We take Alex to Shibuya Crossing, the square where we went the night before. Alex comments that "this place beats times square hands down". Little does he know there are 5 other squares just like it in Tokyo. The nightlife in this city is without parallel in my experience. Unlike anywhere in the United States, commercial space occupies the first five or six floors instead of just the one at street level. This leads to a huge variety of stores, bars and clubs stacked one upon another. Many bars are open all night and there are always a multitude of options for food.
Alex finds his size an impediment everywhere he goes here, but I still think it must be cool to stand in a square with 4000 people and look down on them all. Alex needs to duck as he passes under door frames, this country was simply not engineered for someone of his stature. In traditional Japanese restaurants people sit on pads with their legs crossed. The pads are on the floor under tables that are about a foot and a half off the floor. Alex has trouble doing this and we tacitly resolve to avoid traditional restaurants in the future.
