Afraid to leave the comfort zone of the known and recognized, Japan falls off the vacation radar of most Americans and Europeans. Anxiety over language and cultural barriers unnecessarily precipitates an aversion for venturing to the land of the highest of high technologies, authentic karaoke, karate and judo, Monchicis, kinky and bizarre porn, Hello Kitty, Pokémon, Michael Jackson mania, Harajuku girls, bathing monkeys, traditional Shinto shrines, distinguished Buddhist temples, and fascinating ryokans.  Most foreigners forget that Japan is strikingly different from its Southeast and Central Asia counterparts - it’s a first world country and global leader, one that invented Atari, Nintendo, Hondas and Toyotas, DVDs and Sonys and boasts a GDP second only to the United States. But it’s Japan’s originality that makes any trip to this island of 127,000,000 so special and discrete from the rest of Asia and even the world. Every day is new and exciting; a constant wow factor that makes you secretly wish the US could culturally import some traditions, behaviors, and customs from this fast-forward nation. 

Overall, Japan is a rare example of a developed country finding the balance between tradition and modern life.  Destruction from World War II failed to annihilate the old school Japanese way of life. Exceptional politeness and courtesy salute you at every corner. The brutality of crowds through teeming subways and crowded streets disappears with refined personal interaction. The service industry here sets the global standard; hotels, restaurants, airlines boast large investments in human capital, typically employing 5-10 greeting staff at the entrance of high-end hotels and airport gates. People still strive to reach perfection in their professional lives and face severe social sanctions upon failure. It’s still a very male dominated society; men are served first, seated first, and ubiquitously treated like kings (too bad we don’t have this in the US). Provision of this unadulterated pampering is a way of life for many Japanese women, none more so than the famous geishas of Gion, Kyoto who train rigorously to serve high-end male clientele as perfectionists in the “art of conversation.” (I cannot imagine a “conversation” that costs over $1000/hour, can you?)  

Globalization and education has even pushed this forward-thinking country to the brink of advancement so much so that at times this progress almost feels backwards. Mobile phones with GSM technology are outdated for use in Japan. So sorry, your cell phone won’t work in Japan, the satellites are too advanced! Yet you can connect your IPod to the equipment at the gym and maneuver the buttons through a touch screen. You can wash your rear in 150 different ways directly on most toilet bowls, through complicated gadgets and remote controls that dictate 10 levels of water pressure, flow style and position of water spray for cleaning and then drying your derriere. And don’t forget about the ability to heat your toilet seat. You can step into the showroom of the Swatch store in Ginza, Tokyo, only to be enclosed amongst 2000 watches connected as a free floating glass elevator which transports you to the store itself (yes it feels like Star Trek when they stand in a transportation cylinder). And this is the only country with mini-escalators, sometimes only 4-6 stairs tall, so you never have to climb a single stair (every lazy Americans dream come true)! 

Sometimes Japan seems too perfect to the Western eye. Actions feel robotic. Attendants shake with nerves in their voice and movements, striving for perfection.  Blinded by neon lights of foreign characters and letters and the sounds of Japanese whispers, you may very well be on another Planet - Planet Japan! 

Tune In Tokyo

Tokyo is an enormous city, but a few addresses consistently draw in the masses, year round. Below are four sights not to miss on your extraterrestrial mission. 

Meiji Jingu Shrine - Deep in a 175-acre urban forest, the spirit of Emperor and Empress Meiji remain omnipresent in this spectacular, stately Shinto shrine. The traditional, 1700 year old Cyprus entry gates are nothing less than spectacular, as well as the enormous sake barrels and foliage en route to the shrine itself. If you are lucky, you might catch a Japanese wedding in action. 1-1 Kamizono-cho, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku. Metro: Harajuku. 

Harajuku - Being a teenager is obviously tough in Tokyo. Otherwise why would Japanese teens who look like they were cross-bred with Stephen King’s “It” gather for bizarre antics and Lady Gagaesque theatrics adjacent to the Harajuku Metro station at Omotesando Dori. Gwen Stefani overhyped these “Harajuku girls” when she went solo for Love, Angel, Music, Baby and raved of their vanguard fashions. Whatever the case, it’s fascinating people watching (and awesome shopping nearby).  Metro: Harajuku. 

Sensoji Temple - A Buddhist temple with a history dating back to 628, worshippers from around the world come to Sensoji to solicit the favors of Kannon, the goddess of Mercy. The temple and surrounding pedestrian lanes bustle with activity from vendors and hawkers, offering everything from fresh roasted rice crackers to the quintessential Japanese cat clock. Sensoji is a great starting point for a stroll through Asakusa, a charming neighborhood that has retained the style and distinction from the time of the Tokugawa shogunate. 

Edo-Tokyo Museum - If you feel inclined to learn about any and every period of Tokyo’s history, this world-class museum begins with the founding of Tokyo as the country’s capital in 1590 and continues to present day. Artifacts and displays are well presented and informative, lending deeper insight into the evolution of Tokyo’s eccentric culture. 1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku. Metro: Ryogoku.

Shinjuku: Tokyo’s Gayborhood

My Japanese Harvard classmates, Shinji and Shinjo, once told me that gay people did not exist in Japan.  Ironically enough, Tokyo flaunts the largest concentration of gay bars in the world (over 200 spread over several square blocks in Shinjuku-Nichome). The rice queen fantasy is a bit deceiving, however, since most of these bars are literally stacked one on top of the other in narrow buildings, hardly fitting more than ten at a time. Even more restrictive is the entrance policy - most allow “members only” or those who subscribe to a particular sub-culture. However, about a half dozen bars and clubs have opened their doors to the public, and the people who patronize these bars are fun, curious, and hospitable. Spilling out onto to the streets of Shinjuku, the super social Advocates Cafe (7th Tenka Bld. 1F, 2-18-, Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, advocates-cafe.com) is where the night begins.  From there, people head to either the popular  Art Farty (2/F 33 Kyutei Bld, 2-11-7 Shinjuku Ni-Chome, arty-farty.net) or Dragon Men (1/F Stork Nagasaki, 2-11-4 , Shinjuku Ni-Chome) or wherever the cool party happens to be that night (this is why going first to Advocates is a must).  Visit japanvisitor.com to find a great gay map of Shinjuku (under Tokyo gay listings).

Lost & Found in Translation

The Park Hyatt Tokyo, immortalized in the film Lost in Translation, reigned as the bastion of Japanese haute hotel envy for nearly 15 years until fiercely prepared competitors stepped up the game in 2009. Occupying the top 15 floors of the 52 story Shinjuku Park Tower, the Park Hyatt still boasts some of Tokyo’s best views, a revered restaurant (the New York Grill), dizzying heights of Japanese service, and arguably the finest concierge services in the country. However, new competitors such as the Shangri-La Tokyo, the Peninsula Tokyo, and the Ritz Carlton Tokyo have re-invented the hotel luxe experience in the world’s coolest city, locking the four powerhouses in a near dead heat for the superlative of the city’s top hotel.   

While each competitor exhibits remarkable service, amenities, and location, the Ritz Carlton Tokyo ultimately commands this distinction.  Extraordinarily meticulous and fabulous, the Ritz Tokyo achieves a rare balance of class, decadence, dynamism, and spirit that I have found in few hotels across the globe. Rising to the sky at the top 9 floors of Tokyo’s tallest building, the Roppongi juggernaut is the corporation’s most expensive project to date. Its grandeur is decidedly evident in the oversized, modern, hyper high tech guest rooms and gargantuan bathrooms, almost mocking Tokyo’s reputation for space constraints. Expansive guest room windows offer inspiring panoramas, matching those found in the sky lobby. The Club Level upgrade allows you to endlessly indulge in authentic Japanese delicacies morning, noon, and night while mingling with Japan’s A listers. Ritz Carlton Tokyo: Tokyo Midtown, 9-7-1, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-6245. Reservations: 800-542-8680 or  +81-3-3423-8000. http://ritzcarlton.com;  Park Hyatt Tokyo: 3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 163-1055, 1-800-633-7313, http://tokyo.park.hyatt.com.

Sushi Rhapsody

Nirvana beckons for true sushi lovers at Kitazawa Club, a tiny, popular restaurant five minutes from the west exit of Shinjuku Station (towards the McDonalds on the north side of Koshu Kaido Avenue). With arguably the best sushi in the world, a meal at this 15 seater, no frills, authentic Japanese conveyor belt sushi sanctuary is a highlight to any trip to Tokyo. The fish is exceptionally fresh and soft, delicately melting in your mouth with each bite. You can guess and grab from the conveyor belt or try to point to pictures on the menu and have the sushi chef create your bespoke request. You are likely to be the only foreigner here, which makes the experience even more exciting. During my visit, my table-top neighbors, a Japanese father and son, insisted on buying me endless rounds of Saki over two hours, each pour accompanied by a bone breaking handshake and a whole-hearted, heavy accented “Wel...come in Ja...Pan!” Best of all, its cheaper than sushi in the US (two of us completely gorged for under $50). 1-17-1 Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, 03-5339-7515. 

Surprisingly, the sushi restaurants at the world’s largest fish market, the Tsujiki Fish Market, are not as good or as cheap as local hole-in-the-walls like Kitazawa. Yet the frenzy, sights and sounds make Tsujiki a true once in a lifetime experience.  The madness begins between 3 and 4 am, when the colossal tunas are unloaded from boats far and wide, and the famous “tuna auction” begins (note: the auction itself is closed to the public). Come 6am, it feels as if the entire sea has been excavated and its creatures dumped into fish tanks and onto the floors of thousands of local and global purveyors.  Major buyers and restaurant owners browse the outdoor aisles, shopping for nearly 500 varieties of seafood the way we shop for produce in Publix. They feel the “produce” as it squirms, still alive, weigh it, check it for blemishes, and then if the price is right...well the critter is executed on the spot with alarmingly sharp knives and packaged to go.  The market also bustles with export activity, as vendors cram dozens of freshly slain octopus and eels into cartons of ice. Shockingly, the market is void of any expected fish stench. The scene is spellbinding and a photographer’s dream; but it’s a real market, not a tourist attraction, so be prepared to get shoved, slimed with fish guts, and nearly killed by a fork lift. And your feet will get wet; so don’t wear your best Stilettos or Pradas. 5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku. Metro: Tsukijishijo (Exit A2).