Tokyo, Japan – March 7

Imperial Palace

10 degrees and rain...a lot of rain

lunch

We were off of the ship by 8:15 and onto yet another bus for a day of sightseeing in Tokyo. I was not looking too forward to it as it was pouring. We pulled out our umbrellas (we bought one actually as we inadvertently packed one) and carried on.

lunch garden

We started with a driving tour of some important spots which I was thankful for because of the rain. I noticed Japanese people weren't afraid of the rain. At least half of the umbrellas I saw were clear.

Once we had to get brave the rain it was at the Imperial Palace - home of Japan's royal family. We walked through a beautiful park to get to a bridge that overlooked the palace. Although it was pouring, the mistiness gave the photo a nice mood.

Next was a visit to Tokyo's she-she shopping street. It was described by our guide as like New York's Fifth Avenue, but I thought his was on a much larger scale. I remember New York's shops as on the small side and here they were large.

We decided to check out the basement of Mitsukoshi department store. This is where there are food stalls. Stalls isn't exactly he right way to describe them. They are all very beautiful and orderly, each with beautiful looking food, most of which I could identify and would have happily eaten. This place was to take out only. In fact there were tables that looked like they were for eating, but had signs on them saying 'please don't eat or sit'.

I am noticing how Japan likes order and rules. The department store had rules for the escalator. #1 - stand in 2 rows, #2 - stand only, don't walk and #3 - I can't remember. They also have smoking areas in random parts of the sidewalk and many no smoking signs, even signs that say "don't walk and smoke".

temple where there was 'nothing' to see

Next was lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant. We had to take our shoes off and they were kept in individual wooden lockers, each with its own key-very civilized. Not like the random shoe piles outside temples we experienced at the beginning of this trip - I was always amazed at how no shoes ever seemed to go missing...I'm sure they do. Anyway... I had my first sake to wash down. Lot of food I recognized and a lot I didn't. I liked/ate most of it. Here like at he palace, was a beautiful garden with a small temple that would have been nice to spend some time in.

After lunch it was off to the Asakusa Kannon Temple. By now, thankfully the rain had stopped. This again was what if describe as a temple complex. This place was big in comparison. There was also a traditional shopping area next to the temple which we strolled through.

lunch garden

no need for the umbrella anymore!!

Today I experienced rudeness and ignorance and boorish behavior on a whole new level. This appalling behavior wasn't directed at me, but I was in the middle of it due to proximity. A few people on our bus decided their needs were of greater importance than anyone else's and decided to tell the guide we should skip the last stop of he temple and shopping area because they had been there yesterday. The guide said that would be fine if everyone agreed. Not everyone did. Then they tried to get the time spent there reduced from an hour to 15 minutes. They said there was nothing to do - of course there was. This would have not been that bad except for the yelling, hollering and basic boorish behavior. Chris told them we didn't want to alter the itinerary because we didn't see this. We continued to tell him we chose a tour for yesterday (there are typically a bunch to choose from) that specifically went somewhere different – what an ignoramus. In the end we had 45 minutes (was supposed to be an hour) at a very cool temple/shopping street.

Then...this didn't end...some of the boors left in a taxi some stayed. Those who stayed thought the driver was lost and decided to blare directions from their GPS to the driver - this lasted for at least half an hour. I was mortified and shocked, seriously shocked at how completely awful some of these people were being.

I think dinner was the highlight of the day. It at a traditional Japanese BBQ restaurant. There was a circular grill in the middle of a table for 4, and we all cooked our own meat. It was very much like communal fondue style. I think the beef was better than I have ever eaten, it was so tender and flavourful. It had obviously been marinated as it had a flavour other than just beef. It was very thin but extremely tender (and VERY marbled)  so tender you could tear with chop sticks.

Another thing I found interesting today were umbrella 'bags'. These were at the entrances to some shops...long thin clear plastic bags that you put your umbrella into so it didn't drip in the store. The plastic bags were in some kind of a contraption so that you just put your umbrella in and there was a bag waiting for the umbrella. You pulled the umbrella out and voila...bagged umbrella.