Really big in Japan
| Really big in Japan |
|
Robert La Bua jumps into the near-endless good times in Tokyo. Japan’s exciting capital packs enough attractions to keep visitors busy for months. Tokyo is Asia’s gaytropolis, with male bonding central to the essence of Japanese culture in everything from samurai to sumo. It is not surprising to learn that where Japanese men go, a lively gay scene follows. In some ways, Tokyo is a city of villages with different temperaments. Nishi-Shinjuku is the famous skyscraper district of Shinjuku where the city’s tallest buildings are located. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices tower has a fine observation deck at the top, as does the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building. The Sompo Japan Museum of Art, one of Tokyo’s best, is found at the top of the Sompo Building. It is home to an impressive Impressionist collection (including the famously expensive Van Gogh painting ‘Sunflowers’), but its display of Japanese artist Togo Seiji’s ethereal works is something special to see – as is the décor at Chinese Café Eight in Roppongi, which serves an eyeful of private parts along with great food. The northern district of Asakusa is regarded as the most traditional part of the city, recalling the days of Old Edo, but don’t expect geishas and rickshaw drivers to be cruising the streets. The main attraction is Senso-ji, the big shrine whose stall-lined promenade, Nakamise-dori, is one of the favourite outings for Tokyoites looking for some history of their own. Nakamise-dori’s open-air market atmosphere is an apt introduction to the neighbourhood, where high-roofed arcades house shops selling a bit of everything.
For more history, head across the Sumida River to the excellent Edo-Tokyo Museum, ironically housed in a strikingly modern building. Live tradition? See a show at Kabukiza and enjoy this fine art brought to life by actors whose families have performed it for generations. All female Though it has endured years of criticism as one of the world’s most expensive cities, Tokyo is surprisingly affordable and full of free attractions; you can easily stay busy without spending a yen on entrance fees. From Ikebukuro’s Firemen’s Museum, complete with a simulated earthquake shake that has you going for cover under the kitchen table, to a tour of the Imperial Palace grounds, there is enough activity offered free of charge to let you splurge on rooms in some of the finest hotels in the world. For non-free attractions, there is still a way to get in on the cheap. The GRUTT Pass, a bargain at 2000 yen, is a Tokyo museumgoer’s best friend. Visit more than two places and you will have already recouped your investment. Another fallacy concerns the endowments of Japanese men. Just as anywhere else in the world, some guys got big ones and some don’t. You will find Japanese men are very sexual creatures – maybe not with you, though. They may be shy in public, but once behind closed doors, anything goes. The Shinjuku 2-chome area is busy with many neighbourhood bars such as The Advocate and Arty Farty. Go to Japan and have a good time. Starting the trip sitting in the new seats on Cathay Pacific will put your arse on holiday the moment you sit down.
As always, Cathay’s high standard of service and attention to detail will make the time fly by.
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Comments (0)
 Write comment
|
roles are played by men, and the most celebrated actors are the ones who carry off male and female roles with equal aplomb.
Subscribe to this comment's feed