My Final Adventures in Tokyo

Tsukiji Market

The end of my stay in Tokyo was nearing, and I still had yet to visit one of Tokyo's most famous areas: Tsukiji Market, the biggest wholesale and seafood market in the world. The market opens at 3 am. The auction houses estimate the value of the products and prepare them for auctions, while the buyers inspect the fish to determine which fish they want to bid for. The auctions start at 5:20 am, but only100 tourists a day can see them. This means that if you want to go, you have to line up at 4 am. 

A big problem for carless tourists is the fact that the train does not open until around 5 am, which is too late for the line up. (I imagine you could also go by taxi.) This is the reason that I delayed my visit at Tsukiji until the very end. I planned on biking to the market one morning. Luckily, someone who I met by teaching English offered to take me! I was pumped. Unfortunately, the commute is about an hour a way. This meant that I had to wake up at 2:45 am.

We got there quite early and began the wait in line. I was much more tired than this photo makes me seem.

The market was full of a variety of fish and fish products.

When we got to the auction, we watched as the buyers inspected the tuna.

After the auction, we enjoyed some fresh sashimi. I got toro, salmon, and ikura. To be hoenst, I've had much tastier sashimi for a much lower price.

After breakfast, we walked through the different markets.

It was the first time I saw real wasabi before it was ground into a paste!

Ghibli Museum

The same day, I went to the Ghibli Museum with a friend I met at school, Sophia. Ghibli studio is extremely famous for its anime feature films since 1985. Since its establishment, it has produced 17 films, beginning with Castle in the Sky, and most recently From Up on Poppy Hill. The museum itself opened in 2001, and unfortunately, no photos were allowed inside. The museum is a magical place with tiny doors, spiral staircases, and art everywhere; it has an Alice in Wonderland-like feel.

Shinjuku Gyoen

With time to spare, I went to Shinjuku Gyoen afterward. In 1949, the gardens became open to the public, displaying three styles: French Formal, English Landscape, and Japanese Traditional. The gardens are famous for a tea house, cherry-blossoms (when it's cherry blossom season), it's 20,000 trees, and horticulture work.

The view of the city from the gardens were spectacular. Although pretty, after seeing some of the most beautiful gardens in Kyoto, my breath was not taken away. The admission (200 Yen) is comparably smaller, however.

Yoyogi Park

One of the largest parks in Tokyo, Yoyogi doesn't resemble a garden or famous touristy spot. Instead, the atmosphere is comparable to your typical town park. People gather to play music, talk, play sports, or just hang out.

While walking around, a guy started smiled at me. Then later, I saw him again. Eventually he came up and started a conversation. Except he was deaf and extremely weird. (Perhaps unrelated but he was also a foreigner, but I do not remember what country he told me he was from.) He told me he thought it was normal if random strangers went up to him and started a conversation. This was the first time that happened to me though, so I thought it was a bit strange.

SUMO!

One Friday, I decided to take a Ferris Bueller and head to a Sumo Tournament. In fact, I had bought the ticket over a month earlier at a staggering price (I forget exactly, but I think it was 14,700 Yen.) Tons of different tickets are available for purchase. You can select one where you sit on the ground, Japanese style, or have a traditional seat like the ones at a baseball stadium. The closest ones are all Japanese, sitting style, and at the price I paid, my seat was as well. I was so close, despite my terrible vision, I could see the cellulite on the butt-cheeks of the wrestlers. I was also positioned right by the aisle, so I could see the wrestlers emerge from their dens.

The Tokyo Stadium is in Ryogoku, Tokyo and is known as the Kokugikan. (In addition to the Sumo Stadium, the Edo-Tokyo Museum and Yokoamicho Park are situated in Ryogoku.) It is the fourth built in Tokyo and has been used since 1985, hosting three of the six national tournaments each year. I was lucky enough to be there during one of them!

The Sumo Tournament is an all day event, with the amateur sumo wrestlers beginning at 8:30. These are known as the Jonokuchi-Makushita Matches, and you can tell by their size that the wrestlers are not as impressive. During this long interval, the matches can get pretty monotonous. Most people do not show up until the later matches, hence, the relatively empty seats in the above picture.  I took a break and got some chankonabe.

Chankonabe is the famous Japanese stew eaten in large quantities by sumo wrestlers. Made up of chicken, fish, tofu, and vegetables in a dashi or chicken broth soup, it is full of protein and considered relatively healthy. Although it had meat, I had to try to the famous dish; and it was delicious! I tend to love soups, though.

I also made a friend in the hallway!

At 2:30, the Juryo Division Ring Entering Ceremony takes places. Soon after, the Juryo Division Matches begin. The Tokyo Sumo Website writes: "A rikishi, or competitor in professional sumo, graduates from trainee status upon promotion to the Juryo Division. From this rank he receives a wide variety of privileges and entitlements, including the right to wear a ceremonial apron during the ring entering ceremony, or dohyo-iri, as well as the right to wear his hair in the more formal oicho style. This division marks the start of the true professional ranks and the power, technique and speed thse men bring to the game are dramatically different from the lower ranks." The Naka-iri, akuuchi Ring Entering Ceremony, and Yokozuna Ring Entering Ceremony, as well as the Makuuchi Divsion Matches, then follow. (Described in: http://www.sumo.or.jp/eng/ticket/honbasho_ichi_nichi/index.html)

Following the last match of every day, a special rikishi from the Makushita Division (the highest) receives a bow from a gyoji (referee) and performs the Bow Ceremony.

It was an amazing site to see and an experience that I could only get in Japan. It was one of the things that I set out to see before I left, so despite the effort it took to get the ticket, it was well worth it. (A Japanese guy sitting next to me even gave me a free bento and anmitsu before he left!)

Ameyoko

Ameyoko is a market streek by Ueno station selling various clothing, bag, cosmetic, and fresh food products. The name comes from 'Ameya Yokocho' meaning Candy store alley, since candies used to be sold there. Additionally, japan-guide says that Ame also stands for America since American products were sold their during WWII. I stopped here on one of my last days since Uncle Jason wanted some souvenirs for his babies. He requested some athletic jump suits, but all of the sports gear was for adults, ugly, and cheap. Instead, I got them some matching children's kimonos.

Final Tokyo Thoughts

I finished up my final exam on September 19th and spent a few days relaxing and packing before my trip to Hong Kong. Tokyo was amazing, but over a long term, I'm not sure if I would want to live there. The touristy sights are exciting, but once you have seen them, you do not want to go back for a while. As a result, once I've seen all the touristy sights, I would rather live in a more relaxed city. Tokyo is huge and it can take a while to get from one side of the city to the other. The cost of living is also rather high (sometimes it can be difficult to find an apple less than 200 Yen), and in comparison to other train systems, although convenient, others are a lot easier to use. I wouldn't trade my experience for anything, though.