Up until last week, Tokyo for me had been a quick fly-in from Taiwan, a rush to Sony headquarters, and verbal sparring over the cost of GPS components with some of the best negotiators I’ve ever encountered. It was while negotiating in Japan that I learned the value of the application of a long, awkward silence. Unfortunately, I saw precious little of that beautiful country.
This Tokyo trip was minus dark suits and plus one complete family, and there were no long periods of silence. Somehow five adults – two parents and three adult children – managed to manipulate schedules and budgets in order to orchestrate what may be the final overseas trip for a family that committed itself to seeing the world with a first venture to Amsterdam in 2001. Later there was Rome, Munich, Paris, Nice, Zurich, Valencia, Arles, Cancun, Salzburg…and now Tokyo. This journey had a sense of nostalgia to it before we climbed onto the plane for the long haul from Los Angeles.
Fourteen years ago the agendas were whatever I made them, and my “ducks,” as I’ve always referred to my family on the road, followed behind. This trip I turned the planning over to the ducks, mostly so I could observe my children as adults and watch their choices and their manner of choosing, and enjoy them navigating a foreign country as my parents had taught me in the 1970’s.
Those who have read my column are aware of my senseless fear of urban metro systems, so my delight in watching my trio dive into the task of zipping around underneath Tokyo was unlimited. They never put us on a wrong train, and we never missed a stop. The kids also arranged a dinner in the the legendarily weird and risqué Ripponghi District. It was a first for us to have dinner next to a club named The Ten Sluts, but the view of the street from a second floor balcony made for first-class people watching, and the fried tuna cheeks were excellent!
In fact, the dining was as good as we all hoped. My wife and daughter got their fill of uncooked seafood, battered seafood, and fruits and vegetables I’d never seen or eaten before. However, it was after a long night of souvenir shopping along the Cat Walk that we had a late dinner and my favorite – incredibly authentic Italian cooked while we watched the chef. The boys needed a day trip to Kobe for the legendary steaks – sold by the gram! This had me double checking the budget while the boys poured over the menu.
As with all travel, for me, the best part is simply being there. Whether it’s tea on the Ginza or coffee in a maze of streets surrounding a temple, it seems that going halfway across the globe is the easiest way to strip away all the unnecessary parts of me so that I can view the world with fewer filters. Doing it with the family has always been another notch up into the otherworldly.
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