Busy Saturday

What a day! This was the day we planned for Tomo to “take me around” Tokyo. He was serious about this! I don’t really know what size geographical area we covered or how many miles we spent walking but it was a long and wonderful day. We started at Kou… which is just south of campus. From there we took at least two different trains to Tsukiji where the famous Tokyo fish market is http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm . You could smell the fish all the way down in the subway and we just followed in outside. It is where all of the fresh catch gets bid on and sold to commercial buyers and to those who sell in the nearby market area. It was amazing. We actually didn’t get there early enough to see the bidding but you could still get an idea of the chaos. I took lots of pictures of fish parts and large scallops. We walked around the main commercial area and then the market. I loved seeing all of the colors and smelling the smells. I wanted to eat everything in sight. I had a few samples and bought an eel skewer that was awesome. For lunch we wanted to eat at the market to sample the fresh fish. We chose a place with a long line (always a good sign) and had the freshest sashimi bowl ever! It was really good and included tuna, mackerel, salmon, uni (sea urchin), egg and the big orange fish eggs (don’t know what they’re called). I really hit the spot.

We then took a few trains to and walked to Hinode Pier, which is on the waterway. We took a boat up the river and passed under so many different types of bridges. They really like to paint the bridges different vivid colors and they are each a different type: cable stayed, suspension, draw bridges, etc. The boat ride ended at Asakusa. We walked around the stores that lead up to the main temple there. Tomo explained to me (and I had noticed in my travels thus far) that because temples and shrines are the biggest tourist attractions, there are always little stores and food places leading up to the temple, kind of official places.

After Asakusa we took two trains to Akhiabara. That is the main electronics district in Tokyo. You could get any type of cell phone, digital camera, computer part that you could ever want. It was interesting but by that time my feet were pretty tired. We wanted to go to one of the maid cafes but the few we tried were really busy. Tomo said that they are quite popular, especially in Akihabara and involve a girl in a special maid outfit serving you. I don’t really have a good mental picture since we didn’t end up doing it. Instead we went to one of the big electronics stores and found the most amazing massage chair ever! I will buy one as soon as I can possibly afford it. It was amazing. Really felt like a real massage – not some pansy cushion that kind of vibrates. I must have one.

Rejuvinated from my massage, we walked around a little more before taking the train to Segumo (kind of near where I live in Komagome). Tomo tried to explain to me that this is where grandmas go. I didn’t understand until we got there. Sure enoguth, there were little old ladies everywhere. And stores that sell stuff little old ladies like. It was leisurely to walk around. We found some Manuka honey in a honey store and had some honey ice cream (yum!).

The last stop on our whirlwind tour around Tokyo was Shinjuku. I will definitely be returning there when I have more time. Our first stop was an enormous (7 floors) book store that we knew had a English magazines and books. I was so excited to see all the magazines from home. I was about to start loading up on them until I realized that they were about $10 US a piece! I just couldn’t bring myself to pay that much. Especially when I realized I could buy a paperback for the same price. So I bought a few books.

After the bookstore we walked to a highrise building that Tomo said had restaurants on the 30th floor. We were going to meet his “friend” there. She was running late so we sat down and got drinks and appetizers. The view of the city from that high was amazing. And the food was amazing as well. It was mostly Korean food and I loved it. A lot of sesame which I really like. And light salads and spring rolls and this pancake type thing with green onions and squid. We also had this rice dish that was really great and a Japanese kind of appetizer called nankotzu which is battered and fried soft chicken bones. I had a coenzyme-Q10 cocktail which was supposed to be good for me and tasted great. We finished it all off with desert. One more long walk back to the station and another train ride and I’m home. Whew!