Tag 8 - Tokyo

Dear Japan enthusiasts,

This morning finally started our day exactly the way we like it – relaxed, without an alarm clock, without any pressure to go out. After the packed schedule of the last few days, it was urgently needed. Of course, we didn't just lounge around completely. At least I didn't. While Ramona was still peacefully snoring under her cow-patterned eye mask (and no, there will be no photos uploaded – she would kill me), I was busy getting tickets for teamLab Borderless. For those who don't know it: teamLab is an artist collective that creates digital, interactive art spaces – the creators behind it are programmers, architects, engineers, mathematicians, and generally people who are probably at least twice as smart as I am before my first coffee.

In Tokyo, there are two major teamLab exhibitions that advertise themselves as immersive: teamLab Borderless and teamLab Planets. Both are extremely popular and often sold out days in advance. Somehow, I managed to snag two last tickets for tonight at 7 PM. Nothing was available for Planets during our entire stay. So: If you're also in Tokyo and want to go, make sure to book in advance. And if you're wondering like I did what “immersive” actually means – I just googled it: It describes an experience where you dive so deeply that the boundaries between reality and virtuality blur. Sounds crazy? It probably is. Even Leonardo DiCaprio, David Beckham, Lewis Hamilton, and Steve Aoki have been there. So today, it's us.

There was still some time until 7 PM, and as so often in Japan, at some point, the stomach calls the shots – so out of the hotel and into the next culinary adventure. This time: Abura Soba (oil noodles, loosely translated) at Ganso Abura-dō. Unlike ramen, there is no broth here – instead, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil are added. Everything is mixed thoroughly, so the flavors sit evenly over the noodles. In our variant, we topped it with pork, parmesan, and a raw egg yolk. Sounds wild at first, but it tastes like a small umami firework. The mix of savory, creamy, spicy, and slightly sweet hits just right – nice and slippery, the way you want it. Conclusion: absolutely recommended, especially if you want to try something different from classic ramen.

Happy and full, we moved on – to probably the busiest intersection in Japan, if not the world: Shibuya Scramble Crossing (Shibuya sukuranburu kōsaten). A so-called 'all-go intersection' where, during a traffic light phase, all pedestrians can simultaneously cross the street in all directions – including diagonally. And this is no small street party: At peak times, between 5 and 7 PM, up to 3,000 people are said to cross the intersection at the same time. That's about half a million people a day – as many as Frankfurt has residents, only compressed into a few dozen square meters. Crazy!

In Japan, there are about 300 such “all-go intersections” where pedestrians from all directions – including diagonally – can cross the street. In Germany, however, they are a real rarity: there are only six such intersections – two in Cologne, and one each in Berlin, Witten, Wuppertal, and Darmstadt-Arheilgen. PS: Diagonally running crosswalks are generally not allowed in Germany, as per traffic regulations, crosswalks may only run across one lane.

I will report on the evening at teamLabs tomorrow, probably late tonight 🥱