day 9

...was a bit of a crazy rush...we departed Gotenyama (my friend's place) around 9 some, headed for the famed Tsukiji Fish Market first...i was gawking like a country bumpkin at the enormous amounts of seafood on display. regretfully the tuna auction was now closed to the public but still there was more than enough to keep me well and truly rapt...

dotting the outer ring around the fish market were many small sushi/sashimi joints...we had sort of a brunch there...the fish was unbelievably fresh of course seeing as it came directly from the market...the fresh uni, negitoro and ikura on a bowl of hot steaming rice was just heavenly!

from the Tsukiji, we took a short walk around the corner to the Hamarikyu-en Gardens...an oasis of green in the midst of the Tokyo concrete jungle...beautiful place and so serene that one actually forgets the surrounding denseness of stark office buildings...

from Hamarikyu, we took a river cruise up the Sumida River to Asakusa...to walk the Nakamise-dori and see the Shinto shrine Sensoji (also known as Asakusa-kannon)...it was pretty much over-run by people...and i felt the myriad of stalls lining the streets made it a tad bit commercialised (huge numbers of tourists come here)...

thereafter we rushed back to Gotenyama to join my friends for dinner at the TY Harbour Brewery...Western food! it was certainly a welcome change from Japanese cuisine for sure...

1. waiting for the subway to Tsukijishijo station
2. prepping of live conger eels
3. balls of octopi
4. a kaleidoscope of seafood
5. crabs prepped for transport...iced down and covered with sawdust
6. slabs of tuna.....and that knife that the fella was using was akin to a short sword!
7. fat fat fat scallops!! holy!
8. the price for fresh seafood...considering the freshness, rather good value if i do say so meself
9. entrance to hamarikyu-en
10. irrepressible kids at play
11. japanese arachnid
12. greenness surrounding by concrete
13. waiting by the pier for the cruise
14. taking wing
15. view from the boat
16. an icon of asakusa - the kaminarimon gate with its humongous lantern
17. nakamise-dori
18. lining up
19. sensoji entrance...5-storey pagoda
20. inner courtyard of sensoji where the pilgrims are going through a cleansing routine
21. in the backlanes of asakusa, a jongleur plies his trade
22. portrait
23. art exhibition near the TY harbour brewery
24. getting together
25. a 350 gram ribeye for sharing...yum!