Since about a year ago, it's been
forbidden to smoke in
the street in Akihabara (we have to protect the poor little lungs of the
geeks, so the species can survive ;-)).
However, I haven't been there for so long that I didn't actually notice this law in practise, until last Sunday when I noticed that interesting room.
I didn't really know what it was first: not a store, not a restaurant, however, the awful smell, the yellow walls and the fog inside the room quickly gave it away: just a smoking room. Actually, about the only place where you can smoke in Akihabara without being in a restaurant.
I wish this disgusting place could help those smokers to realize how awful smoke can be, but I have little hope about it...
Anyway, as far as I understand, even if you get a fine for smoking in Akihabara, I think I remember you don't actually have to pay it...
Japan is indeed an interesting place...
I went to Harajuku and to Meiji Jingu
on Sunday with Ratana to show him around some most interesting places, like
those gothic
girls who gather on Sunday afternoon in front of Yoyogi Koen, the rockers
dancing all day long and more seriously, Meiji Jingu shrine.
Although it was not "taian" (大安,
the best days to get married in Japan - note that since my own wedding, I
became especially aware of that kind of things, as well as so many other
wedding-related things that have absolutely no interest in an everyday's
conversation!), there were about three weddings going on at the same
time.
I didn't have all my lenses with me, just the old good 50mm but I tried a few shots, practising for Fred's wedding next month.
I will have the honour to be one of the photographers and
I wish to give Fred and Mari a nice gift under the form of a nice series of
wedding pictures.
For that, I've been studying the pictures of our own wedding and I will try a
few artistic shots.
In the meantime, this 5-minutes session was a good indicator for me and shows me how fast and mobile you have to be during the wedding. We'll see how well I will have learnt by June 26th!
