Tokyo

The Hotel New Otani

While in Tokyo, we stayed at the
Hotel New Otani.  Truly, a first class establishment. Like a city unto 
itself, the New Otani has 
31 restaurants and a shopping 
mall within its walls.
Ranked the "best hotel garden" by Frommers, the New Otani's garden is actually a 400-year old garden that once belonged to a feudal lord.  The 10-acre garden is host to waterfalls, ponds, brindges, bamboo groves, and manicured bushes.
Even the carp in the garden ponds 
were friendly.  As I walked by 
them on the stepping stones, 
they raised their heads out of 
the water to simle for my 
camera.
And, Mt. Fuji in all of its majestic glory...this was the view at sunset from the window of my hotel room.

Tsukiji Fish Market


This wholesale fish market is 
the largest in Japan and one of 
the largest in the world.
Around 3am the ships begin arriving from around the world to satisfy the demands of a nation whose diet revolves around seafood.  This market handles almost all the seafood consumed in Tokyo.
Unagi or eel is popular because 
it is very high in vitamin A.  Eel is 
supposed to fight fatigue.
Tako or octopus is eaten in many different ways in Japan.  While at the fish market, I had "octopus balls"--chunks of octopus in a batter that was cooked in a ball-like shape with a sweet, tangy sauce.  The breakfast of champions!!
Shellfish are also very popular 
especially with soba and udon 
which are noodle dishes.

Hama-rikyu Gardens

This teahouse is located on a pond that was once the offical hunting ground for the Tokugawa Shogunate in the 17th century.  The Meji Emperor met with President Grant of the United States here.
Although was did not see the Emperor, we did have green tea and sweets in the tatami room while taking in the peaceful surroundings.

The Imperial Palace and East Gardens

Observations

Platform shoes seemed to be
all the rage while we were in 
Japan. In fact, there was even 
a newspaper article in the 
Mainichi Daily News about 
the health risks involved in
wearing such ungainly footwear.
Although the majority religion in Japan is Buddhism, the capitalism of the Christmas season was present in full force.  Chirstmas is celebrated in Japan, but there is no religious significance to the celebration.
I was fascinated by the 
gas stations.  Since real 
estate is at such a premium, 
the station's pumps are 
elevated and the hoses 
hang down from the roof
allowing more vehicles to be 
serviced at one time.
The vending machines sold both hot and cold drinks from the same machine.  I discovered this after examining the red and blue above the button of my selection.
This is a women's public toilet.  It's rather like a urinal embedded in the floor.  The idea is to squat facing the hood of the fixture.  The Japanese consider these to be more sanitary than Western-style toilets because there is no need to touch any part of the fixture.  Needless to say, I now know what is meant by "American Standard".