Konnichiwa Tokyo, Days 1 & 2

Wednesday, 16 December 2015 

We arrived safely into Tokyo, early Tuesday morning. We've spent two days here and have already fallen for the charms of the city and its friendly inhabitants. Not to mention the delicious food!

Fresh off the plane on Tuesday morning (and by fresh we mean zombie-like), we set out on foot to explore the Ginza area near our hotel. Ginza, meaning 'Seat of Silver', is located in the Tokyo downtown area. Endless high rise office buildings overlook the busy shopping streets, lined with Dior, Chanel, Versace and endless other big brand names. 

While walking around Ginza, we were instantly struck by how quiet it was. It had the appearance of a big city with lots of pedestrians and cars, but the noise level was so low, it was as though our ears were stuffed with cotton wool. The streets are also remarkably clean, helped by the fact that people are banned from smoking on the street, unless at a designated smoking point.  

While New Year is still more popular than Christmas here in Japan, there are still plenty of Christmas lights and displays to give the city a festive feel. These lights combined with the warm glow emanating from the restaurants and bars, gives the Ginza area an entirely different feel at night time. 

Yesterday we spent the day with a local guide, Mutsuko Sonoda. Mutsuko met us at our hotel at 9am and showed us the old and the new of Tokyo over the course of 8 hours. We started our tour at the local Tsukiji fish market, which has been in operation for 80 years. Local businesses arrive at the market before dawn to bid for the best tuna at the tuna auctions. By the time we arrived at 9.30am, many of the stallholders had already done nearly a day's work and were cleaning down their stalls and tools, preparing for the 
next day. 

 (Entrance to Tsukiji Fish Market)

 (Stallholder uses an electric saw to cut frozen tuna)

(Fresh tuna for sale)

(A statue of the Japanese spirit associated with good luck. 

When your luck arrives, the second eye is painted on the spirit.)

(Live turtles for sale)

 (An old but effective crushed ice machine)

(Whale meat for sale)

After the market, we made our way north to Asakusa where we got a taste for the Tokyo of the past. It is said that the district retains much of the atmosphere that was present in pre-war Tokyo with smaller, tightly packed buildings that provide both retail and living spaces for families. Asakusa is the home to the Senso-ji Shrine, Tokyo's oldest shrine dating back to 645. 

(A view of the Tokyo Sky Tower)

 (Market street leading to Senso-ji temple, Tokyo's oldest temple)

 (Greetings from the Welcoming Cat)

 (The drawers of fortunes - Nicky drew a good fortune but those who draw bad fortunes 

can tie them to strings and leave their bad fortune at the temple.)

(A good fortune reading)

 

(Doorway to Asakusa's comedy theatre)

 (The statue above the store is of a historical Japanese figure who 

robbed from the rich to give to the poor - a Japanese Robin Hood)

 (Handprints of famous Japanese entertainers, including Kabuki actors)

After lunch, we caught the subway to Shibuya and walked our way through Harajuku and Shinjuku, areas that have become popular in recent times with budding designers and architects. Mutsuko explained that it is a very youthful area and we got our first view of some locals who like to 'cos-play', dress in costumes inspired by comic book characters. 

(The famous Shibuya crossing, featured in the Sofia Coppola's 'Lost in Translation')

(The Shibuya neighbourhood bus)

Emperor Meiji was responsible for bringing many European influences to Tokyo in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Following his death in 1912, a Shrine was built in Shibuya to house his spirit. The Meiji Shrine is visited by over 3 million people every year and people queue for hours on New Years Day to view the Shrine and say their prayers.

(In the gardens of the Meiji Shrine)

(Emperor Meiji is said to have loved French wine and sake. A row of colourful sake barrels from different Japanese breweries lines the entrance to his Shrine.)

(The entry gate to the Meiji Shrine. The Shrine has over 3 million visitors per year.)

(Wishes from visitors written on cards and tied to a stand by the Shrine.)

Following our visit to the Shrine, we made our way back to Shibuya and to the Metropolitan Government Buildings where we went up to the Observation Deck to get a view of the city at sunset. There, we said good-bye to Mutsuko. It was such a pleasure to spend the day with her. She was a very knowledgable and warm woman. As we said good-bye, she gave us her contact details, offering to help with any questions we had during our stay. She said that coming to Bath to attend a yoga class with Nicky would now be on her bucket list. We hope to be able to show her the same hospitality she showed us in the near future.  

(The Cocoon bulding in Shinjuku)

(Sunset views from the Observation Deck at the Metropolitan Government Building)

(Nicky and Mutsuko)