Tokyo Diary: Days 2 and 3

On my second full day in Tokyo I took a bicycle tour with a small group (one British couple a few years older than me and our guide, Ekiku). The ride started at 9am and went through a variety of neighborhoods, some of which I went to the previous day and some of which were new. It was a very enjoyable day, especially after the previous day spent on my own. Some of the highlights included:

1) Eating a tasty mochi sweet that Ekiku purchased at a fancy Japanese pastry shop while we sat in a park and watched some Japanese preschoolers play.
2) Riding through the sumo “stables” that are the training camps for sumo wrestlers. Unfortunately they were all at a tournament outside of Tokyo so we didn’t see any in the neighborhood, but it was still cool to see.
3) Picking out our lunch at a department store that had a food court in the basement. We chose pork buns, chicken skewers, chicken/rice balls, and dumplings. We also saw a $200 cantaloupe at the store. I didn’t know they existed, but they do. $200, I kid you not.
4) Eating our lunch at a park along the river and enjoying the sunshine.
5) Sitting in the grass and having a beer at a courtyard on the campus of Tokyo University.

After the bike trip ended, I walked around in Ginza a bit before heading to my hotel and getting cleaned up for dinner. Dinner at the New York Grill (the restaurant/bar that was made famous from Lost In Translation) was certainly memorable. It was a gorgeous night and the views were absolutely ridiculous—much better than they are even in the movie (note--the city view pic was not taken from the restaurant, it is just something I snapped from my hotel room). I have to say that Tokyo is much bigger than it felt when biking around the many backstreets that we rode during the day. There it seemed quiet and intimate, but from my restaurant view it was expansive. The city stretched on in all directions as far as I could see (and from the 52nd floor, I could see a long way) with no discernable breaks. The service during my meal was also pretty unbelievable—almost too good. I think if I were to drop my fork then someone would have been there to catch it before it hit the ground. Fortunately that opportunity never arose. As for my meal, here’s what I had:

Appetizer: Red wine soup with bacon, comte cheese, and a massive amount of black truffles
Dinner: Rotisserie duck with five spice
Sides: Duck fat french fries and green asparagus ragout with mushrooms

I considered topping the meal off with a $15,000 magnum of Screaming Eagle wine (which they had), but instead decided I was too full for that or even dessert (although I admittedly picked up a dark chocolate bar on the way back to my hotel). All in all, it was a delicious, albeit extremely overpriced, dinner.

For my last day here in Tokyo, I decided to hit a few final spots I hadn’t had time for previously. I first went to the Mori Art Museum, which is at the top of a 50ish-story building in the Roppongi neighborhood. Unfortunately, it was closed as they prepared for a new exhibition opening in a week. So instead I walked to Shibuya, which is where Tokyo’s Times Square is. Apparently it has the busiest street crossing in the world, and I don’t doubt it. Once through the sea of people, I walked around and did some minor shopping before heading on to the Meiji Jingu, which is a Shinto Shrine. It was unreal. Apparently, this shrine and the park that surrounds it was a gift from Emperor Meiji to his wife. And what a gift it was. I think this is probably my favorite urban park in the world (sorry Central Park and Hyde Park), although it is very different from my other favorites. They are still better for laying out, throwing the frisbee, or having a bbq. Meiji Jingu wins on the peaceful scale, however. The park has a huge path with several arch-type structures that you walk through en route to the shrine. What impressed me most, aside from the arches and shrine, were the gorgeous old trees that were everywhere. They completely shut out the noise of the city and created a wonderfully peaceful atmosphere. Apparently this park is also one of the best places to view Tokyo’s cherry blossoms, which should be blooming in about another week or two.

After the park, I had my final ramen (again, delicious) and then headed for the airport. After 3.5 days here, I have to say that Tokyo is certainly one of my very favorite big cities in the world. I still think London edges it out for me, but it is nipping it heels for sure. If you ever get the opportunity to go—take it.