Daybreak In Tokyo
Nov 06, 2011
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After six episodes of Glee, Carie Fisher's "Wishful Drinking," and more episodes of "The Office," I arrived in Tokyo last night for the Panasonic Japan Eco Tour. And so my affinity for Japan picked up where it left off since my last visit four-plus years ago.
As I started my 5:30 a.m. run in the Odaiba neighborhood where our hotel is located, I immediately recalled the highly organized calm sense of chaos that in part defines Japan. Its cities are overwhelming when you first walk out of your hotel door. Infrastructure is everywhere; a mass of concrete and still confront you; a gigantic tetris board of cars, trucks and trains an intimidate the most hearty visitor.
And yet, despite all the industrial and human activity, Japan exudes calm and a sense of order that no country can match. The world saw that earlier this year after a devastating earthquake and tsunami during which people came together and calmly waited for supplies and assistance.
What I revere about Japan is the deep sense of heritage infused with ultra-modern technology. You can never be lonely cause everything talks to you; will never be helpless because some kind soul will always assist you, even if you don't speak a word of the language.
Today we start the Panasonic Tour with a visit to Panasonic Center Tokyo and its Eco Ideas House. Panasonic in many ways matches Japan; a massive change over 100 years, a legacy of products and a huge transformation underway for the future. I'm curious about what is in store for us.
[...] and a band of journalists from around the world who gathered this week in Japan, I hopped onto Tokyo’s Yurikamome (monorail) and spent an hour or so in Ginza. I had not been to this legendary shopping [...]