Inventory

After having already spent five months reloaded, it's time to make an attempt to answer the original question: what has changed and what has not? Rather than writing a long-winding essay here goes my Top 10 Shockingly Different and Top 10 Shockingly The Same. I know; "Top 10s" are a bit cheesy, but they are soo much fun to make, that you'll have to forgive me. Be forwarned: links lead to Hungarian pages....

Top 10 Things That Are Shockingly the Same

1. The 5'o'clock song: this must be around since the Meji Reforms, I think.
2. The noise of the zemis; earplugs still come handy in August nights.
3. The Nigerian touts at Roppongi. I still don't get it why exactly Nigerians...
4. The yen-coins: heroes come and go by on the bills but the little coins stay forever.
5. CalorieMate, the old friend. Comes in more flavours, though.
6. Japanese time-zone is still one hour off. I hate when it gets dark at 6 in the summer!
7. The smell of ginko is still like dogshit (but even that is getting natsukashii*).
8. Still nobody took the trouble to oil those bycyple breaks. This creak is killing me...
9. Jangara ramen. Fortunately good things also stay.
10. The karasu still rule the World (at least between 5 and 7 a.m.).

Top 10 Things That Are Shockingly Different

1. The Roppongi landscape and the new metro lines. Who talks about fukeiki?
2. Japanese-speaking gaijin is less of a sensation, and I like it that way.
3. CoolBiz: Japanese businessmen without necktie? Now THAT's shocking!
4. Joshi sen'yósha, or one step closer to the Middle-East.
5. PASMO card: sugoi benri, nee**!
6. New government, new prime minister (or should I have put this to the other top 10?).
7. The foreign rikishi. Mongolian beats Georgian, Estonian pushes out Bulgarian. I miss Chiyonofuji...
8. The vacation-inflation. Hey, there are twice as many now as in Hungary!!!
9. Mangas are out, smart-phones are in for commuters. But I go on foot, hahaha!
10. Meetings start at 2 instead of 5 p.m. No chance for settai*** this way. Yappari, fukeiki...

But regarding the BIG question in the subtitle: YES, the City is still certainly kicking...!

* nostalgic

** how convinient! (PASMO is a chipcard that can be used on any trains, metros, buses and even convenience stores accept it as payment!)

*** inviting customers to dinner