Here are some pics from a recent weekend out in the big city! The main point of the trip was to met up for dinner with a group of girls from my India trip, but since Tokyo is sort of far away for me, it is only worth going if I stay a few days. So I put on my tourist shoes and did some solo sightseeing the rest of the time.

The highlight was the Tsukiji Fish Market - the largest wholesale seafood market in the world.

From Wikipedia - "The market handles more than 400 different types of seafood from tiny sardines to 300kg tuna, from cheap seaweed to the most expensive caviar. Overall, more than 700,000 metric tons of seafood are handled every year at the three seafood markets in Tokyo, with a total value in excess of 600 billion yen (approximately 5.5 billion US dollars). Tsukiji alone handles over 2000 metric tons of seafood per day. The number of registered employees varies from 60,000 to 65,000, including wholesalers, accountants, auctioneers, company officials, and distributors."

Cool...I am fascinated by things from the sea - they are beautiful when they are alive and delicious when they are dead, so I had to go. And good timing too - as of next month, they will formally request that tourists stay away. Apparently there were so many people showing up that it was interfering with business operations and even posing a threat to sanitation. So I wanted to go before I was officially no longer welcome!

But let's be honest, the real reason to go was the sushi- it just doesn't get any fresher than this! I eat plenty of sushi here, but I usually get it from the grocery store or the conveyor belt restaurant. But the best way to eat sushi, which I experienced for the first time at Tsukiji, is right at the counter. You order directly from the sushi chefs, they make it for you with incredible speed and 30 seconds later you have a beautiful piece of heaven slapped down in front of you. IT TASTES SO MUCH BETTER THIS WAY! The rice is warm and the fish is cold, and ... I know this sounds gross and maybe weird ... but the energy from the chefs hands still clings to the sushi - a whole different experience when you put it in your mouth. I can hardly describe it, but damn, is it good. I know there are places with proper sushi counters around here, I just have to find them.

The one on the right is salmon, my fave, and I forget what the other is.

Slicing maguro tuna in between orders.

It is also super fun because you get to chat with the chefs - they were actually impressed by my painfully limited Japanese. And of course, watching them work is absolutely fascinating. They are so fast!! Becoming a proper sushi chef takes years and years of training - it is a lot harder than it looks. Watching these guys in action made me realize just what an art form it really is.

A confession - I had breakfast twice. Raw fish for breakfast? You bet! So good I had to go back for more.

The sushi counter where I had Breakfast #1 at around 8:00 am.

In between eating I wandered around the market. Check out the size of those fishies!

A theft deterent perhaps?

The market is full of dudes cruising around on these motorized carts that can turn on a dime. But you have to watch out for them - I almost got hit several times :-/ I know, bad tourist!

Here is my favorite sushi chef from Breakfast #2 at around 10 am. He was such a crackup!

Moving so fast that the picture blurred without flash.

My absolute favorite -Salmon with lemon and mayo, and a massive pile of pickled ginger.

I will spare you all the photos from Yokohama - fun place, but not that picturesque. With a few exceptions.....

Neato sculpture in Yokohama. I love this!

Temple in Chinatown - the best part about Yokohama - again, for the food ;-)

The next day I did more sightseeing around Tokyo - the Asakusa area and Kappabashi, which is the street with all the restuarant supplier shops. As tempting as it was to get some nifty gadgets for my ever growing kitchen, I didn't want to carry anything home, so I resisted. What I really wanted though, was some plastic food. Kappabashi is the place that restaurants go for all that plastic food they put in their display windows - a uniquely Japanese thing I think? Wouldn't it be cool to bring home a realistic plastic tempura plate? But that stuff is EXPENSIVE! Most of the plastic food was upwards of 5o bucks ... not worth it for me!

The Asakusa tourist circus. This is the historical district of Tokyo. It is nice to get a taste of the old traditional culture, but waaaaay too touristy for my taste.

A couple doing "mekuji." If I understand, you pay your money, shake the in full of sticks until one falls out. The number on the stick corresponds to your fortune, which are inside all the small boxes. If anyone knows better, feel free to correct me!

Cherry blossom season is almost here by the way....