Metropolis
November 20th, 2008
TRAVELOUGE
The one place in Tokyo we normally wouldn’t want to be at 3am is Kabukicho. But one local company is doing its part to make this notorious Shinjuku neighborhood a little more approachable. White Rabbit Press’ Tokyo Realtime Kabukicho (www.tokyorealtime.com) is the first in a series of audio tours of the city. The package retails for US$25 through the website and includes a map, a photo book and an hour-long MP3 that interweaves narration and interviews with sounds recorded in the area. As the listener weaves through the streets filled with bars, strip joints, love hotels and 24-hour restaurants, the guide speaks about the area’s colorful personalities and history, and offers insight into what’s happening behind those doors marked “Japanese Only.” Interviewees include veteran Kabukicho tour guide Lee Xiao Mu (www.leexiaomu.com) and renowned Japanese bondage artist Steve Osada (www.osadasteve.com).
BUY NOW at www.tokyorealtime.com
Tags: Kabukicho, metropolis, Press, shinjuku, Tokyo Realtime