The Japan (Summer) Diaries - Day 7
And on the seventh day....I woke up before the dawn in order to see the fish auction at the Tsukiji fish market. Pretty early to see some dead fish, but it was on the top of my list. At the time, I was working in a sushi restaurant, so I was looking forward to seeing some giant tuna that can sell for millions of dollars.
Fun fact: The inner fish market is located in a different area now (Toyosu Market), since my last trip in 2016/2017, but the outer fish market, is still located in the same spot with plenty of great seafood options
Unfortunately, I didn’t plan accordingly and was too late for the auction and too early for the regular viewing. I did, however, get to roam around the outer market, where they sold a multitude of goods from seafood, fruits and vegetables to chopsticks and sushi knives.
I headed towards the heart of Ginza next, stopping briefly at a Buddhist Temple in Tsukiji. There were several steps up to the entrance and the closer I got, the more I could hear the goings-on inside; the monks were singing. It was perhaps one of the most beautiful things my ears have ever heard. When I walked inside, I felt enveloped in peace and awe. Just because I don’t practice their religion, doesn’t mean I couldn't be respectful, be moved and find emotion in their form of worship.
Due to my early start, when I arrived in Ginza, hardly anything was open, like Laduree and the Sony Building, so I vowed to return and headed instead towards Ueno Park. Ueno is a rather large park; 133 acres, but Central Park still tops it at 843 acres. Any park in the middle of a city the size of Tokyo is huge. I stopped at two of the shrines, Kiyomizu Kannon-do and Benten-do. Both are Buddhist temples. Kiyomizu Kannon-do was first built in 1631, but the current one is from 1698, having survived every disaster that has come it's way since. Benten-do had the best view. It is situated jutting out into the parks pond, which are overgrown with lily-pads, quite a beautiful sight, especially if you spot some Lotus flowers in bloom.
My main destination was Ueno Zoo and the Tokyo National Museum. Ueno Zoo being the closer of the two after leaving Benten-do. My main objective: see the pandas. Of course, there are a couple zoos in the US that have pandas, but so far I hadn’t visited close enough to any. I also got to see the precious Macaques, monkeys native to Japan. These are the ones you’ll typically see getting into hot springs in the winter. Upon exiting Ueno Zoo, I found the best Pocky of all time: Panda Pocky , which wa really, Cookies & Creme, perfectly marketed for the main attraction at the zoo.
Next, lunch and the Tokyo National Museum, with the specific goal to view the samurai exhibit. I also happened to love the array of kimono's on display.
Then it was finally back in Ginza, the first stop being Laduree for their macarons. At the time, I was absolutely obsessed with macarons.
I met back up with my judo group around five in order to visit the Sports/Science University. It was another state-of-the-art facility, so incredibly nice, and flowing with student athletes studying or practicing their sports. Our main interest was watching their Judo team which is almost at Olympic level, they are that good. We watched their practice for a while and even got to catch a glimpse at the current All-Japan Champion, then we were taken on a tour of the facility, but my favorite part was watching Kendo practice, a modern Japanese martial art derived from the fighting methods of samurai in which they use bamboo swords and wear protective armor.
After a long day and spending a lot of the evening at a the Sport/Science University, dinner was quick and from 7/Eleven. It was late by the time I got back to my hotel after the commute from the university, so I was too exhausted to do otherwise.
So, where to next?
