A Week in Tokyo

The first three days, Dave saw the inside of a conference room. The girls and I explored on our own. This did not take us very far - to the Gap in Harajuku to replace the sandal Lilly dropped out of the stroller on a walk; to the English picturebook section of a bookstore; to the Muji flagship store; to McDonalds. We would carve out some time in the evenings for walks and dinners in Roppongi, but spent the bulk of these days keeping two children happy and napping on schedule.

Thursday was Dave's first day off. While Monday through Wednesday saw the effects of a typhoon skirting Japan on the Pacific coast, Thursday dawned bright and beautiful. With worries about mercurial weather brewing, we headed to the Edo-Tokyo Museum for some sheltered history on the city. When Tokyo first became a prominent city and capital, it was called Edo. Some years later, the named changed to Tokyo. The museum had some impressive artifacts and enough interaction to keep the girls entertained. Sharp little Lilly spent lots of time studying old paintings and models, taking advantage of a longer attention span than her mother has. The Edo portion of the museum had loads of things to look at, but precious little descriptions in English. But the portions on World War II and the rapid growth of Tokyo afterward were well described and quite interesting. I found it remarkable how Tokyo during World War II as viewed through a history museum looked remarkably similar to London at the same time period. Air raid sirens and tape on the windows. And the quick growth of the economy after the war sounded much like America - with a sudden rise in the purchase of homes in the suburbs (because Tokyo was rubble), and the sudden availability of machines to make home life easier. The difference being that Tokyo was not only gaining washing machines for the first time, but also couches and dining room tables. Japan was taking in Western culture in one big gulp - much like Shanghai right now. It is relaxing to see how Japan has melded Japanese culture with Western economics today. I only hope that China reaches such a peaceful point in the future as well.

In the afternoon, we pushed the girls straight through their naps and on to Meiji-Jingu Shrine. After a week spent indoors because of the rain, we could not bring ourselves back to the hotel on what turned out to be a gorgeous fall day. The shrine is surrounded by thick woods, with gravel roads neatly carved through. A truly delicious way to explore a wood without touching it. The girls enjoyed the chance to run free, and we loved the smell of trees and the dappled blue sky above. The shrine was lovely as well, but not really the point to us.

Sophia fell asleep on the way home, ruining our chances of an early bedtime and an early rise this morning. We didn't wake until 9am this morning, so we didn't leave until 10. Significant once you know our morning destination was the Tsukiji Fish Market, the largest wholesale fish market in the world. As the Tsukiji Market itself is a wholesale market, surrounding it has inevitably grown another market. This is a large fish market - selling today's catch to home chefs, alongside pots and steamers and soy sauce and vegetables. A very vibrant market, because it seemed eager to please tourists and locals alike. Plenty of sushi places filled the streets, and we simply could not resist. We lined our family up at the bar of a small sushi place, one where the plates of sushi wind around the counter and you grab the one you like. The girls weren't too impressed, although Lilly made a valiant effort. They filled up on hot dogs and french fries a little later. But Dave and I both enjoyed ourselves. I know I shouldn't have - sushi is an absolute no-no these days. But who can go to Japan; who can go to the Tsukiji Fish Market in Japan; who can be near the freshest sushi in the world, and not taste some? I focused on its being the freshest sushi in the world, stayed away from the sake, and feel fine so many hours later.

The market itself is a real experience, even at noon. The place is at its busiest before dawn, when the fishing boats have unloaded their catch and the restauranteurs and shop keepers descend upon the place in their galoshes to pick the best cuts of fresh fish. By the time we reached the market, no one was selling. But it was still a busy place, and very clearly a (huge) place of business. Tight, wet cobblestone alleys went through loads of stalls being cleaned arduously by their proprieters while fishheads the size of my children lay on the floor as waste.

After we filled up the girls with solidly American food, we headed to the dock for a cruise up the Sumida River. The architecture from the river wasn't an impressive as I had imagined, but traveling under the many bridges was fun. And seeing a city from a different vantage point is always enjoyable. Bonus that the girls loved it, and Dave and I got to rest for a while. We ended the afternoon at another shrine, which we hit less for the shrine and more for the shopping leading up to it. I had been searching for all sorts of kitchely Japanese things - kimonos for the girls, lovely porcelain bowls, old lanterns. And although I saw these things being used in those historic settings, I rarely saw them for sale at a tourist's price. On this row, I did find the kimonos. And having paid a bit more than I wanted to, we've decided that this will have to suffice for our Japanese souveneirs. No doubt - this is an expensive country. Good thing we've come with only two children, and both of them under 4 years old! Luckily, they've gotten free access to everything we've done. No more trips to Japan as the family grows!

This afternoon, everyone sleeps. This evening, we explore the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography and dine at Yebisu Garden Place. Our flight leaves tomorrow evening at 7pm, leaving us the morning to tire our children enough that they will sleep on the train en route to the airport. Will be perfect timing - and we'll be masters to pull it off. The Chinese holiday continues through Sunday, leaving the family a perfectly relaxing day to recuperate together from travel before everyone jumps back into our busy schedules.