The Long Ride
I've been told one thing about the Japanese that has turned out to be 100% dead on accurate, ...they all love new things. Almost no one buys used cars or appliances, they always buy new ones.There's a hamburger chain called Mos Burger that competes with McDonalds here. They have a new sandwhich that is rather large (but not by American standards). It's called (translation= seasoned perfect). It's got your usual tomato, lettuce, cheese, and onion toppings, ....but it also has this sauce on it. The sauce looks like terriaki sauce, but it isn't. Anyway, the sauce is very thin, so it runs easily, forcing people to eat it by peeling back the wrapper a little at a time. It looks very tasty and takes 10 minutes to make. You can actually go in, order it, and time them on their efficiency. The burger comes with a card that is signed (in Japanese characters) by the cook who made it. Each Mos Burger location only makes 10 of these per day.
Since the sandwich is not really all that special or different than the other sandwiches, I asked the GF why people are so excited to have this burger. She said plainly, "Because it is something new."
Most of the cars in the city appear to be new as well. If everyone buys new cars, I wonder what happens to all the old ones?? Most cars on the road (I'd say 70%) have color navigational displays on the dash. These screens are large, 8 inches or so, and some even play movies or can receive tv. However, one car ride through Tokyo shwed how necessary those devices are.
The hilarious part of my first night in Tokyo was in the car on the way to Fussa-shi where GF lives. There was apparently a terrible accident on the main freeway through Tokyo. It had caused a 10-20 mile backup. Racing through the narrow Tokyo freeways, dashing across lanes to meet an exit or bypass a stretch or road, GF and the sister were talking in a worried, serious tone as they planned and debated our path to safety.
It was dark, and the sky was suprisingly black, like a Rhinelander summer night, except we approaching one of the world's biggest cities with thousands of other travelors.
They began listening to a radio station which broadcasted traffic informtion 24/7. The ladies voice on the radio was a dead-on copy of Tokyo Rose. She spoke calmly and matter of factly about the roads and times and accidents. GF and the sister listen with bated breath and debated the consequences of her words. It brought forth an image of WWII Japan, listening to the radio to hear the bombing reports and war news, talking with your loved ones about the consequences.
Soon we were passing through Shimbuku, and you just marvel at the fact that this country was bombed to dust not that long ago.
You'd never know it by visiting here. But, it is one of my deepest curiosities, and I intend to dig a little and see what I can find.
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