellas are a ‘must’ accessory.

With 37 million people in Tokyo, mass transit is also a ‘must.’  I ride the Yamanote line to work.

Within the first five minutes of my first day at the office, I was handed this very important box. Are these critical files or documents?

No, it’s my earthquake survival kit, complete with a collapsible helmet, light sticks, map, metal inserts for shoes and a large, moisture absorbent material for bodily waste. The office has a 3-day supply of food and water for all employees.

What are these rods? They are braces to prevent the cabinets from tipping during an earthquake.

Here is my announcement to dealers…

…and my new business card. Yes, that’s my name in Katakana – one of three forms of written Japanese (the flip side of my card is in English).

It was great reconnecting with Marty Revel who visited Tokyo on business this week.

As India uses 240 voltage vs. Japan’s 100 volt electrical current, we sold our appliances in Delhi and went searching for new appliances here.

Greg was fascinated by these circular devices. What could they be?

Robotic vacuum cleaners. They are fun to watch, but much to Greg’s chagrin, we purchased the old fashioned vacuum requiring manual labor.

Look at all these stickers. Behind them are air conditioners (we think).

Ok, I’m not making this up. When looking at TVs, we noted the wall-to-wall Toto toilet advertisement (they use less water and flush very efficiently).

Tokyo is a beautiful city, full of vibrant energy. We look forward to further explorations.  Enjoy.  ts