I must have been Japanese in a past life. Ever since I was a child and getting off on "Speed Racer" reruns on the UHF station, nothing tickled me pinker more than wide-eyed anime.

Even today, if I see that little pink Jigglypuff on the TV, I just want to reach through the glass and pluck it out of Team Rocket's grasp...but, I digress.

But there's more to Tokyo than cartoons and squiggles. We must not forget...

If I were to go to Tokyo, one of the first places I would go (besides the toilet, to try the bidet) would be the finest sushi bar I could afford.

My favorite kinds of nigiri(no, that's not an ethnic slur!) are tuna, whitefish, shrimp, octopus, squid, salmon, and yellowtail. I also like raw tuna by itself -- sashimi -- with white rice on the side. (You can charm me very well by plying me with tuna sashimi. If you are a sexy, scintillating man.)

For people who would rather put their tongues on than raw fish, there's the ever-popular ramen. Ramen is thin, squiggly noodles in a salty broth (the thick noodles are called udon).

You can add almost anything to ramen...pork, chicken, shrimp, crab, fish, eggs, spinach, onions (not for me), bamboo shoots, mushrooms...even pineapple. (But I wouldn't try the last one.)

Ramen...it's not just for slackers!