It was raining quite a bit when I came down for a cup of coffee and wondered if I would be able to even go out for the day because the forecast for the day wasn't too great either. People were up and about early with the start of the working week. The transparent umbrellas were everywhere. These ensure that the sight is never obstructed. By the time I came down after a bath the rain had become heavier. Not one to give up easily, I borrowed the ubiquitous transparent umbrellas from the hostel and set out for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) building.
The TMG towers and the surrounding buildings contain offices and the assembly hall of the metropolitan government of Tokyo. It is a favourite haunt of visitors for its free observation decks which provide good panoramic views of Tokyo and beyond. The 243-meter-tall building has two towers, and each houses an observatory at a height of 202 meters. Each observatory has a cafe and a souvenir shop. It had been the tallest building in Tokyo until it was overtaken by the Midtown Tower in 2007.
I was subjected to a baggage check before entering the elevator to the 45th floor. With the rain and wind, I did not expect any great views, which are said to include famous landmarks such as Mount Fuji, the Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower, Meiji Shrine and the Tokyo Dome. The spacious 360-degree observation deck is set out to wow visitors. At the centre of the deck is a souvenir shop serviced by staff. Polite hosts and hostesses are there to direct the visitor into and out of the lifts. A decorated Omoide Piano is another attraction of the deck. It had been graciously donated by a citizen and visitors are encouraged to try their hand with the piano.
I was among the first to be there, as the deck opens at 9.30 am. It was hazy and still raining, preventing any serious views even of the buildings in close vicinity. However, in about a half hour the weather cleared substantially, and I was able to pick out the major city landmarks signposted in the deck. Of course, views of Mt Fuji and such like were too far-fetched to expect on such a day. Even Tokyo Skytree, the tallest building in Tokyo at 634 meters, was hidden from sight. The Skytree building is the third tallest tower in the world after the Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur and Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
As I was straining to make out the various landmarks an English volunteer guide happened along. While making conversation with her she told me that the Tokyo Tower is hidden behind a newer tower that had come up lately. She pointed out a few other landmarks such as the Dome and a Museum near the Meiji Shrine. Thank heavens for the let up in the weather, for I did enjoy the time I spent in the observation deck.
After spending a while in the tourism promotion and souvenir shop on the second floor of the TMG I took the metro and walked to the base of the Tokyo Tower. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower, the Tokyo Tower had been the tallest tower in Japan till the Skytree building was constructed. The tower is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations. It has an observation deck and many other attractions. There are many food and drink options at the ground level. I picked up and assorted sandwich from Lawson and enjoyed a few moments of rest and reflection.
Due to the unpredictable weather I decided to forgo the planned visits to Ginza, Rainbow bridge and Odaiba for the Statue of Liberty. Instead, I went to Akihabara and spend almost two hours there picking up some stuff for kids and friends. The place is so full of electronics, food and anime that it has to be seen to be believed. People were everywhere with hardly a senior in sight. My age stared me in the face. Besides, I am so out of touch with these new age 'heroes' and stories that it all looked weird and crazy to me. But the electric energy is unmatched.
For a sushi experience I walked into a standing sushi restaurant in Arte 1 building. Almost the entire first floor was full of eating joints. It took me some time to decide if I wanted to have Udon noodles or sushi. The standing sushi restaurant had just 10 places, each marked with a place number and a touchscreen with the menu, using which one can place the order.
I took a set of three Sushis with wasabi. Two flat leaves were placed before me with thinly sliced Japanese ginger. Soon the three pieces of sushi were placed on the leaf. I poured a few drops of soy sauce into a small saucer kept at the table for the purpose. I asked the hostess for a spoon, not wanting to make a fool of myself with the chopsticks. I took one of the pieces, dipped in the soy sauce and enjoyed the heavenly taste, wasaba included. Then I chewed on a couple of pieces of ginger. That elevated the taste further. An amazing experience, I must admit.
From a KitKat store I picked up Matcha and Strawberry KitKat, which can only be found in Japan. One of the stores had used Apple devices and Windows products at jaw dropping prices. Did see many Indians in the store. Another store that was filled with tourists is Matsumoto Kiyoshi, the popular cosmetics store. It is displayed prominently in most stores that visitors can avail tax free purchase if the purchase exceeds 5500 JPY. The customer is advised not to use such products before leaving Japan.
The weather turned when I was in Akihabara. I decided to walk back to the hostel in the light rain. By the time I got back my feet were in bad shape. Blisters had formed and burst. The hostel reception gave me some antiseptic and bandage to keep the wound protected. I used the coin laundry to get the used clothes washed and dried. A few large pegs of Shochu put me in the right frame of mind to turn in for the night.
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