The Sushi That Ruined All Other Sushi

Monday, July 31, Tokyo, Japan

We started our day at the Tsukiji Fish Market. For several blocks around the market there are narrow streets and alleys with vendors and small restaurants. That itself is a wonderful place to wander about, taking in the sights and smells. There are fish vendors for sure, but lots of other produce and wares being sold. We bought corn fritters on a stick – fritters with whole kernels of corn all around the outside. They were delicious.

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Then there is the fish market itself. It is a huge building with fishermen and traders buying and selling fish. It is a working, commercial market but also has individuals, including tourists like us, wandering about. You have to keep your wits about you to avoid getting run over by a cart, but it is a wonderful, chaotic place. We saw every kind of seafood you can imagine – I wanted to take it all home and experiment with cooking. We also saw an old but very functional ice crusher taking blocks of ice and pulverizing them for use by the vendors. I love old machines and I stood there in the way watching it for much longer than I probably should have.

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Just outside the market there are a few rows of small sushi places. Each is about 10 feet wide – just wide enough for a sushi bar and a row of six or eight customers. Aaron and I picked one and went in. There was no menu – you just sit down and the sushi chef starts serving. Since it was so crowded and Chrissy wasn’t going to partake, she graciously waited outside and ate a 7-11 ham sandwich while Aaron and I had what was by far the best sushi of our lives. We had tuna, eel, sea urchin, and a bunch of other stuff and left quite satisfied. Every bit of sushi I have had since has paled in comparison.

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From Tsukiji Market it is a short walk to Hamarikyu Gardens. The gardens are situated alongside the Sumida River with sweeping views toward Tokyo Bay and back into the city itself. There are ponds and a tea house in the center of the largest pond that is accessed by several footpaths and bridges. It was a perfect place to soak in Japanese beauty while waking off a belly full of sushi.

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After the Hamarikyu Gardens we rode to Tokyo Station, which is quite a building itself. We walked from there to the Imperial Palace Gardens – another beautiful green oasis in the middle of the urban jungle. The palace itself is behind walls and can’t be readily seen, but the surrounding gardens are a beautiful place to wander about.

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The weather was hot and humid while we were in Tokyo. It was the same as Florida weather in July and August, and after spending all day walking around in the heat and humidity we were ready to cool down and take a nap – so we did. We went back to the apartment and had a nice, refreshing nap.

Once rested and cooled down, we headed back out to the Ginza District – a high-end shopping district, akin to Fifth Avenue in New York. We ventured in a few places but mostly just walked around taking in the sights. We did go in a multi-floor music store that had every genre you can imagine.

When we had enough of the shopping district we headed back to “our” neighborhood of Shinjuku and found a place for Shabu Shabu for dinner. Shabu Shabu is a cooking style where you boil meat in a broth at your table. It was a delicious meal and a great send-off for Tokyo. Tomorrow we would be on our way to Hakone!