AM20: The Japan Journals

Day 27

April 27th

The idea of having an adjustable bed is awesome, but in practice, it's not ideal. The sharp angles of this mattress can put on a show, but not appeal to my spine. After a jagged night of sleep, I'm ready to leave this robot bead and cross over to another popular part of the city.

Today, I'm heading over to the Taito ward, which is one of the smallest wards in the city. Despite that, it hosts a number of the area's biggest attractions. From Sensoji Temple to Ueno park, Taito houses some of the most memorable landmarks of the city.

However, that's not going to be the highlight of my day. The real experience of this day will start after dusk. That's when I'll dress up like a video game character and skid my way across Tokyo, in a souped-up go-kart.

Speaking of Sensoji Temple, I'm staying in a budget hotel that is modeled after the famous shrine this evening. I'm going to save the Temple visit for next week, so I figured this imitation accommodation will be a temporary holdover. Unlike the last few places, this hotel allows me to check in during the morning hours, which is great. There's plenty of things to do before I go karting tonight.

First on the list is a stroll through Ameyoko Market. This place is the popular market street that has existed for decades. Perhaps the most fascinating part about this street is the name, itself. The full name is "Ameya Yokocho", which loosely translates to "candy store alley". As the name implies, this market is well known for its assortment of candies and other sweets. The other aspect of the name is the "Ame" portion.

It is short for America because this area also housed many products from the US after World War 2. Like Akihabara, Ameyoko market served as a bit of a black market for the city many years after the war ended. Nowadays, the first image that comes to mind regarding this place is seafood.

Anything that swims in the Pacific can be found here. With my upbringing rooted in a landlocked state, it is a bit jarring to see such an array of food from the Ocean. Sure, I've been to plenty of markets like this, but I've never seen one with such diversity in their selection.

I tried haggling with a shop owner regarding some octopus parts, but that was to no avail. It's not that I wanted the creature. It was more just the experience of bargaining for such a weird creature that piqued my interest. I know that a popular delicacy here uses bits of octopus, stuffed into a ball-shaped breading. That delicacy is known as "takoyaki". I heard that the popular street food is best in Osaka, so I'll save that tasting experience for when I'm there.

I continue to walk about the market street and pick up some sweets from a popular candy shop. After striking out on the Octopus, I felt obligated to buy something before I left this gigantic outdoor market.

The next stop of the day was to Ueno Park. This place is known for many things, but the most notable is its abundance of Cherry Blossoms. I was fortunate enough to see a bountiful supply of beautiful Sakura earlier on the trip, but their presence always serves as a nice bright spot in my day.

The park has everything from old shrines to a handful of museums. In what's becoming my go-to excuse, I'm going to save more shrine/historical visits until Golden Week. Maybe that'll be my excuse, anytime I want to procrastinate.

Back to the park. One cool feature of this park is a baseball diamond, which I can imagine is used often. Many westerners may not realize this, but baseball is huge in Japan. So much so, that it's arguably their most popular sport today. I was fortunate enough to catch an exhibition game during my afternoon stroll.

I spent hours watching the locals take in America's pastime. The guys playing today must be our equivalent of an adult beer league. The energy is palpable but the talent is a bit lacking. I've never seen so many curve balls swerve into a batter, unintentionally. Regardless, it was a nice day to take in a game and the activity around the diamond kept me at bay for several hours.

Fast forward to the evening hours and I find myself neck-deep in costumes. To clarify, I'm in the wardrobe room at the Go-Kart Place.

Unlike other tours, this place specializes in that "video game" experience by doing a guided tour of Tokyo... In Go-Karts. To complete the experience, you are required to wear a Pajama onesie that resembles a game character. Despite the vast selection, no costume wets my imaginary beak. I settle on the crime-fighting turtle onesie, as it was the only thing that didn't seem over the top or flamboyant.

The tour guides ran us through a safety video, along with instructions for running the Karts. I'm using my action camera for this ride, as I want to capture the city from a lowrider point of view.

As the guides begin to buckle us in, another couple on the tour decides to back out. I guess something about the low center of gravity freaked out the wife. That's too bad, as experiences like this are unique, so much so that many of us will never get to do this again.

With the tour now down to 4, the guide fires up his kart and leads us through the first few blocks of the quiet Ueno streets. We're required to ride a few paces between us and when we come to a stop, to do so in a square formation. Within seconds, any insignificant thoughts escape my mind and my joyful instincts take over. The view of the city, from the sight of a kart, is an unreal experience. Everything from the lights to the wind from passing vehicles feels so different.

It's almost like we're gliding across these streets, redefining the panoramic views we usually get of the city. Throughout different spots on the tour, the guide has us park at a notable landmark for a quick photo op. That wasn't the best photo of the tour, though. During a light stop, the guide turned around and snapped a quick photo of us, with the canvas of sparkling city lights behind us.

If a simple photo could tell a thousand words, then this picture can narrate an adventure novel. Instead of trying to describe the majesty of that moment, I'll send you a copy of the photo. The two-hour voyage seemed to fly by. I'd hate to guess how many wards we ventured into, but I feel like I got a real taste of the city by night.

The feeling of having nearby cars whiz past you, leaving an undercurrent of wind rushing past your face, is such a visceral experience. Riding a motorcycle without a helmet is one thing, but something about these Go-Karts just enables such a rush of adrenaline that I've never had before. Being so low to the ground can make you feel vulnerable but so attentive. I feel like my senses were heightened tenfold by riding these karts.

After a few hours of sheer excitement and adventure, the Go Kart jaunt has come to an end. I can't believe an experience like this was available, especially with such few requirements. All I needed to do this was a valid Driver's License and international driving permit. It's an experience that I'll never forget and will recommend to anyone visiting this city.

With my mind and soul abuzz, I head back to the hotel and try to wind down from the day's activities.

Tomorrow, I finish my first week in Tokyo by paying a visit to Odaiba. The man-made island is a major tourist hub, highlighted by possibly the biggest Onsen I've ever seen. I can't wait to step foot in those warm waters and end my week in the city on a high note.

Thanks and I'll see you soon!

-Ayden