January 5, 2017

Another chill day in Tokyo.

First, I started with a visit to the Kabuki Theatre in Ginza, since I had really wanted to see a kabuki play the last time I was in Tokyo, but they were unfortunately closed at the time. What is kabuki? It’s a classical form of Japanese theatre dating back to the 1600’s, incorporating traditional dance and a famous style of stage-makeup called kumadori that’s worn by some of the performers. Somehow, I managed booking my tickets to the four-hour session without realizing the length and I only made it barely half-way because I just couldn’t keep my eyes open! If only I would have caught a shorter performance…

I did manage to find some wagashi in the shopping area below the theatre. Wagashi is a traditional Japanese handmade sweet, mostly made from various plants, and typically served with tea. I fell in love with some of the flavors, drawn in by all the super cute , intricate designs they make the confection into -- like the year of the rooster one! This one I tried had a red bean paste filling and was actually quite delicious despite my opposition to red bean. I loved it so much that I went to buy another after leaving the play.

After leaving kabuki early, the main plan for the day was to attend the first practice of the New Year at the Kodokan, the first school of judo that I had practiced at on my last visit to Japan. So I headed off to the Kodokan and Tokyo Dome area; they are literally right next door to each other, if you recall from my summer series. There was a kaiten-sushi (conveyor belt sushi) restaurant in the area I had visited a couple times on my last trip that I wanted to stop by again for dinner, since I was so close again. It's one of my favorite experiences from Japan, and the sushi is so cheap and still delicious!