TRAVEL
TOKYO in TRANSIT YANG
By Helen Oon O
n my winter break from UK to Malaysia, I decide to extend my trip to Hokkaido in northern Japan via
Tokyo. I sit next to an Englishman who is a weekly commuter on AirAsia X to Kuala Lumpur on his business trips. “I love the great service and reasonable price in this lovely premium class seat”, he waxes lyrical on the airline as he kicks off his shoes and stretches out on the spacious reclining seat. He proceeds to sing praises of Japan, his adopted country for twelve years. I intend to spend a few days in Tokyo in transit and am glad to hear only good things about the country. Japan is beguiling, bewildering
and bizarre in equal measures. Where in the world could you have tea with cats in a cafe, with waitresses dressed as French maids, parades of girls in cosplay dressed as Manga and anime characters and salary men slurping
40 FENGSHUIWORLD | MARCH 2014
noodles louder than the blow hole of a whale. I have fallen in love with Japan – the politeness and helpfulness of the people, the cleanliness, the low crime rate and the ancient traditions juxtaposed with the quirky subculture of modern Japan. Tokyo is the pulsating metropolis capital of Japan with a population of over 13 million. It is vibrant and heaving with people on the move perpetually infused with yang energy overdrive… yet there is order in the chaos. In just one afternoon in Takeshita
Street in Harajuku in the Shibuya ward, famed for its youth fashion and cosplay, I encounter a group of girls dressed as “Gothic Lolitas”. Tey look like oversized dolls in sumptuous
costumes and colourful wigs. Then there is a man tottering around in high heels in Mary Poppins attire complete with handbag and umbrella. This busy pedestrian-only street is a hive of activity with wall-to-wall with shops retailing fashion accessories, tacky souvenirs and gadgets, fast food outlets and packed with young people in all manner of fashion statement. Yet a stone’s throw away stands the
Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine where four traditional Japanese weddings are taking place. Te brides are dressed in splendid
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