Building an appetite for a feast

I must say I had a good sleep. Maybe it was the fact I`d slept on the bare floor the last 4 nights. Maybe it was the experience of staying in a classical style Tatami room on a futon. Maybe it was just the relief of having such fantastic and warm hosts that took all my worries away. Whatever the reason, I certainly slept with an ear-to-ear grin.

5 Level Pagoda

With Shiho and Yoshi kind enough to show me the sights today, I awoke to the smells of a delicious breakfast and went over the plans for the day. Having a `local` plan your day is one of the greatest travel treats - no, not only because I`m lazy, but because you simply see and do things that don`t feature in the usual tourist literature. Not to mention having things explained to me all day, and just generally doing things more efficiently to cram more into the day. I took a moment to curse my damn feet which were proving to be the bane of my existence, then we were off!

Asakusa Temple - popular place

First stop was the touristy but mandatory Asakusa Temple. The Japanese believe that smoke has certain powers to aid health and intelligence, so I was into the smoke pit for a healthy dose of smarts. Next I cleansed myself before entering the temple. This is done at a fountain using water scoops - first the hands, then the mouth. Inside the temple I was handed a luckier coin to throw and make a wish (apparently a coin with a hole in it gives you a better chance of your wish coming true).

Next we caught the Yurikamone (Seagull) Line train to Odaiba - it is a beach-themed area with a lot of shops and restaurants. From there I could see the Rainbow Bridge, which actually isn`t shaped like a rainbow, nor is it more than one colour so not sure who signed off on that one. We went into the Toyota showroom, which basically displayed all the latest models and some info on their F1 team. There was even a free reaction testing game to see if you could be an F1 driver... but it didn`t prove anything that`s for sure. Walking through some more of the malls I got the overwhelming feeling that everything in Tokyo seems to have a really polished finish to it. No half measures, and everything just works!

Crazy Toyota personal vehicle

Jumping back on the train we headed to Yokohama (about an hour out of Tokyo) and found a bookshop for me to get a Japanese phrasebook. We took a breather in a Starbucks (the bloody things are everywhere) and met up with Yumi-chan. After having a look at the harbour and the Bay Bridge, it was time for dinner so we set off for a once-in-a-lifetime restaurant experience. I was informed that the family restaurant was an invite only (private) establishment, specialising in Kaiseki Ryori (Ceremonial Cuisine). The chef studied for 26 years before opening the restaurant with his wife, and he alone decides what you will eat based on what foods are in season. I felt very priveleged to tackle all 14 courses, and while I`m not the biggest seafood fan (cooked, let alone raw) I made a point of trying everything put in front of me. All seafood had been caught on the day, and where possible was still kicking until moments before it hit the plate. Needless to say there were plenty of new tastes for me to evaluate, with the more memorable ones being the sea urchin and stonefish. I will probably never know what some of them were!

Fuji TV

After sharing conversation and a few Sakes with Shiho`s father and mother, it was time to take my very full stomach off to bed. We said our farewells (until next time) and then caught the train back to Tokyo.

I can just smell the intelligence!

Landmark Tower (another great name)

Magic Fountain

Me in New York

Meal of a lifetime!

Painted on sky!

Rainbow Bridge - who signed off on that name?

Stonefish, still alive and kicking

The first dish of 14...

Wheel of fortune

Yoshi & I bust through Thunder Gate