Tokyo: Day Two

OK so on the second day in Tokyo we got up around 9:30 and, after a delicious breakfast of fruit and a left over bun from the restaurant the night before, left the house by about 10:30 am.  We took the train to Tokyo station and made our way toward the Imperial Palace (Kokyo).  We wandered around the ground for a bit admiring the remnants of an old castle before heading to the Eastern Imperial Gardens.  The gardens were very beautiful and definitely worth exploring.  Inside there was a museum of imperial artifacts such as printmaking plates, silver pictures with inlaid gold and copper, royally-commissioned furniture, etc.  The room was very small and the artifacts very beautiful so it was a manageable addition to the day.

After the gardens we made our way to the Edo-Tokyo Museum.  Which divides the cultural history of Tokyo into two sections: the ancient and very Japanese period; and the Westernizing period.  The museum had a lifesife replica of a Japanese theatre front and many miniatures of areas of the city from the Edo period complete with tiny figurines in lifelike dress.  There were also many scrolls, prints, and artifacts.  By the time we finished our journey around the museum it was around 4:30pm and our legs were starting to ache.  We decided to scrap the plan to go shopping at the electronics department stores near Ayami`s house and headed home to rest.  Ayami and her mother prepared a delicious meal of corn and edamame for appetizers followed by rice, fried eggplant, salad, noodle soup (sorry Ayami, I forget what the noodles were called), chinese-style chilied tofu, pickled cucumer (which tasted like paint) and pickled something else that I can`t remember the name of which tasted really good.  I also tried Natto, the infamous fermented beans that you either love or hate.  I hated them.  They tasted like rubbing alcohol but not nearly as smooth.  They are sticky and gross and I don:t know why anyone would ever want to eat them!  They are a common breakfast delicacy in Japan.  Blech!

The gardens were very beautiful and definitely worth exploring.

After dinner we sampled some more of the sweets I got in Asakusa and talked in exchanges of broken English and broken Japanese until it was time for me to catch my train home.  Ayami`s mother loaded me up with supplies and food.  I left with a tea set, bowls, towels, nori, rice, figs, ume boshi (sour plums), and more!!  Ayami took the train with me to the nearby station where I would be catching my limited express train to Kofu and helped me find the right car.

Tokyo was a good time and I got to see lots of sights and experience many Japanese things that I may have been hesitant to try on my own.  My guides were invaluable to me this weekend and have helped so much since I have arrived in Japan.

**I will hopefully be uploading some pictures to the other site later on today.  I had intended to do it now but it`s not working on this computer (I`m at the library) so I will have to go to work later and do it there.**