Our Last Days in Tokyo

Our last two days in Tokyo were completely filled. After many mentions from friends who have visited Japan (thanks Adam!), at the last minute I decided to visit the famous Tsukijo Fish Market in Tokyo. One must rise with the morning sun to be able to watch the exciting auction of large tuna and salmon but this girl did not. Shayne and I got up at 5am (considered late for this outing) and made it to the market by 6:30am to wonder through a maze of fishery and Styrofoam boxes. We finally found the actual market meant for tourists and visitors after dodging many fish carts and focused workers.

A sushi clock in our cafe

It was here that I had my first sushi in Japan and boy was it tasty! Miso soup is a favorite of mine but this one included a shrimp head gazing back at me; like we were in a stare-off. I’ve never had one in my miso soup before. Hmmm. Maybe he was put there in case I was in need of conversation? I don’t know.

My miso soup with a new friend

After a quick stop at the Anime Centre, we headed to the Mirakrma Museum which celebrates the science of the future. I met Asimo, the robot, for the second time (he was at Disneyland a few years back) and had a chance to learn about past Japanese contributions to the sciences and future projects. You’ve heard me declare many times that the arts and sciences are not at odds with each other and this museum is the perfect example why. Artistic innovations were weaved all throughout the exhibits and displays. There were also beautiful art sculptures outside the museum that beckoned me to interact with them. And so I did.




On the way home we got to experience first hand the world famous ‘rush hour’ on the Tokyo subway. Apparently they even hire people to squeeze and push passengers onto the trains during peak rush hours. What a job description! The shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto was much more comfortable than the subway and we even saw a hint of Mt. Fuji on our ride to Kyoto. Breathtaking!

Mount Fuji off in the distance

Next stop: Kyoto!