So, it was bound to happen at some point--last night I asked if I could switch rooms to the side of the hotel that faced downtown Tokyo (trying to use my status again) and the front desk clerk told me "it is difficult." That's japanese for "no way, Jose. " Seriously. No one says no here. They just tell you it would be "difficult." Kind of makes it seem like there is a ray of hope, but no.
My favorite part of the Nozomi Shinkansen (bullet train) trip up from Osaka was that every time a conductor or stewardess (train attendant?) entered or left the car, they would bow to the carload of passengers. If they were leaving, they would turn and bow to the passengers. Very civilized. If only we could get the NJ Transit fellas to do that.
I actually just returned to the hotel--it is 10:45am. This morning, I woke up at 4:30am to go to the Tokyo Fish Market--the largest in the world. I wanted to get there a little after 5am, in time for the tuna auctions. Of course, no one mentioned that the train doesnt start running from my hotel until 5:39am, so I had 30 minutes to kill, which I would've loved to use for sleeping. It actually wasnt that hard getting up so early, since I'm still not fully adjusted.
The market was amazing. Hundreds and hundreds of dealers, thousands of wholesalers and other customers, and fish of every imaginable stripe. Bluefin tunas laying in rows, like steelblue torpedos, each 450 lbs or bigger. Some were almost the size of small cars. Afterwards, I ducked down a side passage, and found a sushi restaurant for breakfast. Of the dozens of places there, one had a line of 30 people, so I figured it must be good and got in line at 7:30am. I ate at 9am. It was amazing. Also, probably the earliest sushi meal I've ever had.
My favorite part of the Nozomi Shinkansen (bullet train) trip up from Osaka was that every time a conductor or stewardess (train attendant?) entered or left the car, they would bow to the carload of passengers. If they were leaving, they would turn and bow to the passengers. Very civilized. If only we could get the NJ Transit fellas to do that.
I actually just returned to the hotel--it is 10:45am. This morning, I woke up at 4:30am to go to the Tokyo Fish Market--the largest in the world. I wanted to get there a little after 5am, in time for the tuna auctions. Of course, no one mentioned that the train doesnt start running from my hotel until 5:39am, so I had 30 minutes to kill, which I would've loved to use for sleeping. It actually wasnt that hard getting up so early, since I'm still not fully adjusted.
The market was amazing. Hundreds and hundreds of dealers, thousands of wholesalers and other customers, and fish of every imaginable stripe. Bluefin tunas laying in rows, like steelblue torpedos, each 450 lbs or bigger. Some were almost the size of small cars. Afterwards, I ducked down a side passage, and found a sushi restaurant for breakfast. Of the dozens of places there, one had a line of 30 people, so I figured it must be good and got in line at 7:30am. I ate at 9am. It was amazing. Also, probably the earliest sushi meal I've ever had.
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