Discovering Tokyo

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Welcomed a new day after a night of constant waking up (where are we? what time is it? - jet lag effects...). Walking around like zombies we find a Starbucks (a local cafe we picked up last night is closed) where we top up our brains with a bit of caffeine to overcome the laziness. Day objectives are decided: visit Ginza and Ueno areas. According to our guide, Ginza is Japan's 5th Avenue, which I'm not interested in, but it's also the place where we can find the Imperial Palace and its gardens.
After a while deciphering several transport maps (yesterday we travelled by JR lines which apparently is different from the tube itself) and making our way through the labyrinth-like underground (there are endless shops and signs!) we manage to arrive at Tokyo station. I notice there are almost no women in strapless shirts and feel uncomfortable that I’m being disrespectful. A few hours into our day I will discover the reason: I am burning under the 33-degree sun while they’re covered (hence the parasols, they’re everywhere). A lady is even wearing gloves and a jumper!!!
We stare at our lonely planet guide and maps pointing and arguing like lost tourists (which is what we are!) until a nice lady comes to our rescue. She points out the direction to the Imperial Palace and once in the area, we walk around some gates, not totally sure it’s the Imperial Palace (it’s so quiet and there is NO ONE there!). There are amazing large bonsais all over the place, which reminds me of Mr Miyagi (ha!) and makes the place look organised and ordered to perfection. It is a quiet beauty that we appreciate. A group of Japanese tourists (in large groups and with a guide even in their own country!) is having a picture taken in front of the palace. The photographer shouts an order and they all smile simultaneously. At this point we’re boiling – literally, all drank water has long evaporated from our bodies.
Thankfully, there are fountains close by. It’s unbelievably hot.
Getting to Ginza requires squeezing our dehydrated brains a bit more, discussing and pointing at our maps some more minutes, only to get lost and appear somewhere close to Ginza but not exactly there. Finally, we walk down a street which is very similar to 5th Avenue or Regent/Oxford Street in London. Everyone commutes in rigorous order (to the left, it seems, walking on the street, down the stairs and even in museums... the turning around the room is anti-clockwise). In my opinion, business men all dress the same: black suitcase, black trousers, white shirt, square glasses. Do they perceive us as ‘similar’ too?
Our stomachs are crying out loud for some more sushi but we decide to take the tube one more time (another mission! thankfully there are information desks everywhere) and have lunch at Ueno. I loved this part of the city; we want to eat in a place close to Ameyoko Arcade , which runs adjacent to the rail-line. More signs and colours, we just walk open-mouthed at everything: people shouting all sorts of things (jewellery auction, fish prices, various offers) whilst others offer all sorts of leaflets (I had to take one, at least, no idea what it says though!). Finding the chosen eating place becomes our next adventure, no signs in English around and our map does not display all alleys so lastly, we memorise the restaurant’s Japanese characters and look around. Alas! We’re extremely lucky and find it. Food is FANTASTIC (Ueno Yabu Soba) and I’m so happy to eat what I love and cool down in an air-conditioned environment that I spill my miso soup. M suggests I let it be, but I try to clean the mess with Kleenex. Everything seems immaculate and I’m being the exception to the rule. I check my book for a sentence meaning ‘Sorry’ but can only find ‘Excuse me’ which may not be the best choice.
Back on the street to boil. M wants to have a siesta but we must resist temptation. Next stop is Toshogu (shrine dating from 1651) which despite our respectful bowing and praying and its entrance, is closed. Oh well.... more walking and after asking for directions yet again, we find ourselves at the Tokyo National Museum (housing almost 90,000 items, with 3,000 donors) – collection divided amongst 4 or 5 buildings. As everything, it’s unclear to us which is which, so we just walk inside one of them and visit rooms randomly. I feel we’re going against the current (to the left, not to the right!) but nonetheless we are both extremely excited to closely observe the treasures of 2.000 B.C. Japan. The archaeological collection is my favourite: coffin jars (!!), wonderful quartz and jade beads (jewellery), iron armours which only super men could have worn (I thought an iron shield was a door!), bronze crowns and mirrors etc. Other parts of the main building display magnificent 15th – 18th century armours, ornamented as none I’ve seen before. Katanas, among other swords, amaze us with their sharp blades and perfect curves. I fall in love with a ‘screen’, painted in silk, with flowers and birds which have nothing to envy of Durer’s Hare. Endless scrolls with beautiful writing and incredible depictions (a medicine ‘book’ explains, with illustrations, the stages of pregnancy), beautiful wooden boxes (for writing instruments or jewellery) with mati-e (technique: coating of lacquer is applied and then metallic powder spilled over the design) as well as numerous manuscripts. At some point we have a little siesta in the ‘resting couches’ – not that this is their real name, but a large number of people are literally sleeping while sitting on them. So we close our eyes for 10 mins, joining all other tired people, and that does the trick.
Back to the hotel, not before trying to find some soap to wash our clothes in the 7/11. No such luck so tonight we’re going to the laundry (opening times: 10 – 11 pm!). B x

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