Law, Partially

"Are you ready for more crazy robot show?" the Eastern European hostess asked the crowed during intermission to get us hyped. There has been some intrigue among Western travelers in relation to the show at Tokyo's Robot Restaurant. Anthony Bourdain apparently remarked that his feeling upon viewing the hyper neon sensory explosion of the show must be how Eric Clapton felt upon hearing Jimi Hendrix's music for the first time. This writer, however, would strive for a more nuanced description. I visited the show with my friend Dave, who happened to be passing through Tokyo, while Christine stayed at the airbnb with Bobby; he's not yet ready for flashing lights and loud music. Maybe in college you can get a strobe light and a Jimi Hendrix album, Bobby. The reviews on TripAdvisor call the show hilarious and unique. Before I visited, I thought maybe the show would be mocking of Japanese culture. I mean, some Westerners may have the idea that modern Japanese culture i...

We were out of the U.S. for six weeks, our first international trip with a baby. It was important this experiment succeed because we're planning a much longer adventure starting in May: moving to the U.K. In six weeks, we visited three places (Singapore, Penang, and Tokyo) and took six plane rides (Chicago to Tokyo, Tokyo to Singapore, Singapore to Penang, and the reverse of these). We learned some things along the way and forgot a few others. Bobby doesn't care about Tokyo per se. He's a curious little fellow who likes observing busy scenes, but we can find busy scenes in Chicago -- so why drag him 14 time zones away? We had to bring him to Singapore to visit his grandparents (if you don't like traveling with babies, then you probably should date in your home town, I have learned). Since a trip to Singapore involves a stopover in Tokyo, and since Mom and Dad like visiting Tokyo, and since an extended stopover in Tokyo also breaks the very, very long plane ride into t...

Christine and I visited Ippudo when in New York a few years ago and visited in Tokyo during this trip. In New York, Ippudo is a painfully trendy affair with $20 bowls of ramen and hour wait times to get in. Ippudo is actually a chain from Japan, and it's not uncommon to find them in Tokyo, where they are much less of a hassle. The ramen is, however, great and costs about $10 a bowl. Also, in Japan, Ippudo doesn't accept credit card. I had to run back to the Airbnb to grab the cash notes I forgot; the wait staff was very confused why I had deserted Mum and Babe. Maybe they were more confused when I came back. Japanese food is having a moment in U.S. cities, with trendy ramen places popping up in Chicago over the years I've been here. There were very few when I moved here in 2012 and now there are several, mostly all are self-consciously trendy. There's no ramen in Cedar Rapids yet; I expect Iowa City to pave the way, but as yet, I believe there is still no dedicated ra...

We visited a famous Buddhist temple, Zōjō-ji (増上寺), in Tokyo and used the grounds as a backdrop for a classic family photo. The white flowers on the trees are cherry blossoms, known as  sakura  in Japanese. Based on reading the historical markers at the temple, I realized the temple itself is the story of the Japanese twentieth century. (Also, it is a reminder of how I can suck the fun out of vacations: stopping at every historical marker, reading every paragraph, and turning fun tourism into a comparative social sciences course. I am sorry, in advance, Bobby, for all of our family vacations.) The FD Linges posing for a family photo. I have a tinge of anxiety about this photo. Are we appropriating some sacred religious site for a family photo just because it looks cool and "very Japanese"? Are we being culturally insensitive just because we want to show friends and family that we visited Japan? One thing is for sure, as it was raining when this photo was taken, the awning...

In Japan, raw fish and rice taste better, on average, than in the US, so trips to Japan must involve as much sushi consumption as possible. Owing perhaps to their training or the tacit cultural nous that may explain much of Japan, Japanese sushi chefs exhibit a surprising amount of control over the supply chain that sees a slice of raw fish stuck atop a oblong block of sticky rice. Compared to the US, the markets in Japan offer greater rice and fish options (because demand is just so huge), and chefs often have specialized for longer in the art of sushi (sushi chef is a career rather than a job). See Jiro Dreams of Sushi , again, to see the importance of rice and fish control to elevating sushi. The degrees by which some sushi is better than others are subtle, and I am certain my palate lacks the sophistication to distinguish among the best. But when you eat good sushi, your brain becomes dosed with the good chemicals. You are happy. Sushi can be very good in the US, but you will l...

Christine and I have shared a love affair with Tokyo since visiting for the first time in 2012. I also studied Japanese law and the economy during graduate school. Growing up in suburban environs, we must be attracted to the hyper urbanity of Tokyo. While in downtown Chicago it is not uncommon to find a vacant lot (or many), in Tokyo you will find no space wasted. Sometimes, the cramped confines of homes and service establishments seem almost indulgent -- why not just make it a little bigger, man? But this urban space is therefore packed with maximum human life. random Tokyo street at night Some cities may be denser -- Mumbai comes to mind -- but these cities are often in the developing world and lack the order and service offerings of middle class Tokyo. Tokyo has very little crime, the streets are clean, the food is good, transportation is reliable (just stay off the subway during rush hour), the people are unfailingly nice and polite, the food and drink are good, even the sh...

I'm sorry, Singapore, and I am sorry grandparents, aunts, and uncles, but Christine and I have to take Bobby back to the U.S. at some point. But first, we shall spend five nights in Tokyo. Leaving Singapore on Thursday, exiting Tokyo on Tuesday, and overeating at all points in between. Thank you for your hospitality. We are excited to bring Bobby back next year for Chinese New Year. He will be taller, more chatty, and will hopefully no longer be so obsessed with rolling.