Hello folks, time for another update. The past 24 hours have been more than full. Hmmmm, where to begin??
After I left the internet cafe yesterday I headed back to my room for a few hours, there was still not much open other than the hostess bars filled with japanese businessmen who never made it home the night before. And the streets were packed with young folks who apparently have no schedule. After getting back on the streets around 10 am I walked a part of the city I had not been to before. It is called shinjuku sanchome. There was a very large and peaceful park right smack dab in the middle of the bustling city. I walked through and enjoyed the quiet nature of the area.
OK enough of that, I wanted a bit more action and or interesting sites to see/ One can only take some much peace and quiet. I turned around and headed back into the central part of Shinjuku, On the opposite side of the train station is the business district. That was my targeted location. I saw in the guide book that toto, the manufacturer had a nice showroom in one of the buildings. I found it with little problem, as a result of my new found navigation skills....patting myself on the back.
From the US perspective toto is probably indicates bathrooms. that is partially true, that is but a small part of what they do. Most is related to either the kitchen or bathroom though. Let me first provide just a bit of history. My first exposure of the complicated world of toilets was back about 18 years ago when I first came to Japan. figuring out how to use the seemingly complicated toilet seats was a huge task. Now that I am more comfortable...far from being an expert, I thought I had seen it all. As I walked thorugh this showroom I saw things that were unbelieveable. There were toilet seated taht recoginzed you were near so the let raised and the heated seat turned on. Needless to say they all came with water, heated seats, various strengths of spraying water to make sure you are thoroughly cleaned after your time being seated. There were seats that could rise up to meet you if your ability to squat has been compromised and a thoughtful addition for those who dont want to wait very long before washing your hands, there was one model that had a sink built right into the back of the toilet itself. Once you stood up all you had to do was turn around and wash your hands. Ahhh, life can be soo easy.
In addition to the toilets there were whole bathroom setups, including shower units, tub sections and sink options. All was very high tech, and some understated but all very efficient and slick. It was a very impressive setup. I spent about two hours wandering around tha various displays and then it was time to move on. I was getting hungry. I ventured to Shinjuku nichome this time to grab a bit to eat. I saw from passing by on an earlier occasion that there were street vendors who were selling bento box lunches. I picked one that had a selection of fish, chicken, salads, and rice of course. There was also a container of miso soup included in the amazing low price of 560 Yen, approximately $5.50 USD. My next task was to find a place to eat outside. I did not want to eat in my room. I thought it would be relatively easy to find a bench to sit at and eat and watch people pass by. Well....one hour later I did find such a place. I was amazed that there are very few places for you to sit here. I ended up at a smoking area outside a department store. It was shaded and provided a pleasant palce to enjoy the meal. I could not finish the food but it was very good. the portion was far to big however. Now, I wanted to move on and do some more walking around town. I had to get rid of my luch box. Easier said than done. There happen to be no outdoor trash cans that I have be able to find. I carried thios bag with me for a while and then finally i just went into a department store since they have everything else you could want and found a bathroom that had a trash can and got rid of the lunch box. Phew. I also checked on how high tech there bathroom fixtures were but they happened to be on the low end...I will choose a better department store the next time.
I went back to the hotel for an after noon nap. My feet were hurting and I needed a break. ok, that lasted 45 minutes. I was ready to keep going. I wanted to go to another bar. I hit the streets and found the one I wanted about 30 minutes later. It was a pleasant walk, it had gotten dark out but still the weather remained warm. The bar was located on the 6th floor of a small building a few blocks for a main drag. I hopped in the elevator and thought for a moment I was in a coffin. I made it to the top and it opened...thank god. I walked into the bar to find a ten person bar squeezed into a room with a small section at the end that had more seating for maybe another 10 people if they did not breath too much. the bartender was very nice and poured me a vodka. they did not quiet understand the concept of just vodka on the rocks so it came with a bit of lemon juice along with it. Not back actually. What was a bit surprising was the amount of vodka I got in that drink. I think he used a thimble to measure it. the glass was not even half full and I am sure half of the liquid was the lemon juice. Well, it too 5 minutes for that drink and I asked for a nother one. this kep going until I had 4. I was just about to get a buzz...I think and I said, that is enough. Each drink was 500 yen, the happy hour price. They much make a fortne because I bet they can get at least 50 drinks out of a bottle of liquor. Spending one thousand yen and only just getting a buzz is not my idea of a good time. I did enjoy the company at the bar though. I would go back. It is just a very different experience. I can see that the place has a regular crowd. With it being so small, it is no wonder. Cheers for Monsoon. I called it a night after that knowing i had an early morning planned.
I wole up at 4 am today with plans to head to the fish market. I got to the train station at 5 am and tried to find the train I wanted to take, this took much more time than I thought it would. After getting lost on one of the single largest subway stations in the world, twice, I fould what I was looking for. One of the guards was very nice and actually refunded one ticket I bout for the wrong train. I get to the fish market at around 630, after one transfer that went smoothly. The place was hopping. So much traffic both on foot and on very interesting looking fork lifts / haulers. I wanted to get to the auction first so I made a b-line to where that was located, following the guide books directions worked to a T. I saw these huge frozen tunas being sold for thousands of dollars. There were also many of them that were caught off the coast of Boston. After that experience i walked the market and saw many things I never even heard of or had seen before and probably will not again. The people and energy were amazing. After a few hours of wandering i wanted to taste some of that fish. I ened up in a place mainly because it advertised a bilingual sushi chef. Being a closed minded american i assumed that meant he spoke English. I happened to be right.
I sat and chatted with him for a while and ordered some of the stuff that I knew I liked. then I thought, what am I doing, I should let him order for me. So, I told him to fill me up. Piece by piece, he gave me some of the best sushi I have ever eaten. From Anago with salt, the sperm glands of some fish that happens to be in season, spanish mackeral, fish liver, and giant clam to name just a few things. After 2.5 hours I said enough. I thanked him very much and left to come here. It has been a full day already and it is only 1130. I will head back for a nap and then start exploring again.
Until the next time.
Take care.
Craig
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