Wednesday, April 17, 2002. 10:05PM.
Planet Hollywood at Ikspiari, Tokyo Disney Resort.
This isn’t where I was expecting to eat dinner. I’ve spent too many trips to the orient in western style restaurants. I promised myself that I would spend more time eating in local establishments on this trip. However, there is no such thing as a local establishment at a resort hotel.
I’m out at dinner with Glen, my contact at SMSC. He’s one of the few people I met before heading to IDF (we’ve corresponded on a few projects). We headed into Ikspiari, the Disney Resort shopping complex, with associates from his local office. They wanted to eat at Planet Hollywood. Perhaps they think they’re doing us a favor by taking us to “familiar surroundings” (despite the fact we never go to Planet Hollywood in the states), or perhaps they just wanted something different tonight. Either way it gets us out of the hotel.
So I’m hanging out eating wings and drinking beer with Glen and his Japanese co-workers. It’s no so bad really … the company is nice and the food is good. One of women is a movie buff, so she’s trying to identify all of the memorabilia attached to the walls. A few are talking to Glen and I about life in US, while the two guys in the corner are trying to coordinate several oversized beers and a large rack of ribs. Several people are glancing at the TV sets, which have now switched from movie clips to a World Cup qualifier.
This Planet Hollywood caters to the kids, since it part of a Disney Resort. The door is staffed by mockups of Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc.. I guess they’re lifesize … it’s hard to tell since they’re based on animation. The kids seem to like them, but the adults love them as well. I’m expecting to be e-mailed a picture of the group hanging out with Sully. I’ll have to come back with the video camera to get footage of the stuffed doormen.
Once you’re inside, some of the movie memorabilia isn’t kid friendly. There’s a Chucky doll from Child’s Play, and some of the “baby alien pods” from the Alien movies. It’s not exactly Mickey’s cup of tea. The movie montages are also not too kid friendly. We had been watching clips from famous gangster movies set to the music of the Fun Lovin’ Criminals. I’m some kids may be affected by this, but at least the therapists will have new business in a few years.
Glen and I went to the hotel’s Italian restaurant last night, then to Windows on the World for drinks. The Hilton Tokyo Bay has one of the few remaining Windows on the World, since loosing the one in the World Trade Center. This establishment is more of a bar then restaurant, but it’s a damn good bar. Waiters in bow ties and tuxedo vests serve well mixed drinks as live jazz flows from the stage. I’ll definitely head back to Windows on the World later in the week.
Tonight is more about heading out and having fun than experiencing local culture. Like most of the show vendors, Glen’s team has been working hard the past few days. IDF has been an effort to setup and keep running, but the turnout has been light. It’s been frustrating for a lot of the booth staff, putting so much effort in for such a small result.
I have the weekend to head into Tokyo, so I’ll get to see the local scene in good time. Right now it’s just time to relax and have a beer, which seems to be common between east and west.
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