Sushi breakfast in Tokyo

It never quite gets dark in Tokyo. Even after a 40 minute subway ride, the sky is still full-moon bright, the light seeming to always be rising low in the distance, as if to hint that dawn is just a few minutes away. Its 10pm.

I was born in Okinawa and later lived not too far away from where I am now - Japan is the place where my journey started and so it seemed an appropriate place to wrap up this particular trip. I don't remember much about Japan, other than whats in pictures. I can tell you that I lived here twice, first at Okinawa AFB and then after a trip stateside, returned to Yakota on the main island. My dad taught me the game of baseball in Japan, but instead of growing up rooting for the Mariners or the Dodgers, my team was the Seibu Lions. I was told that I grew up bilingual - for a six year old - and spoke Japanese when I moved to Washington, but without classmates who spoke it, I quickly forgot it all. I remember that the department stores had amusement parks on top of the roofs and I remember seeing Mt. Fuji in the distance as I sat by the window in a train.

That's about it. So when I saw that a flight back to Seattle from Vietnam would take me through Tokyo, I decided to extend the layover to a few days so I could get reaquainted with my birth country.

The hotel I had booked was located in the Ueno district, northeast of the city center. My room is fantastic - a traditional Japanese guest room, with one very small TV, 3 Tatami mats, and a folded up futon in the corner. When its time for bed, the futon takes up the entire length of the room. I love it.

With only 2 full days of the city to see, there isn't much of an itinerary beyond trying to fit in as much of this city as I possibly can. I visited Shibuya Crossing, the Times Square of Tokyo, home to the famous video walls and the world's busiest intersection. I strolled through Ueno park, home to Tokyo's great museums. Asakusa was another great sight, with tons of market vendors and designer clothings hawking their wares, right up to the steps of the famous Senso-ji Temple.

On the second day, I headed down to the fish market for a sushi breakfast. Really, you can't get much fresher than a sushi breakfast in the Tokyo fish market. I found a little cafe and proved true the idiom, that the sushi really does taste better here. Not to mention the rice, the noodles, the tempura, etc. I found it funny that one sushi place would be nearly empty, while right next door the line snaked out the door. The fish all came from the same place, right across the road!

Afterwards, I spent my day wandering through the Roppongi district, headed over to the Imperial Palace for pictures, then to Harajuku to gawk at the shoppers. Finally, at nightfall, I headed over to the Tokyo Dome to catch a baseball game. On tonight's slate, a cross town rivalry between the Yomuiri Giants and the Yakult Swallows.

I was so excited to see this game - I've always been impressed by the passion of Japanese fans with their chants, flags, and drums and this game didn't dissapoint. Even the pro shop was fun - you could get a customized jersey right there and had I the Yen, I would have bought one for Dave, just to see him wear the #0 "Martin Swallows" jersey. Alas.

Japanese baseball isn't too different from American, but there is one major way in which the former stands out from the latter. No, its not the durability of pitchers, coaching styles of managers, or even length of the season (though these are important). Its this:

There were hundreds of beer vendors like this - all cute girls dressed in uniforms matching the beer they were selling. Its because of these girls, as well as the game and the fans, that the game passed in a blur, with me sitting with a dumb grin on my face.
 

Kind of like my time here in Tokyo.

Comments

[John]

Nice!!! Japan is near the tops of our travel list.

But I don't know, man... The sushi in Kansas City is pretty good!

And when I say pretty good, I mean horrible...

John

[dave]

Your welcome home gift is a customized Seahawks jersey. Gaylord #69