3. Tokyo

20 May
 We take the 8.55 train to Nagoya where we're met at the station by Jacks, Mike's ex-CLNZ colleague, whose living here with  her English husband. We only have time for a pork katso lunch near the station, then with Jacks help and language skills get on a fast Hikari train to Tokyo. We both have suitcases of course but manage pretty well with all our gear, buying Suica cards and quickly working out the Metro system with the help of the phone app Mike downloads. The Hotel Richmond turns out to be really good and great value for money in expensive Tokyo and we like Asakusa which is the old area of temples we're staying in.

With Jacks at Nagoya train station

We shower and stroll round our area. There are shopping malls, big stores, and lots of little Izakayo bars around us.

21 May
Off in search of breakfast and it's not easy as there are no special breakfast foods in Japan and we end up with Croque Monsieur. Off to do the sites and we start with the nearby Sensoji Temple which covers a huge area and is crowded with groups of school kids.

Me peering out behind the school girls posing for photos at the famous entrance to the Sensoji Temple

These are huge wooden structures all well maintained and very ornate. Many are painted brick red or orange

After this we head for Ueno Park where a lot of the museums are situated. We split up here, I go to the Shitamachi Museum and Mike to see the Contemporary Art.

I walk beside this enormous lotus pond to get to this museum which is dedicated to the traditional culture of the Shitamachi area of Tokyo. There's a reconstruction of a typical merchant's house and local street

. . . and here a kind English-speaking Japanese lady takes me round explaining everything as we go. Upstairs a lot of info and relics from 2WW.

We meet up again and have sushi for lunch. Mike has a rather disgusting plate of fermented soya bean. We explore Ameyoko Yokocho, the area near Ueno Park, which is a maze of market stalls selling everything from green tea kitkats to shoes.

Streets of Ameyoko Yokocho near Ueno Park. Shops and stalls selling all sorts

Then we return to the park and take a stab at the National Museum together. It's pretty tiring and a little disappointing but we see some fabulous kimonos, paintings, and lacquer ware. We taxi back to the hotel. 

Mike finally tracks down his Japanese craft beer tonight, and we chat to the English bar-tender whose married to a Japanese lady. Another ex-pat unable to return to the UK with spouse because of a change in the immigration laws. Grilled fish and veg for dinner.

22 May
Out at 7.30 am on our way to the Tsukiji Fish Market, one of the great sites of Tokyo. Quite a way off and we take the metro forgetting it's rush hour. The train compartment is chock a block with little Japanese business men in suits. I'm stuck near the door hanging on for dear life. When the train stops at a popular destination, a tsunami of little besuited men pushes past me. I hear Mike calling out 'Let go', so that's what I do and I'm washed out of the carriage onto the platform by this human wave. Luckily I can scramble back on board before the train leaves. I now understand why there are women only carriages on Japanese trains. Quite an experience and I'm left crying with laughter at the whole episode.

There are very narrow aisles throughout the market and small fork lift trucks drive along them, ploughing through any tourists that are in the way

There were stalls selling every kind of sea creature imaginable, most of which we couldn't identify. Below a man is carving up a huge frozen tuna with an electric saw

We have a wonderful breakfast of super fresh sushi and clams in the fish market. It's a great start to the day but things rather fall apart after that. 

We aim to visit the famous Higashi Gyoen Gardens by the Imperial Palace but find it to be closed as is the nearby Museum of Modern Art. We've walked a long way by now but have to go further to get to the Craft's Museum which is mainly realating to the Japanese tea ceremony. There's no cafe here by the way and we're exhausted so head home. Good ramen and gyozas for lunch then sleep a bit. Out for a beer before dinner.

We go for a drink in the Asahi Beer Building, sitting right at the top of this golden block with a fantastic view east to Mount Fuji. The golden turd, as it's popularly known, is meant to represent the froth on top of beer

Standing on the steps of the Asahi Beer Building

We search long and hard for dinner out tonight, skipping the offer of horse meat sashimi and end up at a very traditional loach restaurant. There is only loach on the menu it seems, so that's what we have. We're seated on the floor again but enjoy the service which is wonderful. On leaving Mike is offered a shoe horn! 

23 May
This morning we pack up but have time to visit the Kappabashi district which is very near the hotel. It comprises a couple of streets where the shops are entirely devoted to kitchen goods of all descriptions, each specializing in a very specific area: chopsticks, knives, plastic shushi etc.

This shop only sells plastic food displays. Beautifully made for use in restaurant windows, but very expensive

A street just by our hotel on Saturday morning. Many shoppers were dressing up in kimonos for the occasion

 After a bit of shopping we get the train to Haneda, a complicated journey through the suburbs of Tokyo with 3 or 4 changes. We end up eating average Chinese food for our last meal in Japan, such a shame but all the restaurants were full.

 24 May 
 12 hour flight home at the end of a great trip.