By Jed
As mentioned in our previous blog posts, Japan has a lot of interesting and different cultural experiences from the U.S. One such difference that is near and dear to my heart is entertainment. Here is a little bit about the highlights of Japanese entertainment:
 Golden Gai (Tokyo) Like in America, drinking is one of the favorite pastimes of young (and old) Japanese. One of the most interesting places to get a drink is the “Golden Gai” district in Tokyo. It is an area about 8 square blocks filled with old 1-2 story buildings, each containing a TINY bar...and I mean tiny. The occupancy of these bars varies from about 4 seats to as “big” as about 15 seats. The bars are so small that you need to squeeze in tight and cozy with everyone inside. We didn't know which of the over 200 bar to go to, so we randomly picked one that looked interesting up a set of steep, tiny stairs. Upon entering, we were greeted by the bartender (who is literally 1 foot away from the entrance). As there were only 4 other seats, and we didn't have any elbow room between us, we got some nice cultural interactions at the bars here. We highly recommend hopping around the bars in this district, but note that many charge a cover charge since space is so limited. |  Climbing the stairs to the bar  Inside the bar |
 With our new friend |  Head almost touching the ceiling |
 Karaoke and Arcades Probably the most well-known Japanese entertainment export, it is still a whole different ballgame here. There are mega-complexes (12+ stories tall) everywhere you turn that are devoted exclusively to Karaoke; and many are open all night. We of course had to check it out and went to a karaoke complex late night after a few drinks; post-bar is the most popular time to go. It feels very professional to go to a karaoke complex...more like going to the movies than like going to the bar (as it usually is in the U.S.). You enter into a sparkling lobby with many employees behind the desk, you book a personal room from one of many different options and you get an awesome menu full of food and drink options which will be delivered to your room. Ala “Lost In Translation” style, all the karaoke here is done in private rooms. We weren't sure if it would be as much fun singing without the public humiliation aspect, but once the music came on, we were enjoying being in our own little karaoke world. The hour flew by and we were wishing we had more time. It took half our time just flipping through the song choice book.... it is literally bigger than the bible. Opening up one of these karaoke complexes in the U.S. may be our post-travel profession. |  Figuring out how to work this thing  Caitlin's Turn |
About just as common as karaoke are arcades. Nearly everywhere you turn, there are massive arcades full of thousands of loud, flashy games. Caitlin and I ventured in one, but most of the games were pretty hard to figure out for English-only speakers. We did manage to play a game where we both got to beat on giant drums in rhythm to the music. Unfortunately, we couldn't figure out how to change the song, so we were pretty tired of the game after the third time banging out “Let it Go.”
 Robot Restaurant (Tokyo) What is the “Robot Restaurant”? Well, that is kind of hard to explain. I'm still not quite sure what it is, but lets just say that it is the kind of thing that only makes sense in Tokyo. It is a dinner show that supposedly cost $100 million to make (which is obviously a gigantic lie), but it is almost believable after seeing the crazy elaborate dinner show. The show consists of an over-the-top light show, pyrotechnics, giant video walls, costumed characters, segways, yelling Japanese girls and, of course, robots. The whole show is an odd collection of scenes that don't make much sense. Some of the show's sequences included 10 foot robots dancing in unison, a women riding a giant, robotic snake which ate an “evil” woman and a mock robot boxing match. It was random, nonsensical, crazy...and amazing. I don't know why I enjoyed it so much, but something so weird, elaborate and “techy” is not something I have ever witnessed and felt so right at home in Tokyo. Obviously, this is hard to explain with words (and even photos), so you must watch this short two minute video I took of the night. Seriously, if you like seeing weird things and being confused, press play! |    |
 Spa World (Osaka) On the opposite side of the spectrum from the hyper spectacle of the Robot Restaurant is “Spa World.” Forced into it by Caitlin, I didn't regret it in the end. Spa world consists of two levels, separated by gender, one which is themed “Asia” and one which is themed “Western.” I was certainly a bit intimated to partake as it is completely nude. Being naked in public is usually reserved for my recurring dreams. Additionally, it is a very “local” place: there was maybe one other tourist there. Once you get into the locker room, it is a bit confusing as I saw a bunch of people dressed in robes, which I did not have, so I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I didn't want to be the one weird naked white guy walking around. After some confusing conversations with the staff, I figured out that the robes are for post-spa relaxing and so off I went naked into a brave new world. On each floor, there are about a dozen different hot spring baths and other spa activities designed based on the theme. For example, on my floor (western themed), there was an outdoor spanish-inspired hot tub with waterfall, an italian inspired grotto jacuzzi, a Finnish style salt sauna, etc. Despite the initial uncomfortableness, it was pretty relaxing. My favorite part of the place was definitely the massive post-spa nap room, complete with a dozen big screen tvs, about 100 fully reclining leather chairs (each with individual speakers) and full bar. It was an amazingly peaceful place, aside from the hundreds of people snoring. |  Grotto (these pics taken from website)  Greece Medicine Bath  Finnish Sauna Room |
Kabuki Theater
One of the oldest forms of Japanese entertainment, we felt like we had to check it out. Fortunately for us, they give you the option of paying for just one of the three acts instead of watching the whole show. Since the show is in Japanese (with some monotone translation in a speaker), and we have a pretty short attention span, this was the way to go. Nevertheless, we still both managed to fall asleep. If you ever need a good nap, Kabuki seems to be the trick. =) It was interesting to see the performance and partake in some more traditional Japanese culture, even if it was for only a few minutes of awake time.
One of the oldest forms of Japanese entertainment, we felt like we had to check it out. Fortunately for us, they give you the option of paying for just one of the three acts instead of watching the whole show. Since the show is in Japanese (with some monotone translation in a speaker), and we have a pretty short attention span, this was the way to go. Nevertheless, we still both managed to fall asleep. If you ever need a good nap, Kabuki seems to be the trick. =) It was interesting to see the performance and partake in some more traditional Japanese culture, even if it was for only a few minutes of awake time.
Food
Eating in Japan is also a form of entertainment (at least for a tourist). From the cooking done in front of you at Hibachi (called Teppenyaki in Japan) to conveyor belt sushi, eating can be quite an experience. Conveyor belt sushi has come to some suburbs around America, but it is a much bigger deal in Japan. If you are not familiar with conveyor sushi, the way it works is the sushi goes round and round the entire restaurant on plates color coded by price. If something looks appetizing, you just grab it and enjoy. By the end, you have a shame pile of plates stacked up in front of you, but it typically ends up being quite reasonably priced. Another experience in Japan is ordering Ramen (one of our faves). Ordering is done on a surprisingly low-tech vending machines that look like a cigarette dispenser. Because it is all in Japanese, I am never quite sure what I am getting, but pushing a few various buttons usually produced a yummy gigantic bowl of Ramen in front of me, so it was all good. Japanese BBQ, Yakitori and Sushi chefs also provided some great fun and definitely good eating.
Eating in Japan is also a form of entertainment (at least for a tourist). From the cooking done in front of you at Hibachi (called Teppenyaki in Japan) to conveyor belt sushi, eating can be quite an experience. Conveyor belt sushi has come to some suburbs around America, but it is a much bigger deal in Japan. If you are not familiar with conveyor sushi, the way it works is the sushi goes round and round the entire restaurant on plates color coded by price. If something looks appetizing, you just grab it and enjoy. By the end, you have a shame pile of plates stacked up in front of you, but it typically ends up being quite reasonably priced. Another experience in Japan is ordering Ramen (one of our faves). Ordering is done on a surprisingly low-tech vending machines that look like a cigarette dispenser. Because it is all in Japanese, I am never quite sure what I am getting, but pushing a few various buttons usually produced a yummy gigantic bowl of Ramen in front of me, so it was all good. Japanese BBQ, Yakitori and Sushi chefs also provided some great fun and definitely good eating.
 Conveyor Sushi |  DOUBLE Conveyor Sushi |  My Fave, Habachi! |
Japan is definitely a stimulating place. I don't know how the people there are used to the bright lights and people with mega phones shouting in your ear from the store fronts. It is an extremely interesting and unique place and we felt like we were just barely dipping into all that Japan has to offer. Can't wait to go back and belt out a few more tunes and take another nap at the spa.
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