There is nothing as quite as good as getting a good night's sleep. We woke late, at 9:30, thanks to the maids who were trying to get to clean the room. We quickly dressed and made a bee line for the travel agency to get our tickets from Linda. Once all the arrangements were made and paid for, we were free to head out and explore.
Found our way to the subway and made our connections to the famous Tsukiji fish market down by the harbor. This place was loaded with plenty to see, smell, and taste. Wandered in and out of the different stalls and then went on a mission to find a specific sushi place I had read about. Got directions but the line was around the corner - seems everyone read the same review. These sushi places are tiny, narrow cubbies that hold about a littler more than a dozen people - and if you are too wide, you won't make it in the space provided to get to a stool. There were about 10 different places right next to each other. We chose the one that had sushi and had the shortest line. You place you order while you are waiting outside so that when you finally get in, you don't waste time waiting. The Japanese are nothing, if not efficient. Got inside and had a wonderfully unique Japanese experience. Very yummy - never had sushi for breakfast before (although by this time it was already noon - we just never ate). Took our time enjoying every morsel and then moved on.
The next stop was the Hamarikyu Gardens that was a short walk down to towards the water.
These gardens belonged to the Tokugawa shogunate and served as a branch castle for Edo Castle during the Edo period. They feature a tidal pond and two duck hunting grounds. It is said that the gardens as they currently appear were completed during the era of Tokugawa Ienari, the 11th shogun. After the Meiji Restoration, they became a villa belonging to the Imperial household, and the name was changed to “Hama-rikyu.” The gardens were given to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 1945, and they were opened to the public as “Hama-rikyu Onshi Park” in April of 1946.There was a ferry leaving for Asakusa, another province up river, with traditional pagodas, at 1:40. We had just enough time to explore the area before boarding the ferry. Enjoyed the boat ride. We lucked out again today with the weather. Mostly sunny and mild temps.
Landed in Asakusa and was in for a shock. This place is like Disneyland. In fact, there is an amusement park right next to these ancient temples. What's up with that? Oh, and don't forget the shopping malls surrounding the sacred grounds. Unbelievable. We did manage to get some kind of really good bean ice cream - so that made the trip worthwhile. Walked across the bridge to the Asahi building with the big golden flame and was hoping to find the brewery - never did. Time to go back underground. In honor of my nephew, Andrew, who is a great anime fan, we went to the anime capital of the world.
Akihabara (秋葉原), also called Akiba after a former local shrine, is a district in central Tokyo that is famous for its many electronics shops. In more recent years, Akihabara has gained recognition as the center of Japan's otaku (diehard fan) culture, and many shops and establishments devoted to anime and manga are now dispersed among the electronic stores in the district.Came out of the station and didn't have a clue where to go. Obviously, we went in the wrong direction. We wondered aimlessly around, almost giving up finding this place, when we ran into a couple of gals from the mid-west also searching for Electric Town. We walked and we asked directions but to no avail. A group of young Italian guys joined our party for a while also looking for this place. They gave up after a bit. Eventually, we turned the right corners and there we were in the middle of --- I don't even know how to describe it. Huge buildings bursting with music and lights. These anime shops are filled with arcade games, books, dvds, and more. It was overwhelming - especially for us old folk.
It was getting dark, so it was back to the subway. We hit it just in time before the rush hour started, which was a very good thing. They really pile into those subway cars. Back out on the street, we walked towards our hotel and went into the French restaurant where we had the omelets yesterday. It was quiet, and warm. Oh, the Japanese love being warm - the toilet seats are even heated! Getting back to dinner --- we ordered the local mussels, which were fabulous. Treated ourselves to some kind of strawberry pie thing for dessert. It is strawberry season - so why not.A short walk back to the hotel and about a mile walk within the hotel to get to our room. I still can't get over this place. Our room, is very nice and quite large - considering we were expecting to be sleeping in something no bigger than a closet from what we read about in the guide books.
Tomorrow we leave Tokyo for Arishyama - just west of Kyoto - for a night in a ryokan - traditional Japanese inn. Looking forward to taking the bullet train.
Next time ... The Ryokan
Hah, I figured it would be like that. Oh well, I'm glad you guys are having a good time anyway :)
ReplyDelete-Andrew