This being our last day in Japan, we wanted to be sure to accomplish a few key things. We knew we'd be running around town, so we got the Toei-Tokyo Metro Day Pass (1000 yen) to cover all of our movements. We started by heading up to Hamacho Station, which is just a short walk from the sumo training grounds (the "stables"). During the off-season, the public is allowed to watch their morning practice from the street. We joined a large crowd gathered around a glass window, and watched as these men grappled with each other in short bouts. It was impressive how they moved their mass so quickly and powerfully; I would certainly not want to tussle with any of those guys. [Note from Katie: Every time someone got a cut or otherwise bled, the crowd gasped. Sumo is more violent than I realized!]
After watching sumo practice for a bit, we headed to Kappabashi-dori, a street dedicated to cooking and restaurant goods. Chefs from all over Japan (and sometimes outside Japan) visit this area to get their knives, pots, dishware, and other necessities. We popped into a knife store to look at some whetstones, and they actually carried the chef's knife I have at home! The attendant (whose English was nearly flawless, which really helped for detailed questioning) was excited that we had a Japanese knife in the US, and Katie was happy to see the knife she bought me was in a high-end knife shop here as well. We ended up skipping on the whetstone, but really enjoyed stopping in that store. [Note by Katie: I thought it was really interesting how many shops on the streets were dedicated to one niche product: signage for stores or plastic food models or uniforms or lacquerware. It was fascinating!] We continued on until we were satisfied we would not find souvenir chopsticks, then headed back to the hotel to regroup. I picked up a bento, and Katie had some croquettes, which we ate while waiting for the shuttle. Back at the room, we finished off with some scones and cherry-blossom spread we'd picked up in Kyoto, which turned out to be quite yummy indeed!
We packed up the room, left our bags at the front, and headed back out on the town, this time to the Ginza shopping district. First, we visited a stationery store named Itoya. I had been discussing getting a scrapbook for our tickets, brochures, and other flat keepsakes from the trip, and I also wanted some high end Japanese paper (both for letter writing, and practicing my calligraphy once I learn Japanese - which is happening, btw). We found both in this multi-level store. We had decided a few nights ago that we couldn't leave Japan without buying chopsticks, so we headed into Mitsukoshi, a huge department store known for its food court as well as household wares. We eventually found both everyday and special occasion chopsticks that we both liked, and picked those up before heading to the basement to try and find dinner.
The two-level food court was in basement levels 2 and 3, but we couldn't decide on anything to eat, so we instead consulted the book for a recommendation. It suggested a hole-in-the-wall place a short walk away, so we headed in that direction. On the way, we passed the Sony building, where an outdoor wall hanging of Spiderman was installed for the 2nd Amazing Spiderman installment coming soon (or out already? I don't know). It had gathered a crowd, mostly because there was a man in a Spiderman costume doing a promo as well. The installation was pretty cool though! Anyway, we arrived at the dinner place only because Katie recognized their food setup - family style in large bowls on the counter - through the window; none of the writing outside matched what the book had, and there was minimal signage. We ordered by pointing at which items we wanted, and were served heaping helpings of each item on a large shared serving dish, which we ate happily. My favorite was this scallop-and-cabbage stew. Delicious.
We decided to head back to the hotel and hang out for a bit before heading to the airport, since we knew we'd have internet, so we gathered our things and caught the train yet again. And that brings us to now. Soon we'll be leaving the Park Hyatt (goodbye, old friend) and heading for the airport, where we'll hopefully be able to hook back in for some last-minute stuff before our 12 hours of traveling. I meant to add notes about certain aspects of Japanese culture and city living that I found interesting interspersed with the other entries in the blog, but it seems that will not be possible, so I will be adding postscripts tonight and/or over the next couple days as I can. I am certainly very happy with everything we were able to do on this trip, and definitely look forward to the next time we are in Japan.
-B
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