Saturday, July 5, 2008

Tokyo in a Day

Do you ever have the problem of leaving the house and forgetting to bring along your beverage? Well, in Japan, that's not a problem because vending machines are never that far away. This morning, on a bike ride into the countryside with my friend Evan, I realized that even into the village areas, we were never more than 40 meters away from a vending machine. The machines here in Japan sell both hot and cold beverages and some machines vend cigarettes for special card holders. So, if you do ever decide to come to Japan, even if you are standing in the middle of a rice patty, only a short walk away and your thirst will be quenched. 



The first outing of the day, like I mentioned was the bike ride with Evan. A little later on, some of my Japanese friends and I went into downtown Tokyo to grab a bite to eat at the Tsukiji Jogai Market (the fish market.) If you are ever in the mood for some fresh fish, this is the place to be. There are stalls and stalls of locals selling all kinds fish and serving up the best dishes. Most places had a counter out front and could seat about 7 people. The vendor served you up right in front of you. To the left you can see what I had for lunch. It was out of this world! It consisted of salmon eggs, tuna, and a bit of egg served raw over rice; the flavor was so unique and if I ever get a chance to have it again in Japan, I will definitely go for it.


Our friend Daisuke was a big help navigating us through Tokyo. Tokyo is his own backyard, so we were easily able to get around without having to spend much time figuring out which JR train or subway line to take. Some of the other places we went to were the Akihabara shopping area, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings observation deck, the Odaiba water front, and the Ameyoko Market. 

Tomorrow I get up at 4am to catch a Shinkansen train to Mt. Fuji. Should be another adventure!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really wish they have a vending machine for house maids here. We desperately need a maid to maintain the cleanness of this messed up apartment. lol
I'm glad you had fun in Tokyo. Keep me posted about your experience taking the Shinkansen!

Lulu said...

WOW
i envy you Derik! im want japanese food too!
im glad you are having fun!!

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