Tokyo - Tuesday, June 17

Tokyo - Tuesday, June 17, 2008

We arrive at Narita Airport at 1:50 P.M. It's Tuesday June, 17th and we have lost a day between time zones. We have been here many times before and all is familiar and easy, especially since Art speaks the language and takes care of most everything when we travel within Japan. John and I stand watch over the luggage while Art purchases three Sky-liner train tickets into Tokyo.

Purchasing Train Tickets

Waiting for a Tokyo Train

 Art and John puzzling over the Tokyo train lines. 

Although the skies are grey the temperature is in the mid 70's. We find seats on the train and watch green fields dotted with red and blue tile roof houses zip passed our window. As we near Tokyo the countryside morphs to urban high-rises, crisscrossed by a spider web of utility wires turning the view outside into a cubist painting alive with the bustle of humanity. An hour later, we arrive at the Uneo Station. We easily wheel our carry-on luggage out of the station and across the street to our hotel. Art reserved this hotel because of it's easy location and relatively reasonable price. (Two rooms cost us $170.00) Our rooms are extremely tiny and dark, papered with an embossed mustard colored paper permeated with the smell of smoke. Nevertheless, two freshly washed and folded kimono's are neatly arranged on the bed and the tiny pod of a bathroom is immaculately clean.

Tokyo Highrise

Tokyo Architecture

Wanting to pack as most into our Tokyo experience as possible, we leave our hotel quickly and ride the metro to the Ginza district. The Ginza is a fashionable district with high end boutiques and couture shops. The architecture is exciting and the bustle of the district excites our senses, but we are hungry and all the restaurants in this district are expensive. We circle back a few blocks back towards the train station and along the way, find a stylish restaurant still serving it's lunch special for another 15 minutes. It is 4:45 P.M. and we are graciously escorted to a table alongside a wall of glass, just above street level. There are several specials ranging from about $18.00 - $30.00. Art and I order two of the less expensive ones, but John chooses the most expensive. We suffer a few minutes of irritation over John's choice, but when hot green tea is brought to us in tiny lotus cups and saucers, we begin to relax. The food comes quickly, is beautifully presented, ample and delicious. We are sated, pleased with our choice and return to the Ginza district to stroll and window shop.

Stylish late lunch in Tokyo