We started at the Tsukiji fish, market (open since 1935), which is, by far, the most impressive fish market I have ever seen. The "inner market" (which bans strollers, so Iver was carried) is only open to the public after 10 a.m. (it, and its Tuna auction are open to merchants before then), and it was amazing to wander amidst the aisles and aisles of fresh fish (trying not to get run over by a fish cart man trying to do his job). We learned that the location is due to be changed in November (next month!) but might be postponed (or cancelled) due to concerns of chemicals (benzene) in the underground soil of the new location.
Man at work
Tuna!
Washing and drying fish for soup
pickled stuff
Nearby shrines dedicated to fish, clams, etc!
Traditional Japanese Kabuki theater, which is a family business, and which employs only male actors (for both male and female parts).
There are refrigerated coin lockers, so you can buy food from the ground floor, and then store it while you do your other shopping!
They also have an entire family-friendly floor, including a play area for babies, a nursing room (with a heated bottle warmer!), a kid-sized toilet room, and a dedicated baby changing room! The regular toilet stalls all also had had "baby seats," so you have a place to plop down your youngster while you do your business. How cool and progressive is Japan?!
Kids' toilet room, with mini urinal, toilet, and sink.
And, in case you wanted to check your baby's weight after or before changing a diaper, here is an infant scale!
We then rode to the Asakusa neighborhood of Tokyo, an older, historic area.
Iver likes the subway "rings."
(and transport cards)
We enjoyed a delicious lunch of sashimi/nigiri/sushi (with something fried for K's dad, who hates raw fish). Iver actually did pretty well, although we try to steer clear of most restaurants with him. He didn't knock over or get burned by any miso soup or green tea, which I'd call a win.
We sat, shoeless (they had shoe lockers!) on pillows on wooden benches to enjoy our meal, which was excellent.
We then headed further into the district and towards the main temple via the "Thunder" Gate, with sculptures for the gods of thunder and wind flanking a 700-kg lantern.
I loved seeing women in kimonos!
We strolled down 200-m Nakamise, a popular shopping street.
We then entered the main gate of Sensoji Temple, a Buddhist temple (and Tokyo's oldest), completed in the 7th century.
"Fanning" the incense onto you is supposed to bring you luck, smarts, etc. (Iver was very into this)!
Our last stop of the day was to the Yanaka district, a northern area of Tokyo ("high city") which was relatively spared in WW2.
The old-style houses and compact apartments were a sight to see!
Check out these other "only in Tokyo/can you believe it?" pictures:
On the Tokyo subway, this woman's red bag read "Palm Springs, Eureka, California." What are the odds??
Kelvin snapped this photo of napping Japanese kids on their parent's bike outside a grocery store (no one was calling CPS!).
Japan is so awesome! Tokyo is such a beautiful, clean, innovative, efficient city, with polite, gracious, considerate citizens! We are loving it here.
