Day twelve

Our last day in Tokyo.

We were meant have an early start to visit Tsujiki Fish Market. However, by the time we managed to drag our sorry buds out of bed. It was already almost 9.30am.

I was happy that the market [though obviously has quieted down a far bit from the morning bidding and buttering] was still trading.

The selection of seafood for sale is staggering. You could buy literally anything that swims in the ocean. And buy them ALIVE!

I saw life fish of all types, octopus in little water filled bags, eels, prawns, crabs and sea crustaceans of all sorts. GIANT TUNA!

To get a clearer picture of the scale this market operates in. 2500 tonnes of fish worth approximately US$23million are sold here DAILY. That’s 670,000 tonnes of fish, worth over US$6million sold in a year! Wow!

With all these fresh fish so easily available. The market will no doubt be swamped with lots of sashimi & sushi restaurants.

There were more than a dozen of these tiny footstalls with their sushi chiefs behind counters, and cram dinning areas. And in the far distance, little stores selling Ramen noodles tucked unassumingly away into corner streets and narrow alleyways.

Mel was not up to the challenge of squeezing into little seats and rubbing elbows with a complete stranger while frantically trying to slurp up a large bowl of noodles. So we said our goodbyes to the market and searched for a more civilised dinning facility.

After lunch. We took a train to Shibuya. And made a quick stop at a nearby Starbucks to get our daily doze of caffeine.

I find the “small” chats over counters very amusing. Let me explain.

Every time we buy something. We have to firstly:
1) Get our doze of IRASHIMASE shouted in our face.
2) Than sit through a looong string of greetings.
3) Place our order. [And sometimes with some difficulty.]
4) Than wait for another loooong string of thank you’s before…
5) Paying our money.
6) Than sitting through yet another long string of well wishes!

And the really funny thing is. They know that we don’t speak a single word of Japanese!! How hilarious!!!

After a good wounder around Shibuya. We made our way to Tokyo station to catch the Shinkansen back to Kyoto.

Tokyo has been great!

I was a little sad when I left. However I was looking forward to getting back to rustic Kyoto.

We will say our goodbyes for now.