The Reluctant Traveler (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 8 - Tokyo - full transcript
Eugene referees a sumo match.
A great philosopher
once said, "The world is a book,
and those who don't travel
read only one page."
Well, I've gotta say,
I've read a few pages,
and I'm not crazy about the book.
I don't look forward to traveling
for a number of reasons.
When it's too cold,
I'm not comfortable.
Ice swimming, naked?
- Yes.
- Well, that's a terrific invitation.
When it's too warm, guess what?
I'm not comfortable.
I can't move that fast.
- But I'm 75.
- You need some help?
No, I got it.
And maybe it's time to expand my horizons.
Oh, my God.
First time I've had my hand
up an elephant's ass.
On the plus side,
I'm staying at some unbelievable hotels.
Oh, my. This is spectacular.
The catch is, I've also agreed
to explore what lies outside.
- Watch your step.
- No kidding.
- Beautiful mountain.
- That's a volcano.
That's a volcano?
A world I've spent my whole life avoiding.
Whoa. Sadie.
Oh, my God.
Just surviving would be great.
This is the last time
I have five vodkas with a Finn.
For me, a trip to Tokyo
was never in the cards.
I have concerns.
Cultural chasms I've never traversed.
A diet too exotic to enjoy.
A language tug-of-war I will never win.
And it brings new meaning
to the word bustling.
My son, Daniel, has been here many times,
and he has raved about this country.
He kept saying,
"You've got to go to Japan.
You will love it when you get there."
So, on his orders, we are here.
But I am a very different beast to my son.
He's a carefree cosmopolitan,
whereas I'm cautious and conventional.
It's hard for me
to find my place just about anywhere.
So the world's biggest city
feels especially overwhelming.
I'm gonna need a lift from someone
who can help me navigate it.
Unfortunately, I'm built for comfort
rather than speed,
so let's see how this goes.
- Hey, Eugene. Konnichiwa.
- Konnichiwa.
- Throw your stuff in the trunk.
- You got it.
- Brought your entourage.
- This is my crew.
To show me around the Japanese capital,
I've got a guide who's traveled halfway
around the world to make this city home.
Yeah, it's a little bit low.
- Sorry about that.
- No cars for old men.
- It's Japan-sized.
- Get it in.
Eugene.
- Albo.
- Are you ready?
Yeah. I'm as ready as I can be.
I'm gonna be taking you to your hotel.
- Every now and then I might floor it.
- Uh-huh.
And when he said, "Floor it,"
boy, he wasn't kidding.
- How was that?
- Scary. That was scary.
Once a humble fishing village,
Tokyo now has a population of 40 million.
The same as Canada,
in only .02% of the space.
- I'm also actually from Toronto, so...
- You're from Toronto?
When did you leave for Tokyo and why?
I was just enamored with something
that seemed like a different world.
Albo's not alone.
One in ten Tokyoites, now in their 20s,
were born abroad.
So, what is it exactly about this town
that you love so much?
Growing up, I loved anime
and Japanese movies and TV shows.
The best way I can describe it is,
you get this sense of nostalgia
for a place you've never, ever been.
So, to come here
and experience it for myself,
it's literally a video game
brought to life.
I kind of feel like I'm in a video game
right now, to be honest.
The millions of people who've made
this city home must be on to something.
I'm intrigued to find out
what that something is.
This is like the center of
big city life in Tokyo.
Wow. This is major. Look at the people.
This is a very cool way to come into
what looks like a very cool city.
- Looping around over here, and we're here.
- That was something.
Wow.
- Maybe we can jack it up a little.
- Just for you.
Thank you so much. That was great.
For the next few days,
I'll be staying behind this ornate lattice
metal facade at the Hoshinoya Hotel.
It's a mix of luxury, high tech
and traditional Japanese simplicity,
not unlike the city itself.
- Hello.
- Hello. Welcome to Hoshinoya Tokyo.
- Well, thank you.
- Please take off your shoes here. Yes.
Good thing I'm not wearing
knee-high lace-ups.
I get that it's tradition,
but not wearing shoes
just makes me a little anxious
about the condition of my socks.
- Good evening.
- Hi.
My name is Yuka,
and I'd love to show you around.
Yes, let's do that.
The hotel is a contemporary ryokan,
a traditional type of Japanese inn
that flourished 400 hundred years ago.
We have the Japanese-style shoji screens,
as well as the tatami floors.
Very nice. And I noticed the bed
looks like it's sitting on the floor.
- You look a little bit horrified.
- No, not saying it could be problematic
for somebody my age.
But might take some contortions,
let's say, to get up and off the bed.
So, over here we have our bathroom.
Japanese people love taking baths.
So, here's our toilet.
Like having a little pal in here,
isn't it?
Well, Yuka, thank you for the tour.
- I hope you enjoy your stay with us.
- I'm sure I will.
But first, I'm gonna take
some time getting used to this bathroom.
Is a bit complicated.
I don't trust a toilet
that's more versatile than I am.
This says pressure. That's kind of scary.
You don't know whether
it's pushing you up or sucking you down.
There's a thing that says position.
I don't know whether you get reprimanded
for being in the wrong position.
Whether, you know, a buzzer goes off.
I think there's the old and the new
when it comes to Tokyo.
There's kind of a Zen-like quality
to the room. It's really nice.
You've got these Japanese shades
on the window,
and yet you've got a robotic toilet,
and that's the combination that I think
I'm gonna be navigating here in Japan.
But for now, I've got to navigate
my way to meet up with Albo again.
It's a bar called Hoshigumi.
He's invited me to Sankaku Chitai,
one of the few areas of Tokyo
that's yet to be redeveloped.
Right now,
it's old and a little ramshackle.
I know the feeling.
There's a whole alley
thing happening. I can't read the signs.
I don't exactly know where we are.
Eugene, you made it.
This is my friend Masa.
- Nice to meet you.
- Hi. Nice to meet you.
He is my Japanese friend. And why don't
we start you off with some drinks?
Yeah, he's drinking Japanese craft beer.
I'm drinking whiskey and tonic water.
You're gonna be dangerous.
- I'll have a Japanese beer.
- Okay.
This is kind of what the bar scene
is like in this section.
Very hip with the younger set,
which I'm now part of.
Yes. Arigatou.
- Nice Japanese.
- Yes.
So, when you drink beer,
we always say kanpai.
Kanpai means to cheers.
- Kanpai.
- Yeah.
Kanpai. Clink.
- Masa, what do you do?
- I am an office worker.
The word in Japanese is sarariman.
- Okay.
- ...which translated is "salaryman."
I've heard that the hours
that you guys put in are insane.
The Japanese people tend to find
part of their identity
in the place that they work.
- It becomes their tribe.
- Okay.
And then after work,
you have to go drinking with them.
Sometimes you have to go
all the way to next morning.
Stop it!
You have to go out with your boss
and drink all night?
- Yes.
- It's pretty common.
Work-life balance can sometimes be
pretty difficult for a lot of folks here.
The yakisoba is here.
Dig in, fellas.
Whenever you have your noodles,
you do like this.
- You slurp it.
- Slurp your food?
That's how you get the flavor
to ride up the noodles.
The other reason is to let the chef know
that you're really enjoying your meal.
Instead of saying,
"Excuse me, this is really good,"
- you let him know by the sound...
- Of you eating.
The slurping.
That's something I have
to get used to a little bit.
He really likes it.
You're doing good.
I tried doing it. It's not that easy.
I feel like if I suck it in,
I'm gonna choke to death.
It's a bad way to go, slurping noodles.
That's not something
you want in your epitaph.
You're doing good.
I actually love this little place.
I've been here for 12 years.
I still basically feel like you do today.
There's so many fascinating small nuances
about what life in Japan is like.
Every day, peeling away the layers
of the onion.
I'm all for that.
- Kanpai.
- Kanpai.
Welcome to Japan, Eugene.
A hundred and fifty-four years ago,
Kyoto was the capital of Japan
until the emperor decided
to relocate to the city of Edo,
renaming it Tokyo,
meaning "eastern capital."
Good enough for the emperor,
good enough for me.
I had a very comfortable sleep
in my futon.
It did take me about ten minutes
to get up off the bed,
but, you know, I guess I need
the exercise, so that's good.
I'm excited to explore the city.
I'd love to be able to go back
and just say to my son Daniel,
"Okay. Everything you talked to me
about Tokyo, I absolutely agree.
It's an insane city.
Everything you loved, I loved."
Because it's constantly changing,
Tokyo has been described
as a city with no memory,
and that's a quote from someone
whose name I now forget.
Wow. That's an amazing interior.
This is old Japan to me.
With the world's largest
commuter population,
unsurprisingly,
Tokyo also boasts the busiest station.
So, in a country
that gave us the bullet train
and the first mass-produced electric car,
the transportation the hotel
has provided me is a bit unexpected.
- Hello.
- Hello.
- How are you? Eugene.
- Yeah. Eugene, so nice to meet you.
- This is Kay.
- Kay.
- And your car is ready.
- Look at this.
I'm actually surprised that rickshaws
are still a viable mode of transportation
in a modern city like Tokyo.
Yeah. Now this is used
just for the sightseeing attractions.
- Is it a fun job for you?
- Yes, it's really fun.
- 'Cause I was feeling a little guilty.
- You shouldn't feel that.
- I was born to run.
- I love that.
"I was born to run."
And I was born to sit.
- Yeah. Let's... Yes, of course.
- Let's give it a go, shall we?
Please... Yeah, watch your step.
Hopefully, he'll be a pretty fast guy,
because it's a hot day and,
you know, I could use the breeze.
I'm gonna fasten the seat belt
just for safety.
How fast do you go?
Please lean back and relax.
One, two, three.
So, now let's get started.
- So far, so good.
- Thank you so much, Mr. Levy.
So, you've been doing this
for how long, Kay?
This is the 19th years for me.
What's the longest run that you've had?
- Maybe eight hours.
- Eight hours?
Where did you go? Kyoto.
No.
What is it you love about this town?
Yeah. There are
so many different things to do.
Yeah. Here in Tokyo.
Some weird and crazy cultures.
Everything coexisting together.
Does it ever get dangerous
for you out here?
Yeah, because we run with,
like, very big cars like this.
Yeah.
Well, it's very important that you
stay safe while you're working out here,
'cause I'll never find
my way back to the hotel.
For now, I sit back,
let Tokyo native, Kay, do the legwork
and take me to one of the city's oldest
and most popular tourist areas, Asakusa.
- Time flies. Yeah.
- Time does fly. Incredible.
- Arigatou.
- No, this is, like,
the perfect way to get around.
- Arigatou.
- Thank you.
He's one of the most animated characters
that I think I've ever come across.
Insanely great.
As introductions to a city go,
that was pretty unique.
But I can't rely on others
to literally carry me around,
so it's time to venture out on foot.
I do notice how quiet
it is on the streets.
You don't hear anybody yelling,
you don't hear car horns.
It's just unusual for a city this size.
And to uncover the delights of Asakusa,
I've arranged to meet up with a guide.
But I doubt I'll meet anyone again
as delightfully colorful as Kay.
- Hi.
- Konnichiwa.
I may have spoken too soon.
My name is Cyber Bunny.
- And do I say "Cyber," or...
- Call me Cyber Bunny.
- Cyber Bunny.
- Yes.
Cyber Bunny has a reputation
as unique as her name.
She's a cultural vlogger so influential,
she's on the Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 list.
I make a lot of videos and content
about bridging the gap
between the East and the West,
kind of educating the audience about
these unwritten rules of Japanese culture.
- Have you ever had mochi?
- Mochi?
Mochi is a traditional
Japanese sweet. There you go.
- That's a big bite.
- Now you tell me.
Okay. It's an unwritten rule
that you're not supposed to walk and eat
at the same time, so...
That's an amazing unwritten rule. In fact,
they should now make it a written rule.
- Shall we?
- Yes.
Four hundred years ago,
this part of town was
the bustling entertainment district.
So, it's very fitting for you to be here.
It's like the LA, the Hollywood of Japan.
People now often visit dressed in kimonos
as a way of connecting
with Japanese tradition.
Frankly, I'm feeling underdressed.
We're about to go to Senso-ji temple,
and it is the oldest temple in Tokyo.
We come here to pray,
pay respects to the god and our ancestors.
We also draw our fortunes.
I'm not into fortune-telling myself.
Why would you wanna know
what's gonna happen?
I don't want to wake up every morning
thinking about my own demise.
- So, your number is 78.
- Seventy-eight. This one?
Number 78. The highest, excellent fortune.
You got the best one.
Okay. Now, this wasn't planned.
Not rigged.
Got the highest, most excellent.
- Actually...
- What?
...there's an unwritten rule
that if you get the best fortune,
it's actually really bad.
And why would you say that?
Why would you say it's really bad
when I was so happy
that I got the highest,
most excellent fortune?
Because life is about ups and downs.
Sometimes you just want to be normal,
- no highs up then lows.
- Yeah.
So, you can keep this or you can leave it.
- I'm gonna keep it...
- Sure.
...and I'll keep reading it
because it was so excellent.
You are quite the lucky man, Eugene.
I would say so.
Obviously, this prediction
of incredibly bad good luck
has got me worried.
You won't be surprised to hear
that my mind tends to catastrophize.
So, in a city prone to natural disasters,
guess where my thoughts are heading.
I was in an earthquake, I remember,
in Los Angeles about 15, 20 years ago.
It was a very mellow kind
of rocking situation
where you wake up, you feel everything,
you know, doing this.
I think they have more violent earthquakes
here, and I know they have more of them.
I say "more of them,"
but that's an understatement.
I'm actually in the most
seismically active zone on Earth.
Why am I here?
Could something happen right now?
I don't know.
Tokyo's huge population lives
where three tectonic plates meet,
which means earthquakes.
It's also severely vulnerable to floods
and typhoons.
I hope Eugene's gonna be okay.
These could be pretty intense.
What's it like to be
a true Tokyoite? I'm about to find out.
I've reluctantly decided to take Albo
and Masa up on an unusual invitation.
I don't know whether I trust those two,
to be honest.
- Hey, gentlemen.
- Hey.
Konnichiwa.
This is the "Honjo Life Safety
Learning Center."
School kids come here to learn about
natural disasters.
Good enough for school kids,
good enough for me.
Eugene, this is Tamora-san.
So, here you're gonna experience
the strong winds
that you would actually experience
in a real typhoon.
Okay.
Tamora- san
has obviously got wind of the fact
that I'm already earthquake savvy,
so he's escalating my training
to stage two
of the disaster survival manual: typhoons.
And then also very, very strong rain.
Okay. It's not quite what I expected.
Personally, I never leave home
without checking the forecast,
but apparently here, you need
to be prepared for all eventualities.
And that comes with boots.
Luckily,
they're giving me all the safety gear
I wouldn't have in an actual typhoon.
- Masa.
- Yeah?
You've done this before?
I've experienced it
when I was a little kid.
All right. Well, he survived.
Here we go.
All right.
Okay.
I've never seen a man
who enjoys a disaster more.
All right. Let's go.
Turns out I was right
not to trust Albo and Masa.
But I'm not gonna give Tamora- san
the satisfaction of getting washed away.
- Okay?
- Okay.
Why is he so happy about this?
- Ready?
- Look down.
And hold on to your dear life.
You guys are gonna experience
30-meters-per-second wind
and 50-milliliters-per-hour rain.
Three, two, one, go!
Eugene: They're not kidding around here.
Eugene: Masa, how you doing back there?
Masa: I can't hear you, Eugene.
I have done my own stunts.
It's common knowledge.
Cruise, Levy, known for doing
their own stunt work.
That's what a typhoon feels like?
I could easily have brought in a stuntman,
put him in this.
Nobody would have known.
Put the glasses on.
Yes.
- Couldn't be happier.
- Yeah.
But I did it myself,
and that's why I work.
It was much more intense
than what I was expecting.
If you have nothing to hold on to,
sayonara, right?
And unfortunately,
you're not always going to have
a smiling Tamora- san
to tell you what to do.
Okay.
Tokyo is a massive city
with an enormously large population,
and they do have natural disasters.
There's a lot of stuff coming at them,
and yet, there's a calmness
that runs through the population.
With all this coming in,
they get through it, you know, like that.
I mean, it's just... it's quite amazing.
After taking on a typhoon, I'm meeting
back up with Cyber Bunny for dinner.
We're aiming to relax, enjoy fine food
and not think about natural disasters.
It's getting kinda busy.
Tokyo really is a tale of two cities,
a fascinating fusion of the traditional
and the high tech.
After delving into its past, I'm now eager
to explore its modernistic present.
It's like 12 storeys of video signage.
You ever seen anything like that before?
Well, this is one of the most
exhilarating walks to dinner
that I think I've had in my life.
The Japanese capital
is a food lover's paradise,
boasting more Michelin-starred restaurants
than any other city.
And here at the Sagaya restaurant,
I've been promised the perfect combination
of technology, food and art.
Konnichiwa. Good to see you again.
- Cyber Bunny, my goodness.
- What do you think?
I've never seen anything quite like it.
So, we're being joined for dinner by...
- Erica.
- Erica.
And Chris.
This is a restaurant where people show up,
- and you just dine with whoever...
- With strangers.
- Strangers.
- ...is here.
And it's awfully nice meeting you both.
It'll be fun.
Communal dining is increasingly popular
in Tokyo's restaurant scene.
Hi, Eugene. Nice to meet you.
I can't imagine
how they came up with this.
Fortunately, Saka, a member of the team
behind the experience,
is here to explain more.
...Moon Flower, which is a special room
where you can have a multisensory dining
experience inside one of our artworks.
Wow, that's a concept. What's behind it?
So, once the dishes come out,
you'll see that the world
that is contained inside the dish
kind of expands outwards
and unfolds onto the table
and into the larger space.
I'm excited.
Over 92% of this city has no green space.
The solution could not be more Tokyo:
Fill an indoor space
with a simulation of nature.
Look, a little bird.
- That's your dinner.
- If you can catch it, yes.
Are you a foodie?
I love food.
I don't have exotic tastes.
For example, I'm not a sushi eater.
You've never had sushi?
No.
- Is it the raw fish?
- Yeah.
Not for me. Cook it.
Put it over a fire. Grill it good.
I stand alone.
Billions of people eat it, love it.
It's me. I'm the odd man out here.
Maybe it's time that I just jump the fence
and start...
Well, something's coming down here.
- This is a sashimi composition.
- Uh-huh.
And it's made with the sea urchin.
On the right, it's a Japanese conger eel.
If you look at the space around you now,
- there's water flowing across the table.
- Water.
And where your dishes are placed,
the water parts.
To be honest,
I'm finding it difficult to concentrate
on the stunning visuals because
I'm too worried about offending my hosts.
Well, don't wait for me.
Believe me, don't wait for me.
Today's the day
you're gonna try something new.
If the rest of the world can enjoy sushi,
come on, Levy, you can too.
I tasted it, and it was okay.
It's not bad.
It's not bad?
Now moving on to something else.
Here we go.
That is good. Give it a little dip.
This is good. This I'm eating.
Look at this.
For trying new things.
I love being pushed.
It's good for me.
And if I don't get pushed,
things like this
simply ain't gonna happen for me.
And look at the flowers changing. Wow.
There's fish in this river.
But there's new flowers blooming.
Wow.
This is really something.
It creates a connection
between other people in the space
that you might have otherwise
not have the chance to talk to.
'Cause we seem like old friends now
and we just met, right?
Yeah.
Well, this is really incredible.
From immersive dining to ancient temples,
it feels almost as though
this complex city
is gradually revealing itself to me,
layer by layer.
I thought everything would feel
more foreign to me when I got here,
but I'm finding that I'm more comfortable
in this city than I thought I would be.
I've surprised myself
with my culinary adventurousness.
I've even had my first
successful encounter with raw fish.
But this morning, I've had a tip-off that
the Japanese also excel at something
a little more in keeping
with my pedestrian palate.
Well, my son, Daniel,
told me that the best egg salad sandwich
he ever had
was right here in Tokyo,
so I'm on the hunt.
Apparently, they're easy to find,
but not today.
I know they've tackled cars
and electronics over the years,
but now they've taken on the big one:
the egg salad sandwich.
Looks promising.
- There's nothing but egg salad?
- Yeah.
No more calls. We have a winner.
Arigatou.
Thank you. Gonna make my son very happy.
Egg salad is something
I've been eating my whole life.
You don't know what a moment
this is for me.
It's like a brunch routine
my mom had every Sunday.
It's a thing of beauty.
Look at the size of this sandwich.
So, egg salad
was something I've been making
the same way my mom made it,
and it's just the one thing
I never get tired of eating.
Wow, this is good.
Delicious as it was,
even I can't let an egg salad sandwich
be my last taste of Tokyo.
This is like restaurant row.
There seem to be a lot of eateries.
So, I'm back on the hunt...
Wow.
...to find something more traditional.
This is the first reference to sumo
that I've seen since I've been here.
I would hate to leave Japan
and not having seen what would
be considered their national sport.
Sumo dates back all the way to 23 BC
and is a quintessentially
Japanese art form.
So, you know who I need
to give me some expert sumo info?
Eugene.
An Irishman.
- Hi.
- Hi. Welcome to the sumo dohyo.
Obviously, you're not Japanese?
No, but I came to Japan 20 years ago,
fell in love with the country,
and then I was back to living here.
Okay.
And I've been here and involved in this
sport for two decades in all capacities.
Interestingly, John's another person
so enamored with this city,
that he's decided to make it home.
I know very little about this sport.
Why did it start?
Originally, they brought the strongest
champions from each part of the country,
and they performed
in front of the emperor.
In that first sumo bout, the loser died.
So, it was literally
a life or death beginning.
Do you wanna see some guys get beat up?
I will, from a distance. Sure.
Onegaishimasu.
Those are big guys. Big guys.
Eugene. How a bout starts is like this:
Two wrestlers squat down.
They clap their hands.
And when the two of them
are ready at the same time, they go.
So, you can feel the impact,
the power, the strength of these guys.
I like to avoid violence at all costs.
I don't really like to get
that close to it.
If you can push your opponent
out of the ring
or if they touch any part of the surface
of the ring
with anything
except the soles of their feet, they lose.
Wow.
In sumo, there's a referee.
His job, basically,
is to keep the action going
and to keep everything flowing smoothly.
You think you're ready to give it a go?
Me, give it a go? Sure. Yeah.
So, there are three words
that you need to know.
The first one is matta nashi.
Matta nashi.
A matta nashi means
there's no more time. Let's get it going.
Hakkeyoi!
Don't stop. Keep going. Hakkeyoi!
So, it's used when they are not really
fighting, and the action slows down.
Yoi, Hakkeyoi!
And then, the one that you hear
most often is nokotta.
Nokotta, nokotta. Nokotta, nokotta.
Which basically means you're still in.
It's not over.
- N...
- Nokotta, nokotta.
- Matta nashi.
- Matta nashi.
- That's the first one.
- "Hattenoi."
- Hakkeyoi.
- Hakkeyoi.
I can't remember.
And then the last one is?
- No...
- No...
- Noko...
- Noko...
- Nokotta.
- Nokotta.
Perfect.
I'll get a refresher before we get back in
because you know the guys are gonna be...
They'll actually turn around
and smack me, I think.
All right. Okay.
Boy, this is actually kind of fun.
And with that,
I'm ready to step into the ring.
Matta nashi.
- You want to exude an air of confidence.
- Yeah.
You are the person
who is running the show.
I'll let them know who's what.
And the stage directions don't end there.
John has gone all Scorsese on me.
What you're holding in your hands
is a gunbai.
So, this is a war fan.
You need to point the fan
to the direction of the winner
and say shobu ari.
Shobu ari.
- More, more, more. Like angrier.
- Shobu ari.
- A little less angry than that.
- Shobu ari.
- That's it.
- You can step out now.
I like that.
Matta nashi.
Hakkeyoi.
Nokotta, nokotta. Nokotta, nokotta.
Even though it's a foreign language,
I lived and breathed
the words that I was saying.
Nokotta, nokotta. Nokotta.
And the two sumo guys certainly knew
the import of what I was saying.
Nokotta, nokotta.
Nokotta, nokotta.
Shobu ari.
- That was excellent.
- That was pretty good?
- You got it. You were perfect.
- Scary enough?
I felt like I had respect and the fear
of the wrestlers who were in the ring.
There are very few referees that take
the attention away from the wrestlers,
but if anyone could do it,
I have faith in you.
Well, thank you, John.
And coming from you,
that actually means a lot.
Hakkeyoi.
You know, I think I can see
why John and others
have fallen in love with Tokyo.
Nokotta, nokotta. Nokotta.
Sumo is a visual spectacle
which appears simple at first,
but immerse yourself in it,
and there's so much more to discover.
And in that respect,
it's a parallel for the city.
Wow, this is insanity.
On my final walk back to the hotel,
after facing down two wrestlers,
Tokyo has one last challenge for me:
Crossing from one side of the street
to the other.
Look at this. This is something, isn't it?
I've never seen masses like this.
It really is Times Square, but times ten.
At Shibuya Crossing,
the world's busiest intersection,
rush hour starts when the sun comes up
and lasts all day.
Let's see what happens
before I actually venture out.
3,000 pedestrians step out
at every green light.
Now that I've been here a few days,
I'm confident
if the other 2,999 can make it, so can I.
I'm gonna follow the crowd. Come on.
Do you see anybody
bumping into anybody? No.
It's kind of miraculously organized.
It's like crossing the street
with the city of Toronto.
I did have three concerns when I got here:
the culture, the language and the food.
Culture: really terrific.
Language: I didn't have a problem.
Food: still have to get used to
a little bit, but I'll work on that.
I crossed at Shibuya.
This is really insanely beautiful.
It's really hard to put into words
exactly what it is about this city
that kind of embraces you.
It's a complicated nation.
There's old and there's new.
I don't gravitate to either end
of that spectrum.
And yet, I found a pathway
in between those two things
that I found quite comfortable.
My son, Daniel, said,
"You know, when you go to Tokyo,
you're gonna want
to go back again and again."
I think, in order to unpeel
all the layers that are Tokyo,
it will take another trip or two.
So, the kid was right.
once said, "The world is a book,
and those who don't travel
read only one page."
Well, I've gotta say,
I've read a few pages,
and I'm not crazy about the book.
I don't look forward to traveling
for a number of reasons.
When it's too cold,
I'm not comfortable.
Ice swimming, naked?
- Yes.
- Well, that's a terrific invitation.
When it's too warm, guess what?
I'm not comfortable.
I can't move that fast.
- But I'm 75.
- You need some help?
No, I got it.
And maybe it's time to expand my horizons.
Oh, my God.
First time I've had my hand
up an elephant's ass.
On the plus side,
I'm staying at some unbelievable hotels.
Oh, my. This is spectacular.
The catch is, I've also agreed
to explore what lies outside.
- Watch your step.
- No kidding.
- Beautiful mountain.
- That's a volcano.
That's a volcano?
A world I've spent my whole life avoiding.
Whoa. Sadie.
Oh, my God.
Just surviving would be great.
This is the last time
I have five vodkas with a Finn.
For me, a trip to Tokyo
was never in the cards.
I have concerns.
Cultural chasms I've never traversed.
A diet too exotic to enjoy.
A language tug-of-war I will never win.
And it brings new meaning
to the word bustling.
My son, Daniel, has been here many times,
and he has raved about this country.
He kept saying,
"You've got to go to Japan.
You will love it when you get there."
So, on his orders, we are here.
But I am a very different beast to my son.
He's a carefree cosmopolitan,
whereas I'm cautious and conventional.
It's hard for me
to find my place just about anywhere.
So the world's biggest city
feels especially overwhelming.
I'm gonna need a lift from someone
who can help me navigate it.
Unfortunately, I'm built for comfort
rather than speed,
so let's see how this goes.
- Hey, Eugene. Konnichiwa.
- Konnichiwa.
- Throw your stuff in the trunk.
- You got it.
- Brought your entourage.
- This is my crew.
To show me around the Japanese capital,
I've got a guide who's traveled halfway
around the world to make this city home.
Yeah, it's a little bit low.
- Sorry about that.
- No cars for old men.
- It's Japan-sized.
- Get it in.
Eugene.
- Albo.
- Are you ready?
Yeah. I'm as ready as I can be.
I'm gonna be taking you to your hotel.
- Every now and then I might floor it.
- Uh-huh.
And when he said, "Floor it,"
boy, he wasn't kidding.
- How was that?
- Scary. That was scary.
Once a humble fishing village,
Tokyo now has a population of 40 million.
The same as Canada,
in only .02% of the space.
- I'm also actually from Toronto, so...
- You're from Toronto?
When did you leave for Tokyo and why?
I was just enamored with something
that seemed like a different world.
Albo's not alone.
One in ten Tokyoites, now in their 20s,
were born abroad.
So, what is it exactly about this town
that you love so much?
Growing up, I loved anime
and Japanese movies and TV shows.
The best way I can describe it is,
you get this sense of nostalgia
for a place you've never, ever been.
So, to come here
and experience it for myself,
it's literally a video game
brought to life.
I kind of feel like I'm in a video game
right now, to be honest.
The millions of people who've made
this city home must be on to something.
I'm intrigued to find out
what that something is.
This is like the center of
big city life in Tokyo.
Wow. This is major. Look at the people.
This is a very cool way to come into
what looks like a very cool city.
- Looping around over here, and we're here.
- That was something.
Wow.
- Maybe we can jack it up a little.
- Just for you.
Thank you so much. That was great.
For the next few days,
I'll be staying behind this ornate lattice
metal facade at the Hoshinoya Hotel.
It's a mix of luxury, high tech
and traditional Japanese simplicity,
not unlike the city itself.
- Hello.
- Hello. Welcome to Hoshinoya Tokyo.
- Well, thank you.
- Please take off your shoes here. Yes.
Good thing I'm not wearing
knee-high lace-ups.
I get that it's tradition,
but not wearing shoes
just makes me a little anxious
about the condition of my socks.
- Good evening.
- Hi.
My name is Yuka,
and I'd love to show you around.
Yes, let's do that.
The hotel is a contemporary ryokan,
a traditional type of Japanese inn
that flourished 400 hundred years ago.
We have the Japanese-style shoji screens,
as well as the tatami floors.
Very nice. And I noticed the bed
looks like it's sitting on the floor.
- You look a little bit horrified.
- No, not saying it could be problematic
for somebody my age.
But might take some contortions,
let's say, to get up and off the bed.
So, over here we have our bathroom.
Japanese people love taking baths.
So, here's our toilet.
Like having a little pal in here,
isn't it?
Well, Yuka, thank you for the tour.
- I hope you enjoy your stay with us.
- I'm sure I will.
But first, I'm gonna take
some time getting used to this bathroom.
Is a bit complicated.
I don't trust a toilet
that's more versatile than I am.
This says pressure. That's kind of scary.
You don't know whether
it's pushing you up or sucking you down.
There's a thing that says position.
I don't know whether you get reprimanded
for being in the wrong position.
Whether, you know, a buzzer goes off.
I think there's the old and the new
when it comes to Tokyo.
There's kind of a Zen-like quality
to the room. It's really nice.
You've got these Japanese shades
on the window,
and yet you've got a robotic toilet,
and that's the combination that I think
I'm gonna be navigating here in Japan.
But for now, I've got to navigate
my way to meet up with Albo again.
It's a bar called Hoshigumi.
He's invited me to Sankaku Chitai,
one of the few areas of Tokyo
that's yet to be redeveloped.
Right now,
it's old and a little ramshackle.
I know the feeling.
There's a whole alley
thing happening. I can't read the signs.
I don't exactly know where we are.
Eugene, you made it.
This is my friend Masa.
- Nice to meet you.
- Hi. Nice to meet you.
He is my Japanese friend. And why don't
we start you off with some drinks?
Yeah, he's drinking Japanese craft beer.
I'm drinking whiskey and tonic water.
You're gonna be dangerous.
- I'll have a Japanese beer.
- Okay.
This is kind of what the bar scene
is like in this section.
Very hip with the younger set,
which I'm now part of.
Yes. Arigatou.
- Nice Japanese.
- Yes.
So, when you drink beer,
we always say kanpai.
Kanpai means to cheers.
- Kanpai.
- Yeah.
Kanpai. Clink.
- Masa, what do you do?
- I am an office worker.
The word in Japanese is sarariman.
- Okay.
- ...which translated is "salaryman."
I've heard that the hours
that you guys put in are insane.
The Japanese people tend to find
part of their identity
in the place that they work.
- It becomes their tribe.
- Okay.
And then after work,
you have to go drinking with them.
Sometimes you have to go
all the way to next morning.
Stop it!
You have to go out with your boss
and drink all night?
- Yes.
- It's pretty common.
Work-life balance can sometimes be
pretty difficult for a lot of folks here.
The yakisoba is here.
Dig in, fellas.
Whenever you have your noodles,
you do like this.
- You slurp it.
- Slurp your food?
That's how you get the flavor
to ride up the noodles.
The other reason is to let the chef know
that you're really enjoying your meal.
Instead of saying,
"Excuse me, this is really good,"
- you let him know by the sound...
- Of you eating.
The slurping.
That's something I have
to get used to a little bit.
He really likes it.
You're doing good.
I tried doing it. It's not that easy.
I feel like if I suck it in,
I'm gonna choke to death.
It's a bad way to go, slurping noodles.
That's not something
you want in your epitaph.
You're doing good.
I actually love this little place.
I've been here for 12 years.
I still basically feel like you do today.
There's so many fascinating small nuances
about what life in Japan is like.
Every day, peeling away the layers
of the onion.
I'm all for that.
- Kanpai.
- Kanpai.
Welcome to Japan, Eugene.
A hundred and fifty-four years ago,
Kyoto was the capital of Japan
until the emperor decided
to relocate to the city of Edo,
renaming it Tokyo,
meaning "eastern capital."
Good enough for the emperor,
good enough for me.
I had a very comfortable sleep
in my futon.
It did take me about ten minutes
to get up off the bed,
but, you know, I guess I need
the exercise, so that's good.
I'm excited to explore the city.
I'd love to be able to go back
and just say to my son Daniel,
"Okay. Everything you talked to me
about Tokyo, I absolutely agree.
It's an insane city.
Everything you loved, I loved."
Because it's constantly changing,
Tokyo has been described
as a city with no memory,
and that's a quote from someone
whose name I now forget.
Wow. That's an amazing interior.
This is old Japan to me.
With the world's largest
commuter population,
unsurprisingly,
Tokyo also boasts the busiest station.
So, in a country
that gave us the bullet train
and the first mass-produced electric car,
the transportation the hotel
has provided me is a bit unexpected.
- Hello.
- Hello.
- How are you? Eugene.
- Yeah. Eugene, so nice to meet you.
- This is Kay.
- Kay.
- And your car is ready.
- Look at this.
I'm actually surprised that rickshaws
are still a viable mode of transportation
in a modern city like Tokyo.
Yeah. Now this is used
just for the sightseeing attractions.
- Is it a fun job for you?
- Yes, it's really fun.
- 'Cause I was feeling a little guilty.
- You shouldn't feel that.
- I was born to run.
- I love that.
"I was born to run."
And I was born to sit.
- Yeah. Let's... Yes, of course.
- Let's give it a go, shall we?
Please... Yeah, watch your step.
Hopefully, he'll be a pretty fast guy,
because it's a hot day and,
you know, I could use the breeze.
I'm gonna fasten the seat belt
just for safety.
How fast do you go?
Please lean back and relax.
One, two, three.
So, now let's get started.
- So far, so good.
- Thank you so much, Mr. Levy.
So, you've been doing this
for how long, Kay?
This is the 19th years for me.
What's the longest run that you've had?
- Maybe eight hours.
- Eight hours?
Where did you go? Kyoto.
No.
What is it you love about this town?
Yeah. There are
so many different things to do.
Yeah. Here in Tokyo.
Some weird and crazy cultures.
Everything coexisting together.
Does it ever get dangerous
for you out here?
Yeah, because we run with,
like, very big cars like this.
Yeah.
Well, it's very important that you
stay safe while you're working out here,
'cause I'll never find
my way back to the hotel.
For now, I sit back,
let Tokyo native, Kay, do the legwork
and take me to one of the city's oldest
and most popular tourist areas, Asakusa.
- Time flies. Yeah.
- Time does fly. Incredible.
- Arigatou.
- No, this is, like,
the perfect way to get around.
- Arigatou.
- Thank you.
He's one of the most animated characters
that I think I've ever come across.
Insanely great.
As introductions to a city go,
that was pretty unique.
But I can't rely on others
to literally carry me around,
so it's time to venture out on foot.
I do notice how quiet
it is on the streets.
You don't hear anybody yelling,
you don't hear car horns.
It's just unusual for a city this size.
And to uncover the delights of Asakusa,
I've arranged to meet up with a guide.
But I doubt I'll meet anyone again
as delightfully colorful as Kay.
- Hi.
- Konnichiwa.
I may have spoken too soon.
My name is Cyber Bunny.
- And do I say "Cyber," or...
- Call me Cyber Bunny.
- Cyber Bunny.
- Yes.
Cyber Bunny has a reputation
as unique as her name.
She's a cultural vlogger so influential,
she's on the Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 list.
I make a lot of videos and content
about bridging the gap
between the East and the West,
kind of educating the audience about
these unwritten rules of Japanese culture.
- Have you ever had mochi?
- Mochi?
Mochi is a traditional
Japanese sweet. There you go.
- That's a big bite.
- Now you tell me.
Okay. It's an unwritten rule
that you're not supposed to walk and eat
at the same time, so...
That's an amazing unwritten rule. In fact,
they should now make it a written rule.
- Shall we?
- Yes.
Four hundred years ago,
this part of town was
the bustling entertainment district.
So, it's very fitting for you to be here.
It's like the LA, the Hollywood of Japan.
People now often visit dressed in kimonos
as a way of connecting
with Japanese tradition.
Frankly, I'm feeling underdressed.
We're about to go to Senso-ji temple,
and it is the oldest temple in Tokyo.
We come here to pray,
pay respects to the god and our ancestors.
We also draw our fortunes.
I'm not into fortune-telling myself.
Why would you wanna know
what's gonna happen?
I don't want to wake up every morning
thinking about my own demise.
- So, your number is 78.
- Seventy-eight. This one?
Number 78. The highest, excellent fortune.
You got the best one.
Okay. Now, this wasn't planned.
Not rigged.
Got the highest, most excellent.
- Actually...
- What?
...there's an unwritten rule
that if you get the best fortune,
it's actually really bad.
And why would you say that?
Why would you say it's really bad
when I was so happy
that I got the highest,
most excellent fortune?
Because life is about ups and downs.
Sometimes you just want to be normal,
- no highs up then lows.
- Yeah.
So, you can keep this or you can leave it.
- I'm gonna keep it...
- Sure.
...and I'll keep reading it
because it was so excellent.
You are quite the lucky man, Eugene.
I would say so.
Obviously, this prediction
of incredibly bad good luck
has got me worried.
You won't be surprised to hear
that my mind tends to catastrophize.
So, in a city prone to natural disasters,
guess where my thoughts are heading.
I was in an earthquake, I remember,
in Los Angeles about 15, 20 years ago.
It was a very mellow kind
of rocking situation
where you wake up, you feel everything,
you know, doing this.
I think they have more violent earthquakes
here, and I know they have more of them.
I say "more of them,"
but that's an understatement.
I'm actually in the most
seismically active zone on Earth.
Why am I here?
Could something happen right now?
I don't know.
Tokyo's huge population lives
where three tectonic plates meet,
which means earthquakes.
It's also severely vulnerable to floods
and typhoons.
I hope Eugene's gonna be okay.
These could be pretty intense.
What's it like to be
a true Tokyoite? I'm about to find out.
I've reluctantly decided to take Albo
and Masa up on an unusual invitation.
I don't know whether I trust those two,
to be honest.
- Hey, gentlemen.
- Hey.
Konnichiwa.
This is the "Honjo Life Safety
Learning Center."
School kids come here to learn about
natural disasters.
Good enough for school kids,
good enough for me.
Eugene, this is Tamora-san.
So, here you're gonna experience
the strong winds
that you would actually experience
in a real typhoon.
Okay.
Tamora- san
has obviously got wind of the fact
that I'm already earthquake savvy,
so he's escalating my training
to stage two
of the disaster survival manual: typhoons.
And then also very, very strong rain.
Okay. It's not quite what I expected.
Personally, I never leave home
without checking the forecast,
but apparently here, you need
to be prepared for all eventualities.
And that comes with boots.
Luckily,
they're giving me all the safety gear
I wouldn't have in an actual typhoon.
- Masa.
- Yeah?
You've done this before?
I've experienced it
when I was a little kid.
All right. Well, he survived.
Here we go.
All right.
Okay.
I've never seen a man
who enjoys a disaster more.
All right. Let's go.
Turns out I was right
not to trust Albo and Masa.
But I'm not gonna give Tamora- san
the satisfaction of getting washed away.
- Okay?
- Okay.
Why is he so happy about this?
- Ready?
- Look down.
And hold on to your dear life.
You guys are gonna experience
30-meters-per-second wind
and 50-milliliters-per-hour rain.
Three, two, one, go!
Eugene: They're not kidding around here.
Eugene: Masa, how you doing back there?
Masa: I can't hear you, Eugene.
I have done my own stunts.
It's common knowledge.
Cruise, Levy, known for doing
their own stunt work.
That's what a typhoon feels like?
I could easily have brought in a stuntman,
put him in this.
Nobody would have known.
Put the glasses on.
Yes.
- Couldn't be happier.
- Yeah.
But I did it myself,
and that's why I work.
It was much more intense
than what I was expecting.
If you have nothing to hold on to,
sayonara, right?
And unfortunately,
you're not always going to have
a smiling Tamora- san
to tell you what to do.
Okay.
Tokyo is a massive city
with an enormously large population,
and they do have natural disasters.
There's a lot of stuff coming at them,
and yet, there's a calmness
that runs through the population.
With all this coming in,
they get through it, you know, like that.
I mean, it's just... it's quite amazing.
After taking on a typhoon, I'm meeting
back up with Cyber Bunny for dinner.
We're aiming to relax, enjoy fine food
and not think about natural disasters.
It's getting kinda busy.
Tokyo really is a tale of two cities,
a fascinating fusion of the traditional
and the high tech.
After delving into its past, I'm now eager
to explore its modernistic present.
It's like 12 storeys of video signage.
You ever seen anything like that before?
Well, this is one of the most
exhilarating walks to dinner
that I think I've had in my life.
The Japanese capital
is a food lover's paradise,
boasting more Michelin-starred restaurants
than any other city.
And here at the Sagaya restaurant,
I've been promised the perfect combination
of technology, food and art.
Konnichiwa. Good to see you again.
- Cyber Bunny, my goodness.
- What do you think?
I've never seen anything quite like it.
So, we're being joined for dinner by...
- Erica.
- Erica.
And Chris.
This is a restaurant where people show up,
- and you just dine with whoever...
- With strangers.
- Strangers.
- ...is here.
And it's awfully nice meeting you both.
It'll be fun.
Communal dining is increasingly popular
in Tokyo's restaurant scene.
Hi, Eugene. Nice to meet you.
I can't imagine
how they came up with this.
Fortunately, Saka, a member of the team
behind the experience,
is here to explain more.
...Moon Flower, which is a special room
where you can have a multisensory dining
experience inside one of our artworks.
Wow, that's a concept. What's behind it?
So, once the dishes come out,
you'll see that the world
that is contained inside the dish
kind of expands outwards
and unfolds onto the table
and into the larger space.
I'm excited.
Over 92% of this city has no green space.
The solution could not be more Tokyo:
Fill an indoor space
with a simulation of nature.
Look, a little bird.
- That's your dinner.
- If you can catch it, yes.
Are you a foodie?
I love food.
I don't have exotic tastes.
For example, I'm not a sushi eater.
You've never had sushi?
No.
- Is it the raw fish?
- Yeah.
Not for me. Cook it.
Put it over a fire. Grill it good.
I stand alone.
Billions of people eat it, love it.
It's me. I'm the odd man out here.
Maybe it's time that I just jump the fence
and start...
Well, something's coming down here.
- This is a sashimi composition.
- Uh-huh.
And it's made with the sea urchin.
On the right, it's a Japanese conger eel.
If you look at the space around you now,
- there's water flowing across the table.
- Water.
And where your dishes are placed,
the water parts.
To be honest,
I'm finding it difficult to concentrate
on the stunning visuals because
I'm too worried about offending my hosts.
Well, don't wait for me.
Believe me, don't wait for me.
Today's the day
you're gonna try something new.
If the rest of the world can enjoy sushi,
come on, Levy, you can too.
I tasted it, and it was okay.
It's not bad.
It's not bad?
Now moving on to something else.
Here we go.
That is good. Give it a little dip.
This is good. This I'm eating.
Look at this.
For trying new things.
I love being pushed.
It's good for me.
And if I don't get pushed,
things like this
simply ain't gonna happen for me.
And look at the flowers changing. Wow.
There's fish in this river.
But there's new flowers blooming.
Wow.
This is really something.
It creates a connection
between other people in the space
that you might have otherwise
not have the chance to talk to.
'Cause we seem like old friends now
and we just met, right?
Yeah.
Well, this is really incredible.
From immersive dining to ancient temples,
it feels almost as though
this complex city
is gradually revealing itself to me,
layer by layer.
I thought everything would feel
more foreign to me when I got here,
but I'm finding that I'm more comfortable
in this city than I thought I would be.
I've surprised myself
with my culinary adventurousness.
I've even had my first
successful encounter with raw fish.
But this morning, I've had a tip-off that
the Japanese also excel at something
a little more in keeping
with my pedestrian palate.
Well, my son, Daniel,
told me that the best egg salad sandwich
he ever had
was right here in Tokyo,
so I'm on the hunt.
Apparently, they're easy to find,
but not today.
I know they've tackled cars
and electronics over the years,
but now they've taken on the big one:
the egg salad sandwich.
Looks promising.
- There's nothing but egg salad?
- Yeah.
No more calls. We have a winner.
Arigatou.
Thank you. Gonna make my son very happy.
Egg salad is something
I've been eating my whole life.
You don't know what a moment
this is for me.
It's like a brunch routine
my mom had every Sunday.
It's a thing of beauty.
Look at the size of this sandwich.
So, egg salad
was something I've been making
the same way my mom made it,
and it's just the one thing
I never get tired of eating.
Wow, this is good.
Delicious as it was,
even I can't let an egg salad sandwich
be my last taste of Tokyo.
This is like restaurant row.
There seem to be a lot of eateries.
So, I'm back on the hunt...
Wow.
...to find something more traditional.
This is the first reference to sumo
that I've seen since I've been here.
I would hate to leave Japan
and not having seen what would
be considered their national sport.
Sumo dates back all the way to 23 BC
and is a quintessentially
Japanese art form.
So, you know who I need
to give me some expert sumo info?
Eugene.
An Irishman.
- Hi.
- Hi. Welcome to the sumo dohyo.
Obviously, you're not Japanese?
No, but I came to Japan 20 years ago,
fell in love with the country,
and then I was back to living here.
Okay.
And I've been here and involved in this
sport for two decades in all capacities.
Interestingly, John's another person
so enamored with this city,
that he's decided to make it home.
I know very little about this sport.
Why did it start?
Originally, they brought the strongest
champions from each part of the country,
and they performed
in front of the emperor.
In that first sumo bout, the loser died.
So, it was literally
a life or death beginning.
Do you wanna see some guys get beat up?
I will, from a distance. Sure.
Onegaishimasu.
Those are big guys. Big guys.
Eugene. How a bout starts is like this:
Two wrestlers squat down.
They clap their hands.
And when the two of them
are ready at the same time, they go.
So, you can feel the impact,
the power, the strength of these guys.
I like to avoid violence at all costs.
I don't really like to get
that close to it.
If you can push your opponent
out of the ring
or if they touch any part of the surface
of the ring
with anything
except the soles of their feet, they lose.
Wow.
In sumo, there's a referee.
His job, basically,
is to keep the action going
and to keep everything flowing smoothly.
You think you're ready to give it a go?
Me, give it a go? Sure. Yeah.
So, there are three words
that you need to know.
The first one is matta nashi.
Matta nashi.
A matta nashi means
there's no more time. Let's get it going.
Hakkeyoi!
Don't stop. Keep going. Hakkeyoi!
So, it's used when they are not really
fighting, and the action slows down.
Yoi, Hakkeyoi!
And then, the one that you hear
most often is nokotta.
Nokotta, nokotta. Nokotta, nokotta.
Which basically means you're still in.
It's not over.
- N...
- Nokotta, nokotta.
- Matta nashi.
- Matta nashi.
- That's the first one.
- "Hattenoi."
- Hakkeyoi.
- Hakkeyoi.
I can't remember.
And then the last one is?
- No...
- No...
- Noko...
- Noko...
- Nokotta.
- Nokotta.
Perfect.
I'll get a refresher before we get back in
because you know the guys are gonna be...
They'll actually turn around
and smack me, I think.
All right. Okay.
Boy, this is actually kind of fun.
And with that,
I'm ready to step into the ring.
Matta nashi.
- You want to exude an air of confidence.
- Yeah.
You are the person
who is running the show.
I'll let them know who's what.
And the stage directions don't end there.
John has gone all Scorsese on me.
What you're holding in your hands
is a gunbai.
So, this is a war fan.
You need to point the fan
to the direction of the winner
and say shobu ari.
Shobu ari.
- More, more, more. Like angrier.
- Shobu ari.
- A little less angry than that.
- Shobu ari.
- That's it.
- You can step out now.
I like that.
Matta nashi.
Hakkeyoi.
Nokotta, nokotta. Nokotta, nokotta.
Even though it's a foreign language,
I lived and breathed
the words that I was saying.
Nokotta, nokotta. Nokotta.
And the two sumo guys certainly knew
the import of what I was saying.
Nokotta, nokotta.
Nokotta, nokotta.
Shobu ari.
- That was excellent.
- That was pretty good?
- You got it. You were perfect.
- Scary enough?
I felt like I had respect and the fear
of the wrestlers who were in the ring.
There are very few referees that take
the attention away from the wrestlers,
but if anyone could do it,
I have faith in you.
Well, thank you, John.
And coming from you,
that actually means a lot.
Hakkeyoi.
You know, I think I can see
why John and others
have fallen in love with Tokyo.
Nokotta, nokotta. Nokotta.
Sumo is a visual spectacle
which appears simple at first,
but immerse yourself in it,
and there's so much more to discover.
And in that respect,
it's a parallel for the city.
Wow, this is insanity.
On my final walk back to the hotel,
after facing down two wrestlers,
Tokyo has one last challenge for me:
Crossing from one side of the street
to the other.
Look at this. This is something, isn't it?
I've never seen masses like this.
It really is Times Square, but times ten.
At Shibuya Crossing,
the world's busiest intersection,
rush hour starts when the sun comes up
and lasts all day.
Let's see what happens
before I actually venture out.
3,000 pedestrians step out
at every green light.
Now that I've been here a few days,
I'm confident
if the other 2,999 can make it, so can I.
I'm gonna follow the crowd. Come on.
Do you see anybody
bumping into anybody? No.
It's kind of miraculously organized.
It's like crossing the street
with the city of Toronto.
I did have three concerns when I got here:
the culture, the language and the food.
Culture: really terrific.
Language: I didn't have a problem.
Food: still have to get used to
a little bit, but I'll work on that.
I crossed at Shibuya.
This is really insanely beautiful.
It's really hard to put into words
exactly what it is about this city
that kind of embraces you.
It's a complicated nation.
There's old and there's new.
I don't gravitate to either end
of that spectrum.
And yet, I found a pathway
in between those two things
that I found quite comfortable.
My son, Daniel, said,
"You know, when you go to Tokyo,
you're gonna want
to go back again and again."
I think, in order to unpeel
all the layers that are Tokyo,
it will take another trip or two.
So, the kid was right.