Tokyo
I am travelling on the Tokyo subway. The carriage despite being half full is silent and this along with the warmth and the constant motion is having a soporific effect. My eyelids flicker briefly and momentarily I lose consciousness. When I open them again, I am surprised to see a peculiar man in cross dress sitting opposite me (see picture 1). Even in Tokyo, a city that quite possibly embraces a wider range of attire than any other place in the world, this is an odd sight and he draws some concerned looks from my fellow train passengers. I subtly take a photograph with my iPhone, making sure not to draw any unwelcome attention from the subject.
Minutes later and I am at my stop. I leave the train hastily and head above ground. Waiting for the lights to change at the zebra crossing in front of me is a multi-coloured individual with bizarrely patterned apparel and hair that is blue on one side and pink on the other, inspired perhaps by a circus clown (see picture 2). I quickly take a photograph whilst he has his back to me and hurry across the road.
A short while later I am wandering around the fashionable Ginza area when I come across this famous Lottery booth (see picture 3). Note that the mostly elderly hopefuls are all queuing at booth 1, whilst no one is waiting at the other two booths. The reason for this is that booth 1 is apparently one of Japan’s luckiest lottery ticket locations. People travel here from afar in the hope of getting the lucky ticket. I buy my ticket from booth 2.
It is now evening and I am still in the Ginza vicinity doing nothing in particular other than observing the surroundings, when I stumble across this restaurant under a railway line (see picture 3). The waitresses are all wearing bizarre uniforms, which appear to me at least have an Alice in Wonderland theme. Resisting the temptation to rest my weary legs I continue onwards.
Sometime later I notice a rather quaint and incredibly narrow bar (see picture 3). Quite possibly the world’s narrowest drinking establishment I conclude on entering the premises and ordering a double Suntory whisky on the rocks.
My book, Charles Middleworth, is a humorous tale of the unexpected, available from Amazon in paperback and on Kindle (£1.96/$3.14).
Click on the link below to read the first two chapters for free:
