Japan
Tokyo
The Ginza
Tokyo is three hours and two trains
south of Nikko. It is easy to get there
from Nikko and the views of the
countryside from the train along the way
are worth the price of admission. If you
like big cities then Tokyo is for you.
It is really big with a population of 30
million. The population of LA County in
2008 was 10.4 million.
There are many attractions in Tokyo;
not the least of these is shopping. If
this is what you are looking for then
the first place you have to visit is the
area known as Electric Town. You can buy
all sorts of electronic gizmos and
gadgets there. Another popular shopping
area is the Ginza, which is the
up-market high-end shopping district.
Because of the advertising lights and
signs it is worth visiting the Ginza at
night.
The Tokyo Fish Market
However, if you are looking for the
really odd then you might want to visit
a Maid Cafe. These are cafes, all around
Tokyo, that have Japanese girls dressed
like French Maids serving you coffee.
They are supposed to act in a
subservient manner to their guests,
which are typically young male geeks.
Everything is above board, but it sure
is odd to have young women serving you
coffee in this way. Viva la difference!
The subway in Tokyo is brilliant and
can get you anywhere in the city cheaply
and safely. If you want another unusual
experience, and you like sushi, then
take the subway to the Tokyo Fish
Market. You must get there at the crack
of dawn for the optimum experience. This
is the market that supplies most of the
fish to Tokyo; and believe me that is a
lot of fish. The place is a madhouse of
activity in the morning, with people
processing and packaging fish and others
buying and selling it. You will find all
kinds of critters there, some you know,
some you might have even eaten once, and
others you will have no idea about and
probably will not want to know. Once you
have made the rounds of the market you
will want to take part in the Tokyo
tradition of eating a sushi and sashimi
breakfast at one of the many
hole-in-the-wall restaurants at the
market. It is odd to eat raw fish in the
morning, but it is so fresh and so good
it will not take you long before you
find yourself gulping it all down.
The Emperor's Palace Gardens
If you are looking for a more
traditional experience take the subway,
or walk 30 minutes from the fish market,
to the Emperor's Palace Gardens. Once
there the walk around the gardens is
beautiful. In the gardens the hustle and
bustle of Tokyo falls away; replaced by
the peace, quiet, and exquisiteness of
the place. There are wonderful birds in
the Palace mote near the East Gate. A
grand old stone wall surrounds this
fantastic place. It is well worth your
time to visit the Emperor's Palace
Gardens.
Fish Market Video
We will continue heading south, in my
next installment of traveling in Japan.