From Nikko to Tokyo

With a full day of sumo under our, um, mawashi, it was time to head out to Nikko, famous for its temples and Tokugawa Shogunate mausoleums. The Nikko sites are justly regarded, as the saying goes, Nikko o minakereba "kekkō" to iu na - translated a number of ways, but I like "When you've seen Nikko, it's enough."


To toast our departure, and of course to celebrate the day's outing, N. led us to a nearby restaurant, for the boys, a bit of chanko nabe - the stew that forms the backbone of the sumo diet. For R., mostly onigiri, and plenty of Kubota.


Well, it's clear that R.'s sense and appreciation for Japanese things is just going to take some time to develop, because she still had nothing but sumo on her mind. "Will my fortune predict more sumo?"


"Nope, no rikishi in here."


"Excuse me ladies, have you seen any sumo wrestlers?"


"Really, I'd much rather be watching sumo. Do you think we could get tickets for today's matches if we left right now?"


Let it not be said that I don't know when I am defeated. We dashed... yes, dashed back to the train station, picked up some sake and strawberry pudding (Tochigi prefecture is famous for strawberries) and shot back to Tokyo.


"I can be very, very persuasive."


Success! Fortunately, we were able to stash our luggage at the train station, and found that stadium seats were still available. Remarkably, these seats while much cheaper, actually gave us a better vantage. R., armed with popcorn, soda, and the daily match-sheet. Can't imagine a happier camper.


Fortunately, R. decided that she DID want to see some of Tokyo, and was also aware that while we managed to get sumo tickets for Friday, the last two days of the tournament were long since sold out. First stop, Ginza. Didn't realise that on the weekends, the streets are cordoned off from traffic. Happens precisely - one moment there are cars, but also armies of people with chairs and tables lining the street, and the next thing you know, people are sitting out, reading newspapers in the middle of the street.


Toyota maintains a exhibition hall right in the middle of Ginza. I can imagine that R. is wondering, "How will I put the cat carriers in there?"


Harajuku's Takeshita Dori... yeah, a bit crowded.


Cosplay, hanging out, just outside of the Meiji Shrine - probably couldn't conceive of a more striking contrast, yet in so many ways, an encapsulation. Costume play. And what if you are a cosplay kid looking for a social networking outlet? Oh, yes, they have that too... Cosspace.


RanKing, RanQueen, a store that maintains and stocks a ranking of "trendy" items. Actually, it was kind of fun. I didn't know a) there were that many implements for removing ear and nose hair, and b) that they were considered trendy products.


Uniqlo mega-store. Men's clothing for men without shoulders or hips. Perfect for non-sumo Japanese.


Channeling Uncle Monty, "as a boy, I used to weep at sake shops."


That evening, we met up with my father's old friend M.-san I hadn't seen him for several years, not since I was living in Korea. The man knows his way around the food and drink, but I did not realise that his wife K.-san owned a restaurant. Knowing that R. was a strict vegetarian, they had planned a special meal just for her. It was fabulous, incredible food, and of course, M.-san's favorite sake, Dewazakura.


Sunday, our last day in Japan. We didn't have to leave for the airport until the afternoon, so we decided to walk around the Palace (R. having vetoed a visit to the Tsukiji fish market).


Sightseeing completed, we walked back to Ginza (where our hotel was), and stopped to have lunch and the excellent coffee at Cafe Doutor - perfect perch for people-watching. Well, for R., anyways... here, I've been dispatched across the street to Mitsukoshi to buy some chocolate truffles R. has been gobbling up. I'd say R.'s first trip to Japan has been an all-out success, no?