View of a Local in Tokyo, Japan

Between his two jobs at a bank and a TV station, it’s hard to imagine that Tadamine Maki, aka Macky, has much free time. But he manages to run two superb photo blogs as well, one on modern Japan and one on the more traditional side of Japan. In this View of a Local interview he tells us about Tokyo as he sees the city.

Briefly, please could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m Tadamine Maki from Tokyo, a 30-year old Japanese man, working at a bank on weekdays and at a TV station on weekends.

I started writing about Japanese culture a year ago. I majored in architecture at college and graduate school. Then, after 4 years working at a construction company, I changed my job to become a writer to introduce traditional Japanese culture.

Now I run two blogs, TokyoDailyPhoto and KyotoDailyPhoto. TokyoDailyPhoto shows you the modern side of Japan and KyotoDailyPhoto shows the old and traditional side of Japan. The blogs are updated almost everyday.

How long have you lived in Tokyo?

I have been in Tokyo for 20 years in total.

What do you like most about living in Tokyo?

I enjoy a variety of delicious food easily, from all over Japan and many countries, in Tokyo, if I can afford it. Along with Chinese, Korean, French and Italian food, we also enjoy Indian, Brazilian, Turkish cuisines, etc.

Is there anything you do not like about living in Tokyo?

The heat and humidity in the summer. Plus, too many people on the trains during rush hour. So I use my bicycle to commute and don’t want to get on a train, heading for the business district in the middle of Tokyo, at 8 am on a weekday in the summer. But it may be better to be on a diet.

What do you wish travellers would do when they visit Tokyo?

Just wandering the streets in Tokyo is one of the better ways to get to know and enjoy Tokyo, I think. If you prefer the chaotic side of Tokyo, then go to Shinjuku and Shibuya. If the modern and fashionable side of Tokyo, Omote-sando and Ginza. If you would like to enjoy the brand-new skyscrapers, Shiodome will satisfy you. Asakusa is one of old towns in Tokyo and there you will see the other side of Tokyo. If you really would like to enjoy the traditional side of Japan, I advise you to go to Kyoto, 2 and a half hours by express train.

What do you wish travellers would stop doing when they visit Tokyo?

Please stop feeling bad if you can hardly make yourself understood in English in Tokyo. Most of us are poor at speaking and understanding English, including me, even though we learn English for six years at least. Because we don’t have to speak English in daily life. But we are always happy to welcome you.

If a visitor had time to do or see only one thing in Tokyo, what should it be?

If you like or are interested in fish and sushi, it would be best to go to Tsukiji fish market, the biggest fish market in the world, very early in the morning while you are still suffering from jet lag. Early in the morning in Tokyo equals to night in Europe or afternoon in the US. So it may be easy for you to get up early in Tokyo. At the market, you will hear workers’ unique voices at the tuna auction and see many kinds of fish, arranged at small, crammed shops, before you taste “real” sushi in restaurants there. Some sushi restaurants, unfortunately not all, at the market are more reasonably priced and more delicious than the ones in the streets of Tokyo. But you need to wait in line to eat sushi there.

If you are more interested in electronic goods, some big electronic shops in Akihabara and Shinjuku will fully meet your demand.

If a visitor had time for only one meal in Tokyo, which dish would you recommend?

There are many types of delicious food in Tokyo, but I will recommend sushi. Sushi is a small rice ball, slightly flavoured with vinegar, with a slice of raw or cooked fish put on top of the rice ball. A bit of wasabi, Japanese horseradish paste, is added as a flavoring between the sliced fish and small rice ball. We usually eat sushi with a drop of soy sauce, Shoyu.

Yakiniku, grilled beef, is also my recommendation. This cuisine came from Korea, but now it is very popular in Japan.

Do you have any other insider tips for visitors to Tokyo?

If you would like just to see beautifully dressed women, it is best to wander around at Ginza 7-chome or 8-chome, from 7 to 8 pm on weekdays. The district has a galaxy of “clubs”, bars where elegant women, dressed to the nines, serve guests. Most bars start at 8 pm, so you can see the women walking to the bars. But I don’t advise you to go the bars, because the fee is very expensive.

In case nature calls on the street, it is best to go to department stores or 24/7 stores, called convenience stores in Japan. The department stores usually have toilets on every floor and 24/7 stores are on every corner of the streets in Tokyo, so you will find them very easily. Half of the 24/7 stores will allow you to use the washroom, even if you don’t buy anything at the store. (The rest of the stores have no washroom for customers.) The clerk may not speak English at all, but will understand what you want and will allow you to use the washroom if you simply say to them, “toilet, please” or “toire kashite kudasai”.

Karaoke box is a good place for resting and relaxing, if you get tired from walking during daytime. Karaoke box is originally a shop where you can rent a small room with a sofa and a table. Guests usually sing some songs using the Karaoke machine, while they eat and drink. We can also use this room just for drinking or resting, if we want. The rent fee is very reasonable, about 1 USD per person, per hour, not including food and drink. But that fee is only during daytime on weekdays.

Note

Anni Poulsen: For an almost daily dose of photos from Tokyo head on over to TokyoDailyPhoto.

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