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TOKYO REVEALED
Japan is full of secrets. In museums, for
example, the finer an artwork, the less it will be shown to
the public - which is why you will often find that the National
Treasure you traveled so far to view is actually just a copy.
The real piece stays in storage, and is shown only to a chosen
few curators.
This tradition goes back to ancient Shinto,
when the objects inside shrines, typically a stone or a mirror,
became invested with mystical secrecy. At the Grand Shrine of
Ise for example, the object is known to be a mirror, but no
one has laid eyes on it for at least a thousand years.
What you can see in Tokyo however,
is an unusual visual feast:
No Panty Bars :
Kabukicho is famous for its seedy bars
and "pink" cabarets, though cheap-thrill seekers flock
to no-pan kisetan (no-panty coffee shops), a uniquely Japanese
soft-porn concept that involved mirrored floors and miniskirted
waitresses sans panties.
Capsule Hotels :
These resemble sleeping births in trains,
but are simply sleeping capsules stacked four-to-six high for
maximal efficiency. These more inexpensive lodgings still feature
massages and baths with attendants.
Vending Machines :
Many of which talk, sell beer, fast food,
eggs, rice, video games, condoms, used panties, pornography,
and anything else that can fit in a small container.
Love-theme Hotels :
In Tokyo's Shibuya district there's a concentration
of love hotels catering to all tastes. The buildings range from
miniature Gothic castles to Middle Eastern temples. The rooms
within can fulfill most fantasies, with themes ranging from
harem extravaganza to sci-fi. Further choices can include vibrating
beds, wall-to-wall mirrors, bondage equipment and video recorders
(don't forget to take the tape with you when you leave). 30,000
different hotels fulfill an urgent need in Tokyo: privacy. Married
couples, teenagers, prostitutes and couples flock to themed
hotels that post hourly rates for rooms with unique fantasy
decor. Each offers discreet reception, and often a range of
sex accessories to help enhance their clients' experience. Inside
the entrance to a love hotel there is usually a screen with
illuminated pictures of the various rooms available. You select
a room by pressing the button underneath the room's picture
and proceed to the cashier.
Keibunsha :
The Japan Tattoo Institute is filled with
pictures of beautiful Japanese skin art. Although most of the
people you are looking at are probably Yakuza or their wives/girlfriends,
the body art here is a lot more imaginative and beautiful than
your typical "Mom" or skull and crossbones design.
Some Yakuza spend a year getting covered from head to toe in
tattoos, which in Japan are still done with a traditional single
needle. To raise the money to pay for the tattoos, the men first
sell their skins to the museum, which collects them when they
die.
Theme train cars :
Japan Railways offers travel packages in
theme cars. Ride in a car outfitted like a Japanese room complete
with tatami mats. Another car has a Japanese garden. Some have
floorshows. Open-air cars give the feeling of riding on an outdoor
patio. The Salon express resembles the lobby of a fancy hotel.
These trains are enormously popular with the domestic Japanese
market.
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