Tokyo redux

I just realized that my last three posts were about poetry to some extent. I'll try to spare you from too many poetic ramblings.

The first time I was in Tokyo, I missed out on the Tsukiji Fish Market. So since we (Eight Hitachi Gaijin) were in Tokyo to celebrate Mike and Clive's respective birthdays, we decided to check it out. The best time to get there is around 5 am when you can see all the fresh fish (especially the tuna) and watch the auction. That worked out well, as part of the celebrating involved checking out the Tokyo Ice Bar Sunday night.

The ice bar was really ... I keep wanting to say 'cool' but am trying to avoid it ... awesome! The entire inside and all the furniture, the bar, even the glasses, are all made of special pure ice shipped in from Sweden. No, really - Sweden. I have to admit that the ice was incredibly clear. We chilled out there for a while (did you think I'd leave all the puns out?) you're only allowed 45 minutes in the -5 C atmosphere and then headed out to wander the streets of Tokyo.

Saw some giant fish, staring out unhappily from their tank, but it didn't seem to be associated with a restaurant, so you've got to look on the bright side - if you're a fish, not so much if you're a sushi lover. We eventually found a place to hang out for a bit. Some people danced, some people just relaxed, some did both. I managed to take a ton of pictures and actually got a few half-decent ones. We headed out for an early breakfast (4 am - I had rice, green beans and two eggs, almost but not quite fried - for those of you who didn`t want to see posts about what I ate on a given day...) then to Tsukiji.

When you first walk in, it`s like a big market. It gradually gets more crowded, with smaller, narrower aisles and more traffic. All kinds of fish, shells and other unknown creatures. It gets more difficult to look at the sea life/death/food? as you go, because half of the crowding is caused by guys with carts (some motorized) carrying a variety of stuff and moving fast. Since it's a functional market, they're really not trying very hard to dodge tourists - keep your eyes open... When you reach the back, there are several rooms with hundreds of tuna laid out on the floor for inspection/auction. Some fresh, some frozen, all minus heads, guts and tails. Although some do have their tails nearby... A cut is made approximately 3-4" from the back so the meat can be inspected. Fish are auctioned, sold and carted away to satisfy the cravings of a country mad for sushi.

Headed home, stopped and bought a surfboard on the way.

pics on flickr.