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  • Hey, did I catch you drinking a Coke in the streets of Tokyo?

  • Yeah.

  • You know you're not supposed to do that.

  • Japanese don't drink anything here on the streets.

  • -If you buy something... -No, there are all kinds of people

  • -No, not at all. -No.

  • -Watch... two people just... -Nobody is drinking.

  • Two people just walked by.

  • Japanese people don't drink or eat on the streets

  • If you buy something from the vending machines,

  • you drink right there.

  • [music]

  • When you think of Japan, a lot of people associate with electronics,

  • computers, flashing signs, manga, anime,

  • and, you know, the best place to see all this together

  • is this area here called Akihabara, known as Tokyo's electric town.

  • You got to keep some order here, lines to go and lines to come back,

  • otherwise, you can't.

  • The fame year started shortly after World War II

  • as Akihabara became a major center for electronics

  • and also the post-war black market, and then it just grew.

  • Today we're gonna walk from Akihabara to Ueno

  • and see what we find along the way.

  • Look at these girls.

  • [music]

  • Isn't it like a dream come true to be in an electronics store in Japan?

  • Can you tell the prices?

  • -Yeah, $135. -Are they good?

  • -I know, but is that good? -I don't know.

  • So, this is the price for the new Sony Alpha 7R III.

  • ¥346 (thousand) for the body only.

  • It's more expensive than in the U.S.

  • This third ring is set up for f-stop

  • Look at that, right there.

  • This is your focus and this is your zoom.

  • -This is the new lens? -Oh, yeah.

  • You're excited, huh?

  • This was the lens that Gordon checked.

  • ¥127,000.

  • This is our camera that we got in the U.S.

  • Let's see if here it would be cheaper.

  • ¥202 (thousand), that is like US$2,000, just for the body.

  • It's expensive, isn't it?

  • How much there at B&H?

  • $2,000, yeah, plus taxes in the U.S.

  • And here if we can take the 15 percent off?

  • Salesman: Oh! Oh, my God! You know, in Japan,

  • our camera shop is every day

  • the price (goes) up and down

  • -Gordon: Yes. -Renata: Uh-huh.

  • Salesman: Today, the price is ¥230,750

  • -Gordon: No, it's right there. -[laughter]

  • I see it with my two eyes.

  • Salesman: Yeah, yeah. Oh, my God, this is my mistake.

  • Guess what? The price was wrong. Salesman almost went crazy here.

  • So, it is like ¥30,000 more, then it is cheaper in the U.S.

  • That is so interesting.

  • I thought because Canon is Japanese or Sony,

  • it would be cheaper to buy here, but no.

  • We got 15 percent off for tax-free,

  • but even with this discount, it is still more expensive.

  • [music]

  • This is creative. A bag that becomes your own seat.

  • Now this here, it's a discount chain store all over Japan.

  • And look at what's down here

  • Pachinko, this is really big business in Japan.

  • -Loud. -It is very.

  • Pachinko is a mix of arcade game with gambling

  • and it generates more revenue in Japan

  • compared to gambling in Las Vegas, Macau, and Singapore combined.

  • This store is called Don Quijote

  • or simply "Donki", as the Japanese know it.

  • Oh, there's so much going on here.

  • You'll find all kinds of things here.

  • [music]

  • Are you winning?

  • I always win. I'm a winner.

  • [laughs]

  • If you're familiar with Japanese pop culture,

  • you'll recognize this group here.

  • This is AKB48. It's a Japanese idol girl group.

  • Named after Akihabara.

  • AKB stands for Akihabara.

  • At some point, they had 48 members.

  • Today, it's more than a hundred.

  • And their theater is located right here inside the store

  • Eighth floor, it's where they perform every day.

  • [music]

  • A quick lunch break here.

  • And I discovered a new dish for me.

  • This is called doria.

  • It's a rice-and-butter-based dish and it looks very Italian.

  • This is so good.

  • Mmm.

  • You like it, too, don't you?

  • It's so delicious and so creamy.

  • Look at the rice here,

  • And I can't believe how cheap this is,

  • ¥300, like US$3.

  • [music]

  • These girls are dressed as maids, like fantasy style.

  • In fact, there are lots of maid cafes here in Akihabara.

  • They served you dressed like that,

  • and there are shows and everything.

  • Totally old school.

  • This reminds me of childhood.

  • Are you understand everything, all the settings?

  • -Absolutely. -[laughs]

  • Oh, you won. [laughs]

  • Look at you. You won.

  • Give me one.

  • -You want more? -Yeah.

  • So, let's see how good you are now.

  • How crazy. You can smoke here inside.

  • There are people smoking there. It's allowed.

  • It felt like childhood again?

  • -No. -Why not?

  • Because you lost?

  • [laughs]

  • [music]

  • Just a few blocks from all that craziness,

  • two interesting religious sites here.

  • And, listen, how peaceful.

  • You hear the cicadas and no traffic.

  • This temple here is called Yushima Seido.

  • The Confucius temple established in the 17th century.

  • Once I had a guide here in Tokyo,

  • and she told me that kids come here to pray

  • to get to good schools.

  • I guess this is what they're doing.

  • The largest Confucius statue in the world.

  • [music]

  • The gate between the sacred and the ordinary.

  • Very close to that temple, you'll find Kanda Shrine

  • which is over 1,200 years old.

  • Most likely, the oldest Shinto shrine in Tokyo.

  • Before getting in, you should purify yourself right here.

  • Let me show you what you need to do.

  • You see? First, you wash your left hand,

  • then you wash your right hand,

  • then you get some water, clean your mouth, spit what's left,

  • and use the remaining water to clean the stick,

  • and then you're ready.

  • [music]

  • This is very interesting about Japanese people.

  • Regardless of their religion, they come to Shinto shrines

  • for happy celebrations.

  • New Year's Day, for example,

  • a birth, or some kind of festivity.

  • And they go to Buddhist temples for occasions they are not so happy,

  • like pray for the dead.

  • They go to both, pray to both, respect both.

  • The current structure here of the shrine

  • is rebuilt several times

  • Yeah

  • Fire, earthquakes, war.

  • It's actually difficult to find old buildings in Tokyo

  • because of earthquakes.

  • And this here is unique,

  • I bet you don't find in any other shrine or temple in the world.

  • Manga tablets.

  • The proximity to Akihabara.

  • How interesting, a gas station.

  • Look at their pumps, they're in the ceiling.

  • That's a really good use of the space, huh?

  • Yeah.

  • Here it explains, this area here was full of temples at some point,

  • but then there was a fire in 1657.

  • And it became a residential area

  • for people who were assisting in some way or another

  • those who were visiting Edo Castle.

  • Oh, wow. This is the 7-Eleven smoking room.

  • You cannot smoke on the streets,

  • so they have these rooms for smokers.

  • Now it's already the neighborhood of Ueno

  • and we're walking towards Ueno Park

  • which is like the Central Park of Tokyo.

  • And Gordon is waiting for me here in the shade.

  • -You're tired? -No

  • -Just the heat? -No.

  • See that tiny street over there?

  • That's Ameyoko, also known here as American alley.

  • That's because post-World War II,

  • American soldiers were here giving candies to the kids,

  • and then this became a place where you could first find

  • American products like blue jeans.

  • Today it's just a shopping street where you can find all kinds of goods.

  • [music]

  • Interesting how you see tax-free, tax free all over, right?

  • -Yeah. -They're really catering to tourists here.

  • -Crab? -Yeah.

  • Oh, look at how good the salmon looks.

  • [in Japanese language]

  • -A Japanese premium sake. -Yeah.

  • One glass, ¥500.

  • Look at their tourist information maps here.

  • Everything electronic.

  • Oh, and it moves.

  • [laughs]

  • Welcome to Ueno Park, one of the first public parks in Japan,

  • and today this might be the most popular city park

  • in the entire country.

  • [music]

  • Have you seen those beautiful pictures of cherry blossoms in Tokyo?

  • They were probably taken right here along all this alley

  • Look at this, all over

  • But you got to come at the right time.

  • They only last for two weeks during spring.

  • Now, here's a tip.

  • If you come too early for cherry blossoms in Tokyo,

  • try going to southern Japan because there it starts earlier.

  • And if you're too late, go to the north.

  • Ueno Park is also home to a number of museums.

  • It might be a great idea for a rainy day.

  • Look how interesting,

  • nobody crosses until the light turns green.

  • The entire lake here covered with lotus flowers.

  • Ah, it's just gonna open. Look at that.

  • Yeah.

  • [music]

  • Fortunes that should go away

  • [music]

  • Look at this, how interesting.

  • A Buddhist temple right here on an island

  • in the middle of the pond.

  • -Just relaxing? -Shh.

  • Such a peaceful place.

  • Who would have guessed? This is Tokyo

  • What is that? You want to appear in my video?

  • -No. -No?

  • Imagine if you did.

  • -The humidity is killing you, isn't it? -No, it isn't. It's nothing.

  • -Nothing? -Yeah.

  • -I've been to Thailand. -Look at you.

  • I've been to Thailand and Malaysia.

  • This is nothing.

  • Okay, says the Canadian.

  • You be careful.

  • That's the fun me. The one who has all...

  • the character

  • I think the humidity is killing you.

  • [laughs]

  • The character

Hey, did I catch you drinking a Coke in the streets of Tokyo?

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