We are back in Tokyo, dropping off 250 guests and picking up 250 more for the three-week journey back south to Singapore. I decided to not take an organized tour to have a wander. So I got to enjoy the… Japanese taxi!
If you read tourist information books or videos made before 2020, you will hear that Japan is still a very cash-oriented society. However, Covid really pushed the country to move to electronic payments – mainly because it is “contactless”. In small towns (like what we’ve visited the last five ports along the west and north of Japan), the smaller stores will not take Visa/MasterCard, but will take payment cards (kind of like debit cards) associated with a Japanese bank. With that knowledge in mind, I was able to use my USA Visa for both taxis trips to/from the Skytree. Why the Skytree? Because it has a six story shopping mall under it, and I was on the hunt.
Cruiseboy Top Tip – when the taxi driver asks if you want to travel “via highway”, know that means “via toll roads”. Yes, it’s quicker, but you will pay a premium.
The Skytree is the world’s tallest tower at 634 meters (2080 feet), and the worlds third tallest structure. Both of it’s viewing platforms are taller than the entire Tokyo Tower, at 350m and 450m. I don’t know if paying extra to go to the higher platform is worth the extra cost, but I went up there. If I were surprised by the “anime sponsor” at Tokyo Tower, Skytree is over the top.
My Hero Academy is a successful international manga and anime series, not some designed-as-a-commercial show like at Tokyo Tower. Someone paid a lot of money to get this license, and it was all over the Skytree. I’ve seen two seasons of the anime, and it’s well written.
Oh, yeah. Here are some city views.
There’s a little office mascot mouse on the show, so here’s a “stage” where you cant put your anime action figure (or anything, I suppose) and get a city background shot. The mouse is yelling “Good Job!”
After this was shopping, which I don’t really need to show you. However, there were some cherry trees just outside. I have high hopes for the next two ports, and the weather looks good too.
Update: there was another high school brass band (complete with color guard) player as we cast off from Tokyo. Do they get extra credit at school for this?