Tokyo Tower

Today was all about heading to the airport for our flight in the middle of the night.

We had to get the monorail from Hamamatsucho to the airport, so we got the train there, and put our luggage in a coin locker, once a lad had explained how to use them. Then we went out to explore.

The Tokyo Tower wasn’t far away, so we went to the top deck, 300 metres up, and listened to an out-of-date recording describing all the visible buildings. Some of those buildings were hidden by newer buildings, but it was a good view (see extra for an example).

We finally found the obligatory Irish pub. Two, in fact. The first one (see extra) you could tell was an Irish pub by the tray of potatoes (see extra) on a table. The second didn’t need the potatoes.

Whatever you’ve heard about Japanese toilets is probably true. Most have (separate) jets to wash your back bottom and your front bottom, if you have one. Some blow-dry your bottom. Some have heated seats. Some flush automatically. Some have (separate) buttons to raise and lower the seat and the lid. Some play the sound of running water to drown out the sounds of your own running water. Some, like the one in the first Irish pub, have a tap on the top.

‘A tap on the top,’ I hear you say. ‘What’s that for?’

Let me tell you. It’s for filling the cistern, typically pouring onto a scented toilet block (see extra).