Tokyo is really, really

BIG.

I’ve been pretty sick for the last few days (since before Izu, really), so I haven’t been doing much (blog-worthy or otherwise). I didn’t make to either Japanese class or art volunteering this week. But I did make it in to Tokyo to attend a holiday party with Mike. I even won a door prize: a polo shirt. Which really means Mike won a door prize; let’s be honest here . . . .

Anyway, I had some extra time before the holiday party, and I found myself in Roppongi. This was my first time ever in this part of Tokyo. In part, I’d always stayed away because it had seemed sort of sleazy and slimy, filled with lots of clubs that feature dancing women and the like. Also, the American Embassy sends out these newsletters and they frequently mention that Americans should stay away from Roppongi because of late-night nightclub shootings and drugged drinks and such.

Roppongi during the day didn’t seem half bad at all. I also learned that Goldman Sachs is located there, making the American Embassy’s advice seem a little challenging, at least for the Americans working there.

Roppongi Hills had this museum which featured a photography exhibit by Hiroshi Sugimoto (be bold: follow the link! The pictures are really cool!). I really like photography, and I knew that I’d seen some of his work before, so I paid and went in.

Imagine my surprise to discover that this museum was really on the 52^nd floor of the building! (I suppose if I’d been able to read Japanese, I probably wouldn’t have been all that surprised)

The view from the 52^nd floor was pretty amazing. Tokyo is really, really BIG.