Random Thoughts on Tokyo

1. Heated toilet seats are amazing. Why don’t we have them in the US?

2. Same with soft-boiled eggs. Or the not-quite-hard-boiled-but-not-runny eggs that are prevalent in ramen shops here.

3. Before coming here, everyone told me that Japan is a nation of cash and very few places accept credit cards. But pretty much every place that I’ve been where I’ve had to pay more than the equivalent of $20 or so has accepted credit cards. Thus, I withdrew way too much cash at the airport.

4. Tokyo can be exceedingly expensive, but I also think it offers great value at the lower end. You can get a fantastic bowl of ramen for less than 1000 yen or even just grab some delicious onigiri from a convenience store for less than 200 yen each, and it’s all ridiculously tasty. Yes, you can eat for cheaper in many other Asian countries, but I haven’t encountered the same quality of food at these prices.

5. Capsule hotels might seem a little strange at first, but I think they’re definitely a good cultural experience, and the one that I stayed at was a more pleasant experience than most hostel experiences I’ve had.

A full trip report will be forthcoming.