Along the Kanda River, an old brick railway trestle sports ornament inlays.
But around the world, this is “Electric Town.” If it’s an electronic gadget...
you can buy it here somewhere. I didn’t look hard enough, but besides
J-Phones and MP3 players, there were robots and computers on sale
at the very edge of tomorrow. Common goods of the 21st Century.
And in the alleys, covered with canvas, lurks the crowded stalls that sell
the esoterica, the “specials.” Walking through, I was instantly disregarded
because I didn’t stop to scan the tables of bits and bytes, and I didn’t
peer into the darkness, where the really weird stuff was hidden.
Everything had a display and a keyboard wherever pratical. Washing
machines, rice cookers, toilets, microwaves. And most would have
internet connectivity for remote operation. I exaggerate...a little.