Off to Tokyo's famous Tsukiji Fish Market this morning. Acres of buildings housing the auctions and wholesale booths where the restaurants, chefs, and commercial buyers get first pick, from blowfish to bait, salmon to shrimp. The huge complex is surrounded by an outdoor market for the public consumer, including eateries and shops with other consumer goods, including those ginsu knives we all love. Our trip leader, Kana, took us to an adjacent sushi cafe where we feasted on the freshest sushi I've ever eaten!
Temps are warming up and we were turned loose in the city this afternoon to explore (or get lost) as we wished. Fear and trepidation set in so Lee and I joined a couple who had actually done research on the subway system. We first went to Shinjuko Gyoen National Garden in search of our cherry blossoms. It was delightful to see hundreds of families, picnics spread out under trees, enjoying the park on this beautiful spring day.
Final adventure (more trains) was to a crazy neighborhood which I had seen featured on a recent travel video at home. Takeshita Street (no, I didn't make up that name!) is a long pedestrian street crammed full of outlandish shops for young kids, mostly girls, and crammed full of outlandish young kids, mostly girls. It is totally counterculture to the "serious suit" culture of the adult commuters who dominate the city.
Found our way home, overstimulated, exhausted, and with sore feet, but happy that we finally navigated the subway system on our own.
Pic 1: inside the fish market
Pic 2: sushi brunch
Pic 3: selling dried squid at the outdoor market
No comments:
Post a Comment