TOKYO!! (You are not in Kansas anymore...)

Wow!

I was so exhausted after the flight to Tokyo. No problems in the arrivals procedures, but now I know how foreigners visiting the US must feel...I was fingerprinted and photographed before entry was granted.

The bus from Narita to T-CAT (Tokyo City Air Terminal) is about 60 minutes and is 2,500Yen...not so bad.

I arrived without problem to my hotel and I have lucked out again on proximity to public transportation. Very easy to reach.

The city is HUGE. I am blown away...Instead of just collapsing from exhaustion as I wanted to, I decided to venture out to a neighborhood called GINZA...shopping and such for a quick drink and snack. I left around 5pm and was hoping to see the guys with the white gloves push and squeeze the passengers on the train, but no such luck...it was practically empty.

After a 3-4 hour excursion to loosen up the legs after the travels, I passed out.

NEXT DAY:

Well, I have to admit, one of the top sites on my list of things to see and do here in Tokyo is Herzog and de Meuron's Prada store. Not necessarily to shop (haha), but because it is one of my favorite projects of the Swiss duo's.

In a neighborhood called Omotesando, there is a thoroughfare that is home to many upscale shops in the city...I think it is even nicer than Ginza, actually. Anyhow...there are four major stores located here: Toyo Ito's Tod's, SANAA's Dior Store, Tadao Ando's Omotesando Hills (shopping mall), and Herzog and de Meuron's Prada Store.

Tod's is a concrete and glass tower (actually they are all towers except for the Ando project) that very much recalls the angular composition of solids and voids of his Serpentine Pavilion (2002) in London-only in concrete and now a tower.

SANAA's Dior is a series of stacked glass boxes each with a different volumetric expression. Using a double glass facade of transparent at the outer layer and silkscreened glass with a grid pattern at the interior. I believe there is another scrim of the gridded pattern at the interior as well, because, a moire pattern is produced upon closer inspection, and the surface looks like it has a slight billow to it--like a pillow. It is very sexy...

HdM's Prada: wow. it is remarkable. the exoskeleton is both structure and frame for the glass inserts-some of which are flat and some have a bubble shape to them. Also in the matrix are translucent panels where 4 form the expression of the changing rooms on the facade. The tower is set in a folded paver plaza that is surrounded on two sides by a moss covered wall that interlocks with the pavers. Inside, depending on which floor you are on, the changing rooms act as the mediator between two different levels..these are solid tubes that run through the entire horizontal length of the building. You can move through these to access different floors or there is a conventional stair that works its way up. Displays are either molded into a core like structure that links all of the floors or they are free standing elements...some of which are molded fiberglass pieces with LED lights embedded into the fiberglass itself...they are beautiful. The women's clothes 'racks' are sheathed in fur...they are very cool. As you are not supposed to take photos of the interior, I was able to snap one quickly before I was reprimanded by the usually-sweet-but-can-pull-out-the-'OH no you didn't just take a photo in here' sales attendants . You can see the fur for yourself...

With that...

Order is the day. The subway station marks where you are to stand and which side of the walk you should walk on...everyone follows suit. Everything is meticulous...

Everyone, too, is exceptionally friendly...especially if you are not trying to take illegal photos in their stores. I cannot believe that I walked into each of these stores and someone not only greeted me within 30 seconds, but wanted to show me around, too. That never happens in NYC, or at least not to me...

For instance: I stopped for a coffee in the Omotesando area and the server was so sweet and kind. She brought me water without asking, she made my napkin into an orgami piece to wrap around the spoon for goodness sakes. Upon leaving, I left a nice tip for her kindness. Riding up the escalator, I heard someone calling 'excuse me, excuse me!' Noticing that I was standing on the right hand side instead of the left side, I assumed she was just trying to tell me to get on the correct side of the stair. I move over, and I got a tap on my shoulder...It was the server bringing BACK my tip thinking I left it by accident! WHA?! I tried to explain that was for her, but she wouldn't take it...again, never in NYC!

http://picasaweb.google.com/christopher.kitterman/Tokyo#5255181465316727538