Tokyo Seaside: Fish, History, and GUNDAM!!! (Day 2 - Tsukiji, Ryogoku, Odaiba)

I set the alarm for 6:00 AM. I actually wake up before the alarm goes off. Scott is up before me. Each year I haven't experienced jetlag. Maybe because it doesn't seem much of a time change flying to Japan. We left in the morning in Hawaii and arrived at noon the next day in Japan. In my mind, it just seemed like a normal progression...or maybe I'm just weird.

The itinerary for today is Tsukiji, the Edo-Tokyo Musuem in Ryogoku, and Odaiba. We are pretty much going to be around water today (whether it may be ocean or river).

The first stop is Tsukiji. We are off to Shinagawa station at rush hour again! This time people are going to work. At least it's only a couple of stops away until we transfer to the subway. It's tough being at the end of the line, I almost didn't make it on the train because it was so full.  This year the stop puts us right by the Tsukiji Fish Market. No long walk this year, yay! The area looks the same as always. I can smell the fish already.

We have free time to look around where ever we want. Some want to go into the fish market area. Jayson wants to eat sushi. I had a big breakfast and Scott isn't a big fan of sushi, so we go into the fish market area. Things are hectic in the area. Everyone is getting ready to end the day. They are trying to pack everything for delivery and sell whatever is left from today's catch.

The fish market area reminds of Osaka. They are all in a rush. It is best not to be in the way. They give you dirty looks when you do. It's like we are supposed to know all the protocols there. The market place is more friendlier. Most of their income must be from the tourist that come around daily.

I was amazed that it wasn't that busy this time. I guess it is earlier than the first year. We meet up with Jayson and go around the fish market again. We also pass by the local shrine. The shrine hasn't changed a bit. It's amazing how some things never change. I guess that's the charm of Tokyo. Even though it is an evolving city, there are areas that stay the same (preserved).

I am amazed with the amount of English I hear from some of the owners of some stores. The first year I don't remember many understanding English, now they are speaking the essential phrases. It shows that English is really becoming the universal language. Why? Is the United States really that egocentric? We should try to learn other languages instead of forcing others to learn our language. For me, Japanese makes more sense than the English language ever will be.

Time flies. It's now time for us to head to Ryogoku, the sumo capital of the world. 

We head to the national sumo museum which is right next door to the Edo Tokyo Museum. Jayson wants to see if he can purchase tickets to the sumo tournament that it going on. Just our luck, the tournament is Nagoya. Well, change of plans (that sounds familiar). Instead, we take a look in the museum. No pictures allowed (T-T). There is a whole display of an ozeki from Hawaii. I had no idea who he was. Jayson said he was from Maui. His name was Takamiyama and was very famous. When he said Takamiyama, all I could think of is Takamiya Market. Now I get it when the commercial says the happy little giant in Wailuku.

I hardly watch sumo anymore. The only time that I really got into sumo was during the time of Takanohana and Wakanohana. To me, that was the best time of sumo. That was around the same time 3 Hawaii ozekis were competing (Akebono, Konishiki, and Musashimaru). It showed me that it isn't the biggest sumo wrestler that wins, it's the most skilled.

Yoko says that on the belt (kesho-mawashi; had to look that one up) there are the ozeki's sponsor displayed. It's amazing how well kept it is even after all these years. I shows how much respect the ozeki had for their sponsor to keep the belt in such pristine shape. Yoko also said that Akebono's belt is not on display because he didn't care for his belt and ultimately lost his sponsor because of it.

Jayson, all excited, tells us that we can purchase the current tournament roster in the main office for only 50 yen. It must have been interesting to the office workers to see a group of gaijin wanting to purchase the rosters for the tournament that is in another city. If I were living in Japan, I think I would purchase 1,000 yen worth of rosters and sell them online to those sumo buffs around the world and get a great return. Ah, the business opportunities Japan offers.

Now it's time to head next door. Even though it is next door, there is still some walking to do to get to the entrance. As we head toward the Edo-Tokyo Museum, Jayson points out that the building kind of resembles something out of science fiction, like Star Wars' ATAT. I look at Scott because I know he would disagree like I was. It was the "sort of, kind of, not really" reaction for me.

This year, there wasn't anyone performing in this "lobby" area. We are actually on the 3rd floor, but it is the area where we purchase our tickets. I remember the first year, there was an artist performing for a crowd of people. It was very interesting because he would paint while dancing and mixing the music. I wonder if they banned that or maybe it only happens at a certain time in the day.

Now we have to make our way to the 6th floor where the actual museum is. It's a long way up. At least we don't have to walk. Everything on the escalator ride is the same as the first year. As we reach the 6th floor, the admission gate looks just like the train station gate. You put in your ticket in the slot and comes out the other end with markings printed to show that you have entered the museum.

We are on our own to tour the museum. There are new areas in the museum. Well there are also places that we didn't have time to go the first year we came. So Scott and I make our way through the Edo side of the museum first. The displays are the same as the first year. The new areas were the railway display and the sailing display.

I finally get to see the Tokyo side of the museum. The first year there wasn't enough time to get to that area. This time I was able to see the progression of Tokyo (from Edo to Tokyo). It's amazing how Japan adapts and evolves with time.

So many pictures taken already. It seems like I take more each year. I wonder what it is about seeing Tokyo again that makes want to take more pictures.




It's time to head towards the bay area to a man-made island called Odaiba. I am very excited. I get to see the 1:1 scale (life-size) Gundam. I wonder if there is anyone in my generation that doesn't know Gundam? Gundam was actually around during Scott's childhood more than mine. It started in 1979 and is still ongoing today.

As we head to Shimbashi, I remember the Yurikamome station to get to Odaiba. It's amazing how simplier it is getting around Tokyo this year. The Suica card pretty much works on every train in Tokyo. As we get inside the Yurikamome, I see an ad for Hello Kitty. It is Hello Kitty's 30th anniversary and Palette Town has Hello Kitty as the theme on its giant ferris wheel. Hopefully I will have a chance to get to that area, but I have one main goal....Gundam!!!

There are actually a lot of advertisements around each train you go on. It's a very smart idea, both for the people running the train and the businesses that are advertising themselves. You have to think how many people ride the train each day. If you can reach a small percentage of those people, it's still a lot of business. In the Yurikamome monorail, there are advertisments for places in Odaiba (FujiTV, Palette Town, Gundam, etc.).

We first go to the Pacific Hotel Odaiba so we can reserve the shuttle bus back to Shinagawa. If only I remembered to get the phone number so we didn't have to walk to the hotel to do it. Plus, I had to show where the bus would pick us up, since we did it the first year. It's a good thing I have a good memory. Part of me wants them to learn on their own, since we did the first year. They just have it so much easier since it's been done before and we know what to expect.

We now have short tour of Odaiba. We go to the observation deck area to have a great view of Rainbow Bridge and the miniature replica of the Statue of Liberty. Why is there a miniature Statue of Liberty here anyway? I have to look into that one.

We head towards FujiTV. On the way, we pass AquaCity (which is a 6 floor shopping mall). There is a camera crew on the walkway. It must be a FujiTV crew for one of their news programs. Here's our chance to be on Japanese TV. But instead we keep walking toward the FujiTV building.

I am so happy that I get to go to FujiTV this year. Last time, there just wasn't enough time to get there. Too much shopping the first year. This time we get to go into the free areas of FujiTV. All I'm thinking is SMAP, SMAP and more SMAP. There is a big event being set up around the outside of the complex. It says "United States of Odaiba." There are just ??? going on in my head.

As we head up the escalator, we can hear and see all the construction for this United States of Odaiba event. Also there are large posters with the current and upcoming shows. Scott tells me "it's that guy from that show." When I look at what he's looking at, it's a poster for the new show with Yamashita Tomihisa (Kurosagi). I should have known he would recognize the actor. He doesn't watch much J-dramas, but he does take a glimps whenever I watch my shows. Of course FujiTV would have a Johnny's boy in their new fall drama.

FujiTV is known for a lot of variety shows. The one I am most familiar with is SMAPXSMAP. SMAP is my favorite J-Pop boy band. They were created in 1989 as back up dancers for Shonen Knife. In 1991, they debuted with their first single. They are like the Backstreet Boys of Japan, but they've been together longer. Their fan base is still young girls (elementary) all the way to grown women in their 50's and some even older. Not only do they sing and dance, they act in a variety of dramas and have appeared in some movies. They participate a lot in variety shows. If you watch KikuTV you see one of the members (Kusanagi Tsuyoshi) quite frequently on the show Dotchi Ryouri no Show (aka Dotchi).

Another popular variety show that I love to watch when I have the chance is Waratte Iitomo. It's similar to a day-time talk show (something like Regis and Kelly). The host is a very iconic person in Japan. Tamori-san is well known for wearing sunglasses all the time. I have never seen him without those sunglasses. On the show, there are a variety of segments. You can tell a lot of the actual taping is edited out due to time constraints. Most of the time he has actors come out and just talk about random things.

Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ is another popular show from FujiTV. It's a music show where artists get to perform their latest single, live. The hosts for the show are a well know comedy duo called DownTown. This show is much different than other variety shows on FujiTV I've seen. There are times where they use profanity. That's pretty much where I learned swear words in Japanese.

Another show that I know, but didn't see a display for is Mecha Mecha Ikiteru (Mecha Ike). It is also hosted by a comedy duo, Ninety Nine. They do more challenge/competition type of shows, but mostly on the strange side (more to embarass the person/people involved). Usually they would give an impossible task or just a competition and the whole show or a series of shows would be based on that.

After touring around the FujiTV building, we head back toward AquaCity to get something to eat. I forgot that we really didn't have much to eat since Tsukiji. At least there are quite a few places to eat in AquaCity, if not there is always Decks. Jayson shows us to the 1st floor where there are a variety of places to eat. Scott and I decide to eat yakisoba. Everyone else goes where they want to. I think I almost confused the cashier when I ordered for me and Scott. Scott and I ordered the same item but, for me, I had to ask to make it without the meat. The food is so good. I was surprised that Scott ate it so fast. He's not much of a noodles-type of person.

Putting away our trays is so orderly. Everything in Japan has certain rules and procedures. At the AquaCity food court area, there is a return area at the place you ordered. It makes sense because they don't give you styrofoam or paper plates to eat on. They actually give you bowls/plates and utensils. At least that creates a job for someone. Japan thinks of the whole instead of the individual (America).

It's finally time! We have free time. Scott, Cliff, Rhea and I head toward Gundam. Cliff and Rhea said that Jayson told them to head toward the beach and follow the path to get to the Gundam. As we are walking, I see a sign that says Shizuoka park and it points ahead. Instead I follow the instructions given to Cliff and Rhea and we head toward the beach. At first it seems like we are going the wrong way, but finally in the tree it see the back of it. Also, there is an American asking us, "Is this the way to the robot?" I guess that person doesn't know much about Gundam.

We finally made it to Shizuoka park and there are thousands of people. I am in awe as I see the Gundam up close. All this time I only saw pictures. Pictures don't do it justice. I am amazed in all the detail of the Gundam. It's 30 meters (approxiamately 60 feet) high. I start taking pictures and with my zoom lens I can see all the details. It's the same type of details there are on a 1/64 scale model.

At exactly on the hour and half hour, the music turns off. All of sudden, lights flash from its eyes. The head starts moving, looking left and then right; then left again and then right. It then goes back to its original pose looking forward. Everything goes back to normal, the music is back on and everyone is back to their conversations.

Time to head back toward AquaCity and do what I do best in Japan, SHOP! Scott has no idea what he's in for. AquaCity is 5 floors of shopping, plus there is Decks that's also 5 floors of shopping.  Woo hoo!

Back to Pacific Hotel to catch the shuttle.  Such a long day.  I am so ureshii (happy)!  Tomorrow is another long day.  Todai here we come!