I suppose there were not much jet lag as we managed to get breakfast and plan for the day ahead. We first had to go exchange our JR pass vouchers in Tokyo Station as they need to see our passports to see whether we are overseas visitors. I also took the train schedule for Kanazawa for the next day so that we could plan the next day visit.
Since we were in the station, we popped into Daimaru Tokyo Station Daimaru for some serious errand. J. was asked to bring some Suqqu make up for his colleagues, and for the first time I discovered the brand and the second floor of Daimaru. We probabbly toured all the floors as everything looked exotic to me. But eventually i was back in familiar territory, the basement floor with all the food samples.
By late lunchtime we were already in nearby Asakusa, looking for serious food. Somehow the building with the red and blue cup became my unofficial landmark.
Despite the rain and the cold, it was a nice walk, and I even indulged into looking into souvenir shops, trying to think hard what else I didn't have already. At some point I believe the thought of beer drove the guys into a shop, which had an advanced touchscreen ordering system in several languages. We ordered too much and ate like 6, but it was all to start another long walking afternoon so we stocked up on energy.
Indeed we did all the shops lined up on Nakamise dori, in front of Senso ji temple. It was not too crowded for a Sunday (thank you weather?) and I was tempted more than once to get more sandals and fans. But what I was looking for and could not find 2 years before was an incense burner. I was a bit shy however to enter the incense shops as they looked very formal and gave off an air of ... burial ceremony.
We managed to get to a small shrine to ring the bell, clap and bow before returning to the crowded strets.
Anyway, we window shopped and walked and enjoyed the energy surrounding the area. While I wasn't looking, the guys went into otaku mode in front of some knife shop.
I was hoping we could visit some sword and knife shops in a quieter area as the crowded atmosphere vaguley reminded me of a drunken Halloween party in 1999...
Moving on, we did not forget to snap a photo with the kaminarimon chochin.
We walked quite a bit in Shitamachi, away fromt he crowd and along the Sumida river, seeing the Kiring buidling cross the Sumida river and enjoying the old neighbourhood with all their flowerpots outside. Later in the afternoon, our steps brought us back to
Since we were a few stations from Akihabara, I thought I should let them experience the craze of the place.
However it was nearing dinner time and as we got out of the station, a multifloor mall immediately attracted our attention so that none of the mandrake building was out of our sight. We grabbed a drink in a cozy english pub with lovely chandeliers, and had delicious Japanese food (maki and gyoza) ...without being in a maid cafe.
Since we were in the station, we popped into Daimaru Tokyo Station Daimaru for some serious errand. J. was asked to bring some Suqqu make up for his colleagues, and for the first time I discovered the brand and the second floor of Daimaru. We probabbly toured all the floors as everything looked exotic to me. But eventually i was back in familiar territory, the basement floor with all the food samples.
By late lunchtime we were already in nearby Asakusa, looking for serious food. Somehow the building with the red and blue cup became my unofficial landmark.
Moving on, we did not forget to snap a photo with the kaminarimon chochin.
Since we were a few stations from Akihabara, I thought I should let them experience the craze of the place.
However it was nearing dinner time and as we got out of the station, a multifloor mall immediately attracted our attention so that none of the mandrake building was out of our sight. We grabbed a drink in a cozy english pub with lovely chandeliers, and had delicious Japanese food (maki and gyoza) ...without being in a maid cafe.
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