When we arrived at Tokyo on the 8-th of August, 2014, the weather was summer-like: hot and humid. Our limousine took us directly to the Prince Tower Hotel. Upon dropping off the bus, we were met with the myriads of crickets choir hidden inside the bushes next to the hotel entrance. I was taken aback by this powerful greetings of tiny funny creatures whom we heard in Montreal some years ago on the very hot night, they were singing as if on the top of their lungs, definitely suffering from overheat. Here, in Tokyo, the crickets’ sounds were more pleasant amplified by numbers as though that “One Thousand Violins Orchestra”, performing Handel’s Messiah.

The hotel valets were also so nice and courteous, bowing to everybody and everywhere. And the Japanese people expect the response bow from the others. This was the most difficult thing for us from the start. Slowly we learnt how to bow and pay by Suica Card, a very convenient way to shop at “Family Mart” and pay the transportation fees. The hotel, itself, is a high-rise building with spacious rooms and warm Japanese toilets which we liked very much. Sit on the toilet seat, equipped with the regulating panel, and press the button what you need to do with your bum: to wash, to spray or rinse as in a bide. And even dry afterwards, the toilet paper was not necessary, everything was clean as a whistle.

The packages of herbal soaps and shampoos, things for cleaning teeth, Japanese sponges, towels were changed daily, as well as the bedding and such. The laundry services were extremely expensive : for wash of 11 pieces of clothes we paid 146 dollars.

In the hotel basement there were swimming pools, spas, hot springs, wedding halls and all services for that, a dining room with traditional Japanese food and tea-drinking a la Japan. Here, also, one needs to take off shoes, bow to each other many times and consume very many seafood products.

Gleb very quickly settled himself down in water amenities and we joined him later,

In front of the hotel was the Budda Temple which was frequented by the visitors from all Japan, the other place of sightseeing was the Tokyo Prince Tower where from one can see the picturesque panoramic view of the city of Tokyo. Our hotel but was even higher than that sightseeing platform in the Tower. So, we decided to go to the 32-nd floor of our hotel restaurant and take pictures from here, and have breakfast. By the way 90% of diners were Japanese who preferred their traditional food to the West European.

However, the Japanese omelette was legendary : perhaps, best known for its gloriously sized souffle omelette That’s so soft and airy, it looks like it might deflate once you slide your knife into it. Really, it doesn’t.

The prices were not so expensive as to compared to the Calgarian buffets. Life in Japan seemed not so pricey, as we read in the various tourist guides.

About our excursions around the city I’ll write later.

Listen to:Nature Sounds-Sound of Crickets at Night – Meditation Sleep Relaxing Sounds