Back to Tokyo! Our travels in Kyoto were certainly highlights, as you can tell, but Tokyo was most definitely a great success as well. The capital city is far different from its predecessor, being much more glitzy, industrial, and skyscraper-ish than the gentle sprawl of temples and shrines that is Kyoto. However the comparative youth of Tokyo is still noticeably punctuated by patches of history and tradition. For example, our Monday afternoon trip to the sumo rink, followed by a tour of the famous Asakusa Temple certainly felt like “Traditional Japan,” yet our late night dinner out on the town with Ayano Baba and Mai Maruyama Sunday evening would certainly be “Japanese” in my mind as well. In other words, we experienced both world and enjoyed each of them. I think that Andrew said it best when we were looking back over our trip on the way to the airport Tuesday afternoon. He turned to me and said, “No regrets man! I feel like we packed as much as we could into this trip and each day was something a little different. Definitely a success.”
No doubt about it, the trip held a number of firsts for both of us. For example the return trip from Kyoto to Tokyo was actually on a night bus which left at 10:40 in the evening and arrived in Tokyo at 6:15 am the next morning. NOT a lot of sleeping took place! So that Sunday morning we dropped our bags off at our hotel but were told that we couldn’t check in until 3 pm. So what did we do? Grab a coffee at Starbucks – No, not for the caffeine, but for the comfy chairs. A quick hour or two nap in the back of Starbucks was just the ticket. We headed over to Shinjuku on our way to the Tocho Towers, basically the city organizational offices. They are basically a pair of tall towers overlooking the city that you can access free of charge. On a clear day they’re definitely worth the trip.
After the city towers we went straight to the Tsukiji fish market, which is recognized as having the best sushi in the world!! Score – this was a place I’d been wanting to go all year so I was in heaven as we explored the side streets, restaurants, and stalls. The market is really just a series of alleyways down near the harbor where the fishing boats unload. Andrew had the great idea of eating small portions at a number of restaurants rather than just devoting ourselves to one place. The first stop was a tiny, very Japanese style bar where the chefs prepare everything right before your eyes, later I had THE BEST OYSTER IN THE WORLD while walking in and out of the various stalls, and finally we ate even more at a Kaitenzushi (conveyer belt sushi) restaurant. Before long we had stuffed ourselves full and Andrew had experienced maybe a little too much of the Japanese fish cuisine than he’d bargained for. When I convinced him to try sea urchin I had no idea he’d almost hurl all over the innocent sushi chef standing in front of us! Haha, luckily he had a good chaser of green tea and everything went down rather than up, but he said that that was an experience he never wanted to repeat again! God, I love sushi =) Thank you, Big Guy, for inventing the Japanese people!!
The adventures of the sushi market left us full and cheery, so an afternoon baseball game in the Tokyo Dome was a great way to kill a couple more hours. I had bought two cheap, standing section tickets beforehand so we entered the dome and slowly made our way over to the energetic (okay, CRAZY) Tokyo Giants Fan Section out in right field! It was hilarious to experience their endless stream of cheers, chants, and jeers. I feel like I’ve seen some serious fans (I mean, hey, I am an American!) but these guys could roll with the best of ‘em. This video above is of them cheering after a three run homerun. Pretty fun – best part: Andrew’s face. I feel like in real life it seemed even more crazy! Definitely worth our 10 dollar tickets =)
Sunday afternoon was a much needed nap and shower at our hotel, but by Sunday evening we were back on our feet just in time to grab a delicious Korean BBQ dinner with my two great Japanese friends, Ayano and Mai! They took us to their favorite authentic Korean place down in Shinokubo where we had fantastic grilled meat, veggie wraps, and this cheesy, spicy fried rice thing that Andrew and I both couldn’t get enough of! Following dinner we went to Shinjuku in order to see the famous lights of the city. That area is probably the most elaborate, neon-filled, glamorous area of the city so it was really fun to walk the busy streets. Admittedly, some of the institutions in the area are a little less reputable, but still, the streets looked awesome flashing in enough signs and advertisements to make you think it was still daytime. A final, sweet honey soaked cake dessert at one of Ayano’s favorite bars and we had to head back to the train station. A great night, girls, thanks again from both Andrew and me. We had a blast exploring Tokyo with you =)
Monday was equally busy. I started early by waking up to retrieve my bag from KTP’s place in Ikebukuro. We chatted a little bit more, but as Andrew was still across town in Ueno I couldn’t stay long. But Kathy, Evan and Lia have also all been wonderful friends to me this year and I can’t wait for a fun reunion night back in Northfield!
Kaminari Mon - The Lightning Gate at Asakusa
Andrew and I went straight to Ryougoku, the national sumo arena. The flags were flying and the sumo wrestlers were out in force, but the cheapest tickets were still a little too pricey so we opted simply to grab a good lunch and walk up the river to Asakusa. The temple in Asakusa is my favorite one in Tokyo and the alleyways and stalls nearby are all perfect for an afternoon stroll. That evening we once more met up with Jake, who we’d met in Kyoto, for another terrific night of Karaoke, games, ramen noodles, and more sushi. We were both glad we could see Jake once more before we headed home, and during a road trip he has planned with a buddy. You’re welcome any time, man! Stay in touch.
Tuesday (can you believe it’s here already!) was a short but sweet day. We walked through the nearby Ueno park, visited the Ueno Zoo, and ate a filling Tonkatsu pork cutlet lunch. After picking up our bags at the hotel (and barely making our connecting train – oops, too much fun at the zoo) we were on our way back to Narita airport once again. Saying good-bye was tough, but like Andrew had said before, “No regrets!” And that’s the honest truth.
Andrew, this was the trip of a lifetime, man, and I was honored to have taken it with you. Thanks so much for being a great partner in crime, be sure to let me know next time you want to conquer a foreign country or something – because we totally ruled Japan!
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