We got up super early at 3am to get over to Tsukiji fish market. It's where all Tokyo's fish passes through each morning and it's MASSIVE. It's hard to believe there are more fish in the sea after a morning here.
The highlight of the trip was the tuna auctions.... Massive frozen fish being prodded and probed by the buyers, before a quick and hectic auction takes place, and then being loaded onto a cart and whisked away to be cut up and distributed.
Outside the auction is a hive of activity, and an mountain of polystyrene fish boxes!
And we got to eat some REALLY fresh sashimi. Best I've ever tasted, though as we chomped through the expensive breakfast, Jane mentioned she prefers tinned tuna over fresh.
We had a well deserved nap back at our hotel, and then set off for Shibuya and Harajuku to see the shops. Harajuku is sung about by Lady Gaga apparently, and is the centre of alternative, over the top fashion.
Shopping in Japan is one of the best experiences; it's first world shopping, and in many ways similar to London or New York, but there are subtle differences that suprise. For example, a shop selling solely ladies pink clothes, with the shop attendants being girls in their 20s and wearing little more than pink underwear and a pink tutu... Sexuality is used as a potent sales practice here, and it's hardly a shock given it's a society geared for permenantly adolescent men.
Ready for for lunch, we found a vending machine shop! You press the button for what you want, put in the appropriate cash, and go inside with your ticket. When it's ready, your food is brought straight over! And it's really cheap and tasty! Perfect.
(Its started to rain, so the rain macs are back out!)
As a side note, Starbucks in Japan is in full Christmas mode. I'm not sure if it's the same in the UK, but their campaign is '30 years of Bright'. I'm expecting a royalties check soon.
Everything can be found for sale in Tokyo, and pretty much for any price. Here's a kitten for sale. It's incredibly cute, and if you prefer puppies, they also have those.
This cat's price tag is ¥800,000.
That's £4331. For a kitten.
Moving onto more serious shopping, we went to KiddyLand. I got transfixed by some of the models to build, and after an hour of deliberation (and despair from Jane), I triumphantly purchased one.
It had been a long day of sightseeing the shops, with only a handful of small presents and my model bought, but we/I felt it was worth it.
Chris
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