I'm just back from an exquisite meal with the Tanaka family at Tokyo Breeze on the 36th floor of the Maranouchi Building. The food was like a work of art on a plate and tasty too... and the view out across the Tokyo skyline at night simply breathtaking. It was so lovely to see the family again too. When I last saw Kaori, she was nine years old. She's now a rather charming twenty-six year old and I enjoyed her company and that of her parents very much.
I'm a very lucky woman because I also had the pleasure of spending last night in the company of friends - this time the Hara family. We ate a special meal together in a traditional Japanese restaurant looking over the beautiful west facade of Tokyo station and recalled the time they spent living next door to Mum and Dad.
I have been touched by both families hospitality and kindness.
Today was another good day. I set out first thing on foot for the Ginza district of Tokyo, which I guess is the equivalent of London's Oxford Street, yet somehow grander. I'd been advised to be at Matsokushi, the famous department store, for opening, and I now know why. The process of getting the store ready to welcome customers is a ritual in its own right. Beautifully uniformed sales assistants opened the doors five minutes beforehand and read out some kind of speech before the chimes signalled that it was time to enter. The rest of the store staff were then waiting on every corner and at the end of each escalator to personally welcome every customer and thank them for their visit.
The store itself gave off that vibe that Holly Golightly describes so appealingly in Breakfast at Tiffany's and it would have been easy to spend several hours exploring but I reluctantly tore myself away for a brief visit to the slightly more realistically priced Uniqlo - which in Ginza is 12 stories high!
Having satisfied my shopping urge, I decided it was time for some Tokyo culture and headed by subway to the district of Yanaka, where I spent a wonderful couple of hours exploring little back streets with their numerous temples, craft stores and art studios.
Sitting on a bench in the sunshine outside one temple, I decided to take the plunge and make a beeline for the Tokyo Skytree, apparently the world's tallest free-standing communication tower at 634m. Viewing it from the ground is impressive enough, so in the end I willingly coughed up the Y2000 that it costs to take the lift to the viewing deck at 350m. I'm glad I did. I don't think I'd really grasped until that moment quite how immense Tokyo is ... but the fact that it didn't end in any direction I looked made that point rather well I thought!
Back on terra firma, I decided to ignore my tired legs and push on to one final location for the day - Asakusa. Crossing over the river provided a great photo opportunity back to the Skytree and I then found myself amidst the throngs making their way towards Senso-ji through the Kaminari-mon gate. This is Tokyo's most visited temple and the whole area surrounding it is alive with worshippers and tourists all trying to get close. The energy given off by the crowd was electric.
Exhausted at last, I then wended my way back to the hotel to pack and get ready for dinner.
Talking of being exhausted, one thing I keep forgetting to mention here is the remarkable Japanese ability to snatch a few moments sleep seemingly on demand. I was probably more aware of it today having had little sleep last night myself but I am sure that at least 75% of the occupants of any given subway carriage are having forty winks and I've seen at least three people asleep standing up... which you have to admit is quite a skill to have. I wonder if they are more tired than us Brits for some reason or whether its just another example of their startling efficiency - recharging the batteries at any available opportunity.
So, the time has sadly come for me to say goodbye to Japan. Hopefully I'll be back again some day as I still have a long list of 'must-sees' that I haven't seen! I think it a wonderful country with a rich culture, strong heritage, stunning landscapes (of both the natural and man-made variety) and kind people. Oh, and accordingly to the television, some rather splendid ice dancers at Sochi!
Hopefully, I'll be back with another blog soon... watch this space...
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