Thursday, October 17th - Day 37 - Tokyo Fish Market and Imperial Gardens
Deb visited Tokyo and Nagano in the 1990s when she was serving as the Executive Director of the Buffalo Council on World Affairs. She entered a competition to be selected as a delegate on a two-week tour of Japan with other EDs and enjoyed a great experience. Perhaps Deb was more prepared than Munroe for the overwhelmingly positive impression the country creates from the moment you set foot in the airport. So it was a huge discovery to Munroe when the friendliness, efficiency, and perfect organization experienced at the airport continued into their first full day.
We started the day with a fantastic breakfast buffet that we'd had the good sense to pay for when we booked the rooms in this lovely hotel. Munroe and Deb experienced bits and pieces of both Japanese and Western breakfasts - the pickled fruit and kimchi-like dishes were themselves fantastic, the Miso soup delicious, and the rolls and marmalade and bacon, sausage & scrambled eggs finished it off for Munroe. Deb had 2 lovely pancakes made and served with blueberries and maple syrup from Quebec! (Munroe finished one of these off) and a bowl of salad. Thank heavens we have 3 more of these to look forward to here - and 3 more we hope that are similar in the Daiwan Roynet where we will stay when we are in Kyoto!
Tokyo Outdoor Fish Market
Our first objective was to find the old outdoor fish market in Tsukiji, which involved navigating the subway.
This involved some apprehension on our part. From breakfast we walked the 5 minutes to the nearest subway stop, In the huge subway station that we entered, Deb noticed a help and information desk. As we approached, the two women at the desk both stood, welcomed us, and invited our questions. They were so eager, polite, and helpful! They got us set up with a day pass on the subway for Deb - and showed us how to do this online to save 100 yen, and then how to produce the paper slip that would serve as Deb's ticket no matter how much she used it that day. Their English was excellent - and they even managed to work around a temporary (thank goodness) glitch in Munroe's Capital One Visa card.
We left with a detailed map of Tokyo attractions and their associated subway stops, and soon were winging our way to the fish market, about 30 minutes ride away! Munroe was able to use the Suica card we purchased at the airport and loaded it with 10,000 yen (the maximum permissible). We had hoped/intended to use this card to purchase subway tickets for both of us but that, we were told, was not allowed.
Finding the fish market was easy - there were signposts and Google Maps works wonders in helping you find your way. It was already quite crowded by the time we got there - about 11:30 am. There were a couple of tour buses parked along the street as we approached, and the crowd was about 50:50 locals and tourists, I would guess.
The stalls offered a wide array of fish, fish products, and (for some odd reason) kitchen utensils! We wandered up and down the crowded alleys and explored the variety of offerings. We landed on one stall - doing a healthy business, which we took as a good sign - offering sushi, sashimi, and shellfish cooked on scallop shells using a grill and a blow torch! They had a table set aside from the walking area where you could eat standing up, so we decided to take the plunge!
We were NOT disappointed. The fish was flavorful beyond belief, and so incredibly fresh. Wasabi and soy sauce condiments were on the table. Our 1,500 yen plates had 4 pieces - salmon, lean tuna, and two fatty tuna pieces. We were in heaven. After finishing that and a bit more strolling, Deb noticed a place - actually a shop with a variety of seafood-related items - that was selling marinated black cod. Neither of us had heard of that so we decided to give it a try. The guys who sold us the little platter ushered us inside to a table where you could stand and eat away from the bustle. Munroe had purchased a beer and one of the shop attendants brought Deb over a little cup of Japanese tea, explaining that the Japanese drank a lot of tea! As we were returning the empty box and leaving, Deb said "arigatou" which is the familiar form of 'thank you' (the formal is "thank you very much" - "arigatou gozaimasu"). Instantly, the four guys who were working at the stall broke out into 'arigatou"s in unison, bowing and repeating the phrase several times with gleeful smiles on their faces! Obviously, Deb's effort had been appreciated!
We'd been at the market an hour and a half, and it was beginning to warm up. As we wandered, we passed a vendor selling fresh oysters from the Hokkaido region in Japan's north. He got one of the smaller ones - most on sale were huge, and many vendors offered them cooked on scallop shells. It was delicious and fresh! After that, Deb spotted an ice cream shop. Munroe secured seats nearby and we both enjoyed mango ice cream. Unbelievably good!
Our destination for the afternoon was the Imperial Palace East Gardens in the center of Tokyo. We learned that the city was called Edo for many centuries and was ruled by Shoguns. In 1868 the Shogunate was overthrown and the country's capital and imperial residence were moved from Kyoto to what was then Edo, now renamed Tokyo.
The palace itself, home to Japan's royal family, is closed to the public except for two special occasions a year, including the Emperor's birthday. The Gardens contain the ruins of the ancient 15th-century Edo Castle and the whole immense area is surrounded by massive stone walls and moats.
Finally, back to our busy neighborhood for a great meal and dropping by a small, quiet shrine off the main street. Toyko is full of surprises - the crazy and the peaceful on the same city block.
