Holiday in Japan ：Rｅｐｏｒｔ ｆｒｏｍ Ｔｏｋｙｏ

８．００　ｐｍ，１１　Ｄｅｃ．２００９　（Ｆｒｉｄａｙ）：
Ａｓ　Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｗａｉｔｉｎｇ　ｆｏｒ　ｔｈｅ　Ｎａｒｉｔａ　Ｅｘｐｒｅｓｓ　（ＮｅＸ）　ａｔ　Ｎａｒｉｔａ　ａｉｒｐｏｒｔ　ｔｈａｔ　ｗａｓ　ｇｏｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｔａｋｅ　ｍｅ　ｔｏ　ｍｙ　ｈｏｔｅｌ　ｉｎ　Ｓｈｉｎｊｕｋｕ、　Ⅰ　ｒｅａｌｉｓｅｄ　Ｉ　ｈａｄ　ｍａｄｅ　ａ　ｍｉｓｔａｋｅ　：　Ｉ　ｈａｄ　ｆｏｒｇｏｔｔｅｎ　ｔｏ　ｂｒｉｎｇ　ａｌｏｎｇ　ｍｙ　
ｃａｍｅｒａ．

Ｔｈｅ　ＮｅＸ　ｔｒａｉｎ　ａｒｒｉｖｅｓ　ａｔ　Ｓｈｉｎｊｕｋｕ　ｓｔａｔｉｏｎ．　Ｓｈｉｎｊｕｋｕ　ｓｔａｔｉｏｎ　ｈａｓ　ｂｅｅｎ　described　ａｓ　ｔｈｅ　ｂｕｓｉｅｓｔ　ｔｒａｉｎ／ｓｕｂｗａｙ　ｓｔａｔｉｏｎ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｗｏｒｌｄ　ｗｉｔｈ　４　ｍｉｌｌｉｏｎ　ｄａｉｌｙ　ｃｏｍｍｕｔｅｒｓ。Ｉ　ｗａｓ　ｓｕｐｐｏｓｅｄ　ｔｏ　ｔａｋｅ　ａ　ｓｕｂｗａｙ（ｃａｌｌｅｄ　ａ　ｍｅｔｒｏ　ｈｅｒｅ）　ｆｏｌｌｏｗｉｎｇ　ｄｉｒｅｃｔｉｏｎｓ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｔｈｅ　ｈｏｔｅｌ　ｗｅｂｓｉｔｅ　ｂｕｔ　ｇｏｔ　ｈｏｐｅｌｅｓｓｌｙ　ｌｏｓｔ　ｉｎｓｉｄｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｔａｔｉｏｎ．　Ｉｔ　ｗａｓ　ｒａｉｎｉｎｇ　ａｎｄ　ｔｏｏ　ｃｏｌｄ　ｔｏ　ｗａｌｋ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｈｏｔｅｌ　（２ｋｍ　ａｗａｙ），ｓｏ　Ｉ　ｔｏｏｋ　ａ　ｔａｘｉ　ｔｈａｔ　ｃｏｓｔ　ｍｅ　￥８９０　（ＵＳＤ　１０）。

Ｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ｂｅｅｎ　ｓｔａｙｉｎｇ　ａｔ　ａ　ｓｏ　ｃａｌｌｅｄ　ｂｕｓｉｎｅｓｓ　ｃｌａｓｓ　ｈｏｔｅｌ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　Ｓｈｉｎｊｕｋｕ　ａｒｅａ　；　Ｓｕｎｒｏｕｔｅ　Ｈｉｇａｓｈｉ－Ｓｈｉｎｊｕｋｕ．　

A ｓｉｎｇｌｅ　ｒｏｏｍ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｂｒｅａｋｆａｓｔ　ｃｏｓｔｓ　￥８６００　（ａｐｐｒｏｘ．ＵＳＤ　１００）　
ｐｅｒ　ｎｉｇｈｔ．　Ｙｏｕ　ｄｏｎ‘ｔ　ｇｅｔ　ｍｕｃｈ　ｒｏｏｍ　ｆｏｒ　ＵＳＤ　１００　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｍｏｓｔ　ｅｘｐｅｎｓｉｖｅ　ｃｉｔｙ　ｉｎ　ｔｈｅ　Ｗｏｒｌｄ　（ｓｅｅ　ｌｉｎｋ）．　Ｔｈｅ　ｓｉｚｅ　ｏｆ my room is
ａｂｏｕｔ　６ｍ（２０　ｆｅｅｔ）by　３ｍ(10 feet)．　Ｔｈｅｒｅ　ｉｓ　ａ　ｌａｒｇｅ　ｂｅｄ　ｗｉｔｈ　ａｂｏｕｔ　１　ｆｅｅｔ　ｓｐａｃｅ running along ｏｎ　ｔｗｏ　ｏｐｅｎ　ｓｉｄｅｓ　ｗｉｔｈ　ｏｎｅ　ｓｉｄｅ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｄｏｏｒ ａｎｄ the other ａｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｆｏｏｔ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｂｅｄ　ｔｏ　ａ　ｔａｂｌｅ　ｒｕｎｎｉｎｇ　ｗｉｄｔｈ　
ｗｉｓｅ.

９・２３　ｐｍ、１４　Ｄｅｃ．２００９　（Monday）：
I have been here for four days and can confirm Tokyo`s reputation as the most expensive city in the world.

Moving around Tokyo is easy using the metro and rail. The cost varies according to distance but on average I spend about ￥500 (USD 6 ) per day.

The cheapest meal at a hole in the wall restaurant (the equivalent of a warung `food stall` in Malaysia) is USD 10.

It`s hard to find anything cheap in Tokyo. Yesterday I was at Ueno, a suburb of Tokyo. There was a huge market with lots of shops which to me was probably the cheapest place to shop in Tokyo.

Tonight I went to Akihibara famed world wide for its electronic and anime based shops /services. There were lots of Japanese girls (some were cute) handing out fliers to maid cafes. However the cutest girls are the elevator girls at Tokyo Tower I visited this afternoon. There was also a guy bowing and saying polite things outside the elevator at the main observation deck. (this site describes the elevator girls at Tokyo` Odakyu Dept. store in terms of under employment in Japan).

It is still early days in my trip (Wednesday will be my last day in Tokyo) as I will be going to four more places after Tokyo: Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima and finally Osaka. BTW,Osaka is ranked as the 2nd most expensive city in the world after Tokyo. No doubt,I will burning through more Yen at Osaka before I leave Japan.