Boorish tourists an sushi

 

December 2 2024

Tokyo

Well it’s starting to wind down. Now in the killing time mode, because I can’t get an earlier flight. Today is around day 20 since I have been home and as I found out on previous trips, I am good for about 3 week maximum for travel. Then I start to get bitchier than usual.

Tokyo was never on my plans for this trip and I’ll have a good time, I just wish I was going home tomorrow, instead of another tall building and a temple.

I got up kind of late, around 730. There really wasn’t a reason to get up any earlier. The train to Tokyo would only be a couple hours and once in Tokyo the hotels have a policy of no check in before 2pm. I can always leave my luggage in the hotel, and go wandering, but I feel homeless then for some reason.

I caught the 930 to Tokyo after a cup of Starbucks and a scone. I was assigned a seat on the left hand side of the train. The coveted left side when going into Tokyo, because on a clear day you can see Mt. Fiji best from that side of the train. My luggage situation is the same as always. Two small packs. One for electronics and the other for essentials, then the main suitcase that carries the bulk of my belongings. Over this trip my belongings have increased in weight. One thing that really increased it’s weight noticeably is the used kimono. I forget how dense silk can be.

On the train, there is an open area behind the last seat that is perfect for dropping the big luggage, and it worked fine the first two times I rode the train. The third time someone had reserved it and I was in their way, but they let me snuggle in with their luggage. This time I asked a friendly man what was I to do with it, and he told me it goes in the rack over your seat. Ya, like that’s going to happen. When I go up a flight of stairs it is two hands lift and then do the same on the next step. I was lucky as there were two children in the seats in front of my and their father helped me put the luggage up on the rack. I am not cure if it was chivalry or the welfare of his children he was worried about.

We got rolling on time and half an hour into the trip the couple across the aisle began exemplifying why Japanese are not so hot on tourists in general. Yes, Japan is xenophobic, and has mega amounts of rules, but the rules are in place so that people who are this crowded together constantly, don’t go postal. The male of the couple starts by placing his dirty shoes on the socks only part of the footrest. Then he makes a phone call, wondering if a particular restaurant serves vegetarian (wouldn’t you know?). Then they get into a very lively conversation of “Why do you say that about me?”. Even the two children know that conversations and phone calls are made from the area between cars. Then he sticks his day pack in the flipping aisle.

We do get to Tokyo and no one strangles the couple. You need your ticket to feed the machine to get on the train, and you need it to feed a different machine to exit the train. If Mr. Couple hadn’t helped me with my luggage I would have kept quiet about seeing his ticket on the floor of there area, but I didn’t.

I caught a short taxi ride to my hotel. The clerk said I was early, I said I’d be happy to leave my luggage. She said if I entered my email into their marketing I could check in now. Fine, I’ll block you later.

The room is teeny, and furnished like a dorm room, with cutsie sayings about. I think this is one step above a hostel. If I hadn’t prepaid I’d be outta here. I still may be out of here, and dispute the charges later.

Luggage dropped and out to the streets of Tokyo. The streets are triple wide boulevards lined with stores, you would recognize in any major city in the world. It reminds me of New York City, except they are driving on the wrong side of the road.

I did some shopping for friends back home and then came back to the room to surf for dinner. I hadn’t had sushi in Japan yet, so tonight was the night. I found a well reviewed one about 1/2 a mile from the hotel, so I walked there.

The city is all decked out in it’s finest Christmas decorations. Lights, and reindeer and modernist Christmas trees. I found the restaurant on the 6th floor of a non descript building. They had two options for meals. One that had too much food, for a lot, and the other that had too much more food for a lot more. I could have paid the more, price. But it really did look like way too much food. I like sushi quite a bit. I’ve had some good sushi in Seattle, never ever have I had sushi this good. Even things I knew I wouldn’t like, were great. It was the best meal I have had in 2 years, and the service close to the best ever. I’ll eat Cup-o-Noodles when I get home, it was worth it.

Now time to call it quits for the day. I hope the tabletop drummer next door stops soon.