Fish, fashion, food, and gardens, then sayonara Japan

As we fly back to Seattle, it is time to catch up on my journal and describe the last days of our Japan trip. Yesterday (Friday, March 15th), we started our day at the Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo's primary fresh fish wholesaling site. We were too lazy to try to watch the tuna auction, which requires getting there by 4:30am and being one of the first 120 people there. Instead, we opted for the more reasonable time of 9am, when the wholesalers' processing and distribution area opens to the public. Katie and I got to walk around as today's catch, including huge tunas, were processed and sold to distributors and large retailers. A few shops were set up for small-scale individual buyers, but the real customers are commercial. It was quite a sight, and a rare behind the scenes look at our food distribution system. After we had our fill of fish carcasses, prawns, octopus, eels, tiny walkways, and little trucks zipping all over the place at high speed, we decided to move on to our next stop. But the fish market was really an amazing and eye-opening place. So cool.

From the market, we walked to the Ginza neighborhood, a high-end retail strip with the feel of 5th Avenue, except all the stores didn't open until 11am. Still, it was a nice walk and a nice view of Tokyo. From there, we continued walking to Tokyo Station, the main train station in Tokyo. As usual at these stations, there were tons of people and tons of shops and restaurants. Most importantly, we were finally able to find a toy Shinkensen (ie, bullet train) for Penelope!

From Tokyo Station, we walked to the Imperial Gardens. Unfortunately for us, the gardens are closed to the public on Friday, and as the guard helpfully told us, "It's Friday." Katie had originally planned on us going on Thursday, but we change things up without checking. Luckily, we still had another half day, so we decided that we would come back the next day.

After our failed attempt at a garden viewing, we had lunch, then headed to Omotesandō. This was another 5th Avenue-like street, because apparently you can never have too many high-end shopping districts. Unlike Ginza, though, this one was bustling, and we had fun walking with the crowds and looking in a few shops. Right next to this strip was Takeshita Street, where all the Tokyo teenagers get their fashions. The contrast between the two areas, just blocks apart and flowing into each other, was really interesting. And we saw some pretty awesome outfits. We topped it off with a sweet crepe from one of the many crepe places, then took the subway back to the hotel for some much needed rest and a dip in the pool.

For our last dinner in Japan, we scoured our guide books and the Internet for a good spot that would be a little different from our previous finds. All our searching (well, mostly Katie's searching) paid off well, and Katie found an izakaya (Japanese pub) in Shibuya that had good reviews on the internet. The only downside was that the reviews said there were lots of foreigners there, but we decided to go anyway. Luckily, another review gave very clear directions, since usually finding the actual location is the most difficult part. When we got there (and yes, if you didn't know how to find it, in a basement from an unmarked door, you would never know it was there), they told us it would be a two hour wait without a reservation. Then, while we were pondering our next move, they decided they had enough room and seated us right away at the counter (the place was empty after all).

The staff spoke little English, but gave us a menu with English descriptions of all the dishes. When we started to order, though, it turned out that half the things we wanted were not available. Through broken English and much discussion among the staff, they suggested some alternatives that were not on the menu. We're not really sure what the menu was even for. However, once the food arrived, we discovered that it was all amazing. The restaurant quickly started to fill up, and despite the reviews, no other foreigners showed up. It had a wonderful, lively atmosphere, and we had a great time. I even used my limited Japanese to order a few more dishes direct from the chef at the counter, get some water (you have to ask), and get the check. Great food, great atmosphere, and a practically secret location. What a way to end our trip. And it was cheap to boot. Paired with our amazing sushi the night before, it was a double dose of great Japanese cuisine.

Bellies full and spirits high (the sake helped), we returned to our hotel, picking up some sweets for desert along the way. Then it was off to bed. Our last full day in Japan was done.

Today (Saturday, March 16th), we woke up and packed our suitcases. Luckily for us, everything fit, thanks in part to a bag that Katie bought that we stuffed some of our souvenirs in to carry on the plane. After checking out (thanks Mom and Dad for letting us use your hotel points), we hopped on the subway one last time. We went to the Imperial Gardens, which were open as promised, and walked around. As one might expect of Imperial Gardens, it was one of the nicest Japanese gardens that we had seen. We had a nice and relaxing stroll. It was also nice to see Tokyo on the weekend. It was much calmer and less crowded, with lots of people out for morning jogs and other leisure. We walked around the streets a little more, then took the subway back to our hotel.

At the subway station near our hotel, we stopped for lunch. We found a ramen joint and had the best ramen ever, and fast, too. Entry to exit was 15 minutes tops. The ramen was in a super thick pork broth, with pork bits and a soft-boiled egg. We felt like such pros ordering from the ramen vending machine (it gives you a ticket that you hand to the staff), conducting most of our communication in our (limited) Japanese, and generally trying to fit in with the locals. Too bad it is time to go home; I'm finally starting to get the hang of things. I can even read a few Japanese characters!

Anyway, after lunch, we got our luggage at the hotel and boarded a bus to the airport. We made it through the airport without too much hassle (I had a minor issue trying to use a mobile boarding pass), and found our gate. We spent the last of our yen on a T-shirt for Penelope and some chocolate for the flight. Unfortunately, our flight was delayed a bit, but we will probably make up most of it in the air. The flight has been fine so far. Mostly we are just eager to get home and see Penelope.

We had a really great time in Japan. It is a wonderful country. We saw a lot, and it felt like we practically walked all over the place, but really we only got a small taste. I would definitely go back. It was a great vacation. Now it is time to go home, sleep, and play with Penelope.