I decided to explore the Asakusa area of Tokyo today since it had 3 of the must-see things on my list: Sensoji Temple, Kappabashi Street, and [a short subway stop away] Tokyo Skytree.
My impression of Tokyo is that it is a metropolis like I've never seen before - people everywhere, all the time, rushing; buildings sprawling and competing to be the tallest, sleekest; lights of all colors giving a noisy life to the streets at night. When I was making my way around the subway today, I was actually appreciative of the mandate for silence on the train and informative screens displaying the name of the next stop, which side to exit, and which stops are transfer points. On the streets, walking around there was never any doubt of safety or how to navigate my way around - I saw no bikes with locks, traffic controllers wherever there was any construction, no jaywalking pedestrians, trains always punctual (screens list the reason for delay if any), signs showing "you are here" at various places or pointers to nearby attractions with distances, and no visible "dirtiness" anywhere. Tokyo seems to be a well-oiled machine where everyone is respectful of the rules.
When I got to the Asakusa area, I walked to the Sensoji Temple first - it was easy to tell I had found the temple because of the huge crowds. I was actually surprised to see that students made up a significant percentage of the tourists - easily recognizable due to their uniforms. So many people were there that I didn't feel the desire to linger too long - I took a few photos, checked out the charms, and then headed towards the shops lining the surrounding streets.
Even though I've been in Japan for 2 weeks, I still haven't found everything I've wanted to eat! It was a hot day in the city though, so my appetite didn't really kick in.. but that meant I was free to snack whenever I did feel a bit hungry. Wandering around the shops, I did manage to find some green tea ice cream, fresh manju, and fresh onigiri.
Eventually, I found my way to Kappabashi Street to check out Japanese cooking supplies - if I had unlimited luggage space and hands to carry everything, I would have bought cartloads of equipment! (Well, I would also need more storage space in my kitchen.) They had takoyaki pans, woks, knives, all kinds of utensils, wooden spatulas, ... I had to walk away from the stores because it was too tempting.
My feet took me to the Tobu Asakusa Station, where I took the Tokyo version of Skytrain over the Sumida-gawa River to Tokyo Skytree tower, the tallest freestanding broadcasting tower in the world (standing 634m tall). I was going to join the line for tickets to the observation deck, but changed my mind once I saw how long the zigzagging queue was. Instead, I browsed the floors of food and shops in Tokyo Solamachi at the foot of the tower.
I had heard about the interesting shops in Skytree, but it took actually being there to believe it. They had shops dedicated to Hello Kitty, Calbee, salt, cheese, lunch box cloth wraps, anime characters, ... even onigiri! The best shop I visited was one in the Japan Experience Zone (on the 5th floor) - essentially an exhibit of Japanese food products over the past 300 years, sponsored by Kokubu. Coincidentally, there was also a tourist information booth on the same floor, so I took the opportunity to do a bit of research for what else to do in Tokyo the next couple of days.
All the walking around built my appetite back up, just in time for dinner. Tonight, I was really excited to try my coworker's recommendation: Ryu No Suke (りゅうの介). The reservation had been made before the trip, since it was touted as a "favorite" in Tokyo, which meant my expectations were high. It didn't disappoint. We ordered a set menu at $55/person, and it came in 8 courses, featuring local seafood prepared in a wide variety of methods, ending with dessert. I can't decide which dish I liked the most, because each was so unique, and carefully "cooked" and combined with complementary ingredients to bring out the best flavors. Perhaps, if I had to pick, then the masterful tower of sashimi: a local fish (similar in taste to tuna), interlocked with green veggies to form a tiny mountain, with sesame sauce uniting the two mild flavors, garnished with purple flowers and sprouts. If I ever come back to Tokyo, this will definitely be on the list of meals.
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