This day saw us becoming real tourists and taking a tour bus to the town of Nikko. This is a small town  about 150 km north of Tokyo, in the Tochigi Prefecture area. 

We started our day at a rather chaotic bus station, where there were buses and tour guides departing, everywhich way ! We boarded our bus and set off for a rather long bus ride to Nikko. Nikko is famous for a Toshugo Shinto shrine built in 1617. It is also famous for a Botanical garden , which has according to Wikepedia over 2,000 species . There is also a 35 km avenue of 13,000 Cedar trees, ( listed in the Guinness book of records )which was established over 400 years ago when  200,000 trees were planted . The Cedar tree is the national tree of Japan.

  

  

  

  
  

  
 Apart from the impressive shrine, we had lunch at a road side café, which catered just for the bus loads of tourists, which were carefully stage managed by the various tour guides, so that not everyone descended at once. What was quiet amazing was that we 

  were given a choice on boarding the bus, meat or vegetarian and you will see from the lunch time photo, that it was impressive. We could have eaten the freshly grilled fish which looked and smelled just wonderful .
It is a long dive for Tokyo, but given our time restraints, this was the only way. 

So we are actually still on day two, getting a bit behind here, but the days are jammed packed and so little time to do anything else.

So after our Sushi lunch we headed towards the Imperial Palace, one of the best sites in Tokyo for Cherry Blossom viewing. As with any blossom, the season is hit and miss and one torrential down pour or gale force winds, and they are gone! But we were  in luck, they were in full bloom and so along with half of Tokyo we joined in the shuffle around the lake to enjoy this absolutely magnificent sight.

In Tokyo, the best viewing area is the Ueno Sakura Matsuri which is the park by the lake. During the Cherry Blssom festival the park is lit with over a 1,000 lanterns for nighttime viewing. The park expects several hundred thousand visitors daily, hence the shuffling . There are over 600 trees in this park alone.

Throughout Japan, there are cherry trees at this time of year and depending on your location the blooming time will vary. For example in the mountainous region it will be later than in Tokyo. There are over one hundred varieties of cherry trees, ranging from white to pale pink to dark pink and even to yellow and green. Most of them have five petals but some have 10 or even twenty. One of the most beautiful is the Shiarezakura, the weeping cherry. Also in bloom at this time, of course are plenty of other spring flowers , but as is usual , blossom time brings rain and wind! After all they are not just there for our enjoyment! 

    
    
    
 

So Day Two here in Tokyo saw us at the TSUKIJI  fish market, which is not far from the Ginza district.
Tsukiji Market (築地市場, Tsukiji Shijō) is one of ten wholesale markets that deal with the distribution of fruit, vegetables, meat and fish for Tokyo. The  Tsukiji Market is one of the world’s largest fish markets, handling over 2,000 tons of marine products per day. Rumour has it, that the market, will move out of the city to a new site, later on this year. The market has attached to it, a fruit and vegetable market as well. The tuna auction takes place here also and any visitor has to apply at the auction office, early in the morning, only 120 visitors are allowed each day and they are also divided into 2 groups, the first being admitted at 5.25 and the second at 5.50. It reminded me very much of Billingsgate in London ( smaller) , though without the banter ( watch yer back darlin!) The other difference being is, in London the porters skilfully manoeuvre large metal trolleys around, whilst in Tokyo it is motorised carts,the porters, constantly beefing at all who should dare to get in the way ! Of course there is lots of Tuna but besides that all sorts of fish, fresh, dried and frozen! Some recognisable and some not ( should have come with my worldwide fish guide). One interesting item was Octopus eggs. Apparently they are intelligent animals and are protected within the EU. The male dies soon after mating and the female guards her eggs for up to 53 months ( depending on species) and then she dies! No fun being an Octopus then! So was very interested to see the eggs on sale, but am really not sure what to do with them!

 

 

  

  

  

  

  

 

After a very interesting morning looking at Fish we stopped for lunch, also in the the TSUKIJI area, some of us had Sushi whilst others Tempura or baked fish, but no matter what, all were very good. I was tempted to try the Omelet on a stick from a street vendor, ( but had just had lunch). Interestingly they make it in a rectangular pan, quiet thick, and then cut it into lengths and put on a stick! Very innovative, I think I just need to  buy one of those pans!  

  

So now it is off to the Royal Palace to look at the Cherry Blossom!

  This trip sees us in Japan, at the moment in Tokyo. Last night at the request of himself ( he who had fond memories of his various visits here) saw us eating in a traditional restaurant ( named Karen) eating Shabu-Shabu. Roughly translated it means Swish-Swish! Which is the sound the beef makes as you swish it, just one time back and forth around in the hot pot.

Apparently, according to Wikipedia, Shabu-Shabu  was invented in the 20th. Century by the Suehiro restaurant in Osaka and they registered it as a trade mark in 1955.

So what beef do they use for Shabu-Shabu? Well again according o Wikipedia it is generally Rib Eye, although I have never seen in the UK or the USA beef that is as finely marbled as that which we ate last night. 

 On arriving at the Karen restaurant which is in the Ginza district of Tokyo, we were greeted with a ” oh my bad knees ” moment as it appeared that we would have to squat at worse or sit cross legged at best at the table, which was at floor level. However we were all pleased to find that although we needed to clamber down to the floor, the table was actually set over a pit, so we basically sat normally but at floor level! Very enterprising, I should say ! 

 We ate copiously and the star of the evening was the Kuroge Wagyu, Japanese Black beef, from and area called Kagoshima . We were fortunate enough to be in the company of a Japanese friend and her husband, who had connections with the Kagoshima meat industry. So feast your eyes on our wonderful  dinner, and this was just day one!