Beginner's Luck: February 2011

A Temple & A Tower

{the view of Tokyo Tower at dusk from our patio}

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One of my favorite places to visit in Tokyo is the Zojo-ji Temple, which is a short 30 minute walk from our apartment and just steps away from the Tokyo Tower. The grounds of the temple house a mausoleum where six Tokugawa shoguns have been laid to rest, and there are rows & rows of small statues of the bodhisattva Jizo - the guardian of children who died before their parents. The temple was moved to this location in 1598 (400+ years ago!!) and is noted for the entry gate, which is the oldest wooden structure in Tokyo.

I was lucky enough to stumble upon a Buddhist ceremony and sit in while the monks chanted in the main temple on my second visit; and on my most recent, I witnessed a smaller ceremony at the hour of dusk. As I went to leave the grounds, I noticed the full moon rising over the temple gate and skyscrapers in the background, and couldn't help but feel at peace in my solitude.

{rows of the bodhisattva Jizo dressed in red and adorned with pinwheels & flowers}

{the cemetery on the grounds of Zojo-ji}

{the main temple}

{the main gate - the full moon was rising over the tall building on the left, you can see it if you look really hard...}

{the lights of the tower came on as I headed home}

Eyes Up

If you had asked me a month ago to leave the apartment without my subway map or my Japanese dictionary, I would have shuddered with fear.

Last week, my friend Mimi was visiting and I think she would agree that I was successful in showing her the most interesting parts of Tokyo - with subway map, dictionary & tourist guidebook in hand, of course.

A few days into her stay, we were catching the train back towards home with 2 transfers ahead of us when I overheard another passenger asking a local if the train would get him to Ginza. It was a great Lost in Translation moment, and I started to think...maybe I could give him my map and tell him which stop to get off on. I should, I bet he would appreciate it.

So that's exactly what I did - leaving me without a map, but with a new confidence in my sense of direction.

That day, we were coming from Hachiko, which happens to be the world's busiest pedestrian crossing. Check out the video below & see how hectic and busy Tokyo can be. (Yes, I trip over a branch about 10 seconds in).

Don't text & cross!

Labels: Tokyo

Mmmm mmmm good

I am a big fan of soup. Even in the heat of summer, I often find myself craving a bowl of Greek Isles Avgolemono...it's my favorite - in Charlotte.

Here in Tokyo, Jody and I have both quickly fallen in love with Ramen. Specifically, Yasai Ramen from the mom & pop shop down the street. The broth is made slowly with a soy base and a bunch of other ingredients that make it the perfect home for a pile of hearty noodles, veggies and pork.

Words really don't do the ramen or the mom & pop shop justice and I am no food writer, so I will let you taste through pictures instead. Enjoy!
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{yum}

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{yum}

{done}

Museums & Markets

Last weekend, Jody and I visited Ueno, which houses many museums and the largest park in Tokyo. We had planned to go only Saturday, but with so much to see & do, we went back again Sunday.

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Saturday we visited the National Museum of Natural Science, enjoying all of the hands on exhibits. I felt like I got back in touch with my inner child, re-learning all about the animal kingdom. Sunday we visited the Tokyo National Museum and were able to step back in time to see everything from pottery and folding screens to swords & samurai armor - all centuries old.

Wandering through the park, we stopped at a couple food stands for lunch on Saturday. The noodles were great but we were more excited about trying the food from the place with the longer line. Not really knowing what we were biting into was part of the thrill, but it soon ended when our tastebuds caught up to our eyes. What we bit into turned out to be partially cooked squid-filled batter that was shaped into a ball, covered in mayo & sprinkled with fish flakes. We still talk about the 'squid balls,' but we didn't go back for seconds.

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After taking in the museums and digesting lunch, we stepped into current day Tokyo with a walk through Ameyoko, a street market minutes away from museum row. Ameyoko is a must see if you're visiting Tokyo and was named after two words meaning sweets & confectioner's alley. Sweets there were...and fresh seafood, cheap jewelry, knock off designer handbags, shoe outlets, tea shops - you name it.

All in all, it was a great weekend with new adventures, sights, smells, sounds and tastes...What more could we ask for?