Japan | baseball | wrestling | TYLER

Jammin’ With Steven Tyler And Joe Perry

by Mark Seal

PERRY: Kiddyland, a toy store in the Harajuku. As with a lot of things in Japan, they're on the cutting edge, and you'll see some toys, especially the GameBoy kind of things, that won't make it to the U.S. for six months. Kiddy­land is geared more toward younger kids. There are all kinds of little gadgets, trinkets, and stuff there that're a lot of fun. Right next to Kiddyland is a place called the Oriental Bazaar. It's a great place to buy your souvenirs: kimonos, pottery, ceramics, and all the classic stuff you want to take home. They have the T-shirts with the ninjas and the ninja outfits for your nephew or six-year-old. It's a great place to get postcards, chopsticks, tea sets, and stuff like that. And the prices are really good.

Baseball is monumental in Japan. Have you ever been to a game there? Or to any other sporting event?
PERRY: The sumo matches. They are definitely worth going to. It's amazing, watching these guys go at it, especially if you go with somebody who knows a little bit about it. If you ask the hotel concierge or the front desk, they'll steer you in the right direction. Sumo has been going on for 1,500 years. It's their version of big-time wrestling, foot­ball, and baseball all rolled into one. It's the only sport there that's totally, uniquely Japanese. A sumo match will usually have maybe 2,000 or 3,000 people at it. If you can't get tickets,­ it's worth watching it on TV.

What about some of the more cultural stuff? Do
either of you do any of that?

TYLER: The Ueno is a place we'll spend all day at. It's the oldest and largest park in the city. There are temples, shrines, pagodas, a zoo, and museums. It also has a market where you can buy a bunch of cool stuff. If you ride, you can get a Harley there that you can't get anywhere else.



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