Tokyo Drift

I fell asleep around 8 pm and woke up around 3 am - after getting organized and checking my duffel, I headed down to Tsukiji market. It was raining this morning, so the Bay Hotel was kind enough to lend me an umbrella.

After the ten minute walk, I got a little discombobulated and turned around. The market stalls abound and in the darkness and rain, I circled amongst the buzzing forklifts. But when I found the Fish Information Center, I learned this - but it didn't say anything on the website!:



Disappointed, I walked around a bit - here are some pictures of the market early morning, including some vegetables!

So I headed to one of the only sushi restaurants open before 5 am, Sushi Zanmai. The service was hospitable and there was a radio interview onsite. They wouldn't let me take pictures, but it was entertaining as the guy was wearing a sleeveless Santa shirt and had huge muscles. They also gave me a lollipop that looked like a piece of sushi. I didn't order a lot of pieces as this wasn't the original restaurant I wanted to check out. Here were my five pieces:

The restaurant I wanted to go to was Sushi Dai which opens at 5 am. When I arrived around 5:30 am, there was already a 3 hour wait and line! Chatted with some people from Los Angeles who apparently had gotten there at 3:30 am and were still waiting outside even though the restaurant had been open for half an hour. 

Thus I went to Daiwa just next door which had a 30 minute line. Luckily for me, they needed a one seater at this 11 seat counter and I waited less than 10 minutes. The chef was lively speaking in English, Korean, and Chinese. And the sushi was divine - even the maki roll was surprising with roe on the inside, bursting at unexpected moments. I'm so glad I had restrained myself at Sushi Zanmai. I may not have witnessed the tuna auction, but it sure went in my belly!

Although I missed the tuna auction, and the fact that the Tsukiji Inner Market is probably moving within the next year, I was pretty happy with my experience - two delicious sushi breakfasts before 7 am!

I then found Mosuke Dango, a famous sweets restaurant and wholesaler. They recommended the mochi, rice cake, in red bean sauce. The red bean was super steamy, but once it cooled, the mochi rice cake just melted in my mouth.



Satiated, I returned to the capsule hotel for a nap. I had planned it that I could leave directly from the market, but since I didn't get to witness any of the auctions and the wholesaler space, I had time to spare.

At 10 am, I had a reservation with Street Kart Tour called MariCar - a go kart company that organizes tours around the city. I felt like it's was a Segway tour, but in go karts. When I read about it in my Lonely Planet guide, not only did I think it sounded like fun, but you need an international driving license. I had brought mine on a whim which I had procured for my European family vacation in September. I probably won't renew it, so I figured this would be a fun activity.

Also not only is it Christmas today, but it's Monday with a lot of museums closed. So around 9 am, I grabbed my checked bag and went over to Higashi-Ginza station for one stop then a transfer to the JR rail. I got off at Shinkiba and then walked 15 minutes to the Tokyo Bay outpost of MariCar. 

There were closer branches, but I liked the idea of doing the loop that included Rainbow and Gate bridges. I had booked the long course which would include Shibuya crossing, but I was the only one. There were two girls - one from Los Angeles and another Australian - who had booked the medium course. So the shop asked me to downgrade since they were not willing to upgrade. This was fine as it would give me more time for the remainder of the day. 

In classic Japanese style, you are asked to pick a costume - the Japanese are really into cosplay. The girls picked Mario and Luigi. I oddly picked a Japanese cartoon character from Dragonball, called Piccolo - I picked it because I like purple. It went over our jackets since it gets really cold, so I felt super bulky. I did not opt for the hat.







It was amazingly fun as we sped around and passed Tokyo tower, but the highlights were definitely the bridge crossings. We weren't allowed to take pictures, but our driver took plenty. We even took a break and left our karts in a parking garage and headed to a viewing terrace of Rainbow bridge and a replica of the Statue of Liberty. It was good to stretch our legs and gave us a restroom break if needed. 

Then the shop was nice enough to drop us off back at the station and I took the metro where I was still thawing from the trip. At the transfer at Ginza station, I was getting hangry and since I was on the bottom floor of a department store, I was on "food avenue". I opted for a Japanese curry shop and the service was quick. Thank goodness as I hadn't eaten since around 6 am and it was around 2 pm.



I made the transfer and took it right back to Tokyo Hilton. I checked in and grabbed my suitcase that I had left behind on Saturday. After a quick nap and reorganizing my stuff, I headed to the baggage desk where I dropped off my big suitcase for luggage forwarding to my hotel in Kyoto. For about ¥1920 (~$17), my luggage will arrive by noon tomorrow. Apparently this is common in Japan and especially since the trains, not even the Shinkansen, have enough room for large luggage.

Then I was off to the Tochomae subway and in a few stops, I got off at Roppongi - famous for its nightlife and a massive development complex. The whole place was swarming and there were western luxury stores everywhere. I checked out the lines for the Mori Art museum and Tokyo City View - although it was only a 30 minute wait, I didn't feel up to it and it wasn't even for food.

So I wandered around and stumbled upon a concert - I don't know who Anly is, but she was entertaining and peppy.



The Christmas illumination around the complex was impressive and changed periodically - here's a collage of selfies:



I still needed shoe inserts and soles, so I headed to a nearby drugstore and using the translator on my phone, the clerk was very helpful. It’s pretty funny this is all that I needed in a bevy of luxury goods.

I was not that hungry, but knew I should eat. The overpriced restaurants at Roppongi didn't interest me, so I started back to the metro and popped into Hanamaru Udon for a small bowl. This hit the spot and although nothing fancy, it was a value for ¥500 (~$4), including a rice ball wrapped in tofu skin. 

Back on the metro to battle the orderly crowds and the heat - not sure why it's so warm in the stations, but I have constantly taken on and off my scarf while I've been here. When I returned to Tochomae station, I returned my Pasmo metrocard to the station master and got the balance and my ¥500 deposit returned.

At the hotel, I rested for my last night in Tokyo! I can't believe I've been here since Friday, but I'm pretty pleased with my last minute trip to Japan thus far!