I love random-list posts. They are the lazy blogger’s key to productivity – lots of loosely linked stuff in one fast post.
1. In a few hours I depart Tokyo to return to Cape Cod. I leave at 4:40 pm on Friday and I arrive at 7:30 pm on … Friday. I should hit Cotuit by nine pm in a complete state of dysfunction.
2. Very productive round of meetings here. The Lenovo interactive team accompanied me.
Jim Hazen, Nicole Estebanelle, David Barbara
3. I ate well. Very well. The Japan team took us out to dinner last night and I ate some interesting dishes. Let’s say the highlight was the fat from the back of a horse’s neck.
4. No time for sightseeing. A quick stroll around the hotel gardens and that was that. I want to write a book on how to be a power-tourist for business travellers. If you have three hours to spare in Tokyo, here’s the deal. I am serious. I am the master of milking the most out of a city in the shortest amount of time. First rule — you ain’t going to see anything in your hotel room. Get out and walk.
5. Very interested in the role of newspaper in Japanese marketing. That, in a nutshell, is the challenge that brought me here.
6. Jumping rope is the best form of travelling exercise I have ever discovered. I’m using a “hyperperformance” speed rope from Buddy Lee.
7. Dress code. Pretty funny. The Japanese dress well in the office.
That’s all for now. Big post to write on the flight about our Olympic blogging program which is on fire and taking off better than expected. So — next week Raleigh for some meetings, then back to the Cape for a little breather before Beijing.
Only 3 hours in Tokyo? Is it day or night? If it’s night I’d just wander around the Ginza for the entire time.
Day time is tougher.
1) Drive by the Asahi Brewing HQ and see a building with either a giant golden drop or golden turd on the top.
http://www.panoramio.com/photos/original/417876.jpg
2) Harajuku! If you want to see what pop culture is really all about.
3) Idemitsu Museum of Art. A number of corporate headquarters in Japan also house remarkably fine art collections that are open to the public. the idemitsu (an oil company) is the only one I got to and has an absolutely amazing collection of Asian pottery. I wish more (any?) US companies did this. Maybe Lenovo USA could get the ball rolling?
4) have your picture taken with the 3-foot tall Godzilla statue in Hibiya Park — preferably while accompanied by your 5 year old son who is only slightly taller.
http://www.jref.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/2976
5) Ghibli Museum in Mikata. Dedicated to the master, Hayao Miyazaki, and all things to come out of studio Ghibli. I DIDN’T GET TO THIS!!! Must go back.
6) Miss your flight and spend a week in Tokyo and a week in Kyoto. Think of appropriate excuses.
BTW, it is possible to get a bad meal in Tokyo. However it takes A LOT of work.