Friday, December 9, 2011

I Would Need a Tennis Racket for This

 Baseball's big in Japan. Like, USA big. As a matter of fact, several American baseball league players hail from the Rising Sun. This includes (but is not limited to) Daisuke Matsuzaka, a well-known pitcher recognized for his gyro-ball technique, where the ball spins in a fashion similar to that of a bullet. What a baller, eh? No pun intended, I swear.
 Scattered across Tokyo are indoor batting cages. These are similar to driving ranges for golfers. I'm pretty sure there are a few of these in the US. If you manage to hit a tiny little target with the ball a ridiculous number of times (like, 20 to 30) you win a prize. To my knowledge, 30 home-runs has happened once in the entire history of the batting cage Clement and I went to yesterday. The prize was a Nintendo DS, for those of you who wonder. I cannot fathom how this was accomplished. I myself can barely hit the ball without it being a foul. But batting cages are fun! With friends, of course. Definitely a typical Japanese hang-out thing.

Oh, here's something else typically Japanese; Kaiten-zushi, aka sushi-go-around. Delicious and affordable! You just pick up whatever the hell you want, as it goes around on a conveyor belt. It's like a buffet, except you don't have to get up from your god damn seat. Amaaaaaazing.
 Also, every five plates you eat, you get to play a mini-game on a screen beside your table! If you win, you get a toy! I won and gave mine to a kid on a neighboring table.

1 comment: