MELON TRACKS
Worldwide Weird Travel with Ben Osto
Worldwide Weird Travel with Ben Osto
Tokyo's New Territories, Japan: Photos and Text by Ben Osto
“Lost in Translation” was an okay film. It captured a small part of this giant city’s baffling charm. But I’ve had much stranger servings there. Like the bowl with a runny raw egg that came with a fork and my bar drink. And then there was the time I went to the pet store in the mall.
The store was on some of Tokyo’s reclaimed land and was called New Territories. I was looking over some T-shirts, debating if I should purchase the “I heart dog” shirt (for Korean tourists I guess) when I noticed a door in the back with a small sign that said “Petting Zoo.” I decided to investigate.
Inside of this tightly packed room were cats, dogs, pigs, a llama, and much more. All were in tiny bins that were just wide enough for them to fit in and just high enough that they couldn’t climb out. I petted my way though the dining-room sized zoo. At the very end, sitting in a small sink, was a confused looking penguin. You were able to get your picture taken with any of these inhumanly kept animals. (See photo.)
I could go on and on about this place. It reminded me of another film: Gerry Andersen’s “The Planet on the Other Side of the Sun.”
Coming soon… I’ll describe my favorite Japanese visiting place, “Hakone.”
The store was on some of Tokyo’s reclaimed land and was called New Territories. I was looking over some T-shirts, debating if I should purchase the “I heart dog” shirt (for Korean tourists I guess) when I noticed a door in the back with a small sign that said “Petting Zoo.” I decided to investigate.
Inside of this tightly packed room were cats, dogs, pigs, a llama, and much more. All were in tiny bins that were just wide enough for them to fit in and just high enough that they couldn’t climb out. I petted my way though the dining-room sized zoo. At the very end, sitting in a small sink, was a confused looking penguin. You were able to get your picture taken with any of these inhumanly kept animals. (See photo.)
I could go on and on about this place. It reminded me of another film: Gerry Andersen’s “The Planet on the Other Side of the Sun.”
Coming soon… I’ll describe my favorite Japanese visiting place, “Hakone.”
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