Summer in Tokyo: Cultural Experience of old Tokyo- Tsukiji Fish Market, Hama Rikyu Garden, Sumida River boat cruise, Sensoji Temple

Today was a great exposure to vestiges of Tokyo during its Edo-era. We started with the famous and huge wholesale fish market, Tsukiji Fish market, which was great education in the hundreds of different kinds of seafood. Walking along the many stalls, we saw lots of fresh and dried seafood, seaweed, sushi, spices, and grilled shellfish. Like the many locals and tourists also shopping, we sampled temago or freshly cooked rolled eggs, which is kind of like omelettes, but sweet and with no filling of vegetables or cheese.

Next to the Tsukiji Market was the Hama Rikyu Garden, which was created more than 300 years ago with a traditional tea house and duck-hunting grounds. We listened to a high-tech audio guide smart phone that was GPS sensitive. If we took a detour from the order of sights, the audio would detect our new location and start narrating the history about our new location. After awhile though, we found we were more worried about staying on track than enjoying the garden, so we went our own pace and direction. Being in the center of the city, the garden was surrounded by skyscrapers, providing an interesting backdrop.

From the garden, we took a river boat cruise on the Sumida River north to Asakusa, one of Tokyo's oldest neighborhoods. We cruised under twenty different bridges and could even buy beer from the boat cabin if we wanted too (the Japanese love drinking beer!). At Asakusa, the narrow lanes, traditional homes, and temple gave us an idea of traditional Tokyo. There were over 125 stalls selling souvenirs, candies, sembai (rice crackers, often with seaweed and sesame seeds), and soft-serve ice cream with flavors like buckwheat, green tea, black sesame, sweet red bean, and purple potato. The Sensoji Temple gave us an idea about Buddhism, but with so many people and tourists, a religious aura was lacking.

Tsukiji Fish Market