A reduced pace was decided upon today. Yesterday was exhausting and included a late night.
We decided to take Chika’s advice and head to the famous Tokyo pedestrian crossing to take some photos. We managed to find somewhere a little higher to get a good angle but the humidity was incredibly uncomfortable so we didn’t stay long.
Our next stop was the one that Keith was REALLY looking forward to… full on Tokyo weirdness as the Cat Cafe! You get to spend a ridiculous amount of money to be warned about the rules, lie about your children’s ages and be ignored entirely by the cats. I thought spending time with animals was supposed to be therapeutic but I left feeling thoroughly rejected. You could choose to pay another 500 yen to buy a cat lollipop that means they sidle up to you and lick it but still don’t tolerate touching! One Japanese lady sat down, bought a lolly and then sat looking at her phone for a full 10 minutes- which would have cost her 200 yen as they charge by the time you spend. We decided against the snake or owl cafe after that experience!
Next on the itinerary was a trip to the Ginza district. Think Oxford Street but massive and sprawling. We paid a rather dismissable visit to a statue of Godzilla and then moved onto the main event… a stationary shop called Itoya. No less than 12 floors (one of which was labelled farming but we didn’t get high enough to satisfy my curiousity) with one entirely devoted to special paper. Keith took a photo which will need to become my new background. The children couldn’t stop finding the next thing that was just too “kawaii” and we succumbed to some butterflies to decorate Mila’s journal in Japanese style. I could have happily spent another couple of hours in there but time was pressing.
We are getting quite efficient at working out how to get across Tokyo now but the journey to our river boat dinner cruise was a bit more challenging. Google maps came into its own at the other end and even with high rise buildings everywhere Keith managed to find the departure point.
It was shoes off again to get on the boat and a shared table of 6 with a Japanese couple who did their very best to help translate and guide us through the eating etiquette. The variety of dishes was astonishing and a little challenging. None of us managed to eat the water snail and Keith was the only one who bossed the sushi. One word… texture. I did much better with the unidentified vegetables (apart from the okra) and the kids managed not to starve. The unlimited drinks began to show after about half an hour and the Japanese diners lost much of their inhibited nature.
I had a very entertaining conversation with three ladies who now work as English tutors in Tokyo but originally came from the Philippines. They did apologise for being a “leedle drunk” a few times and took lots of photos of the “beautiful red hair”. Interestingly they told me that they take private clients- secondary school children- and teach them phonics. They just want the kids to be able to speak English, not necessarily read or write it.
The trip itself went up to the Rainbow bridge and moored us in front of the television centre with its weird sculpture. I particularly liked the ice cream boat that came up while we were moored to try and flog tiny pots of Haagen Das to the unsuspecting tourists! On the way back, when we were munching on tempura (eel, white fish, octopus, and shrimp), an older Japanese man chanted a song at us while making amazing shapes with a bamboo mat. It was clearly very traditional and a lot of the Japanese diners were able to join in but we didn’t have a clue what was going on! There is a lot of freedom in not understanding. We just clapped along. Danny (yes you are reading that correctly!) put his hand straight up to get one of the percussion instruments, which they then gave to him as a souvenir and Mila went up to the front to be taught how to use the bamboo mat. She managed to make a very convincing bridge!
The hosts and other guests were incredibly friendly and welcoming and as ours were the only children on board they got preferential treatment. Our only minor issue was that the waitress didn’t clear dishes that weren’t empty, so the snails looked at us longingly for the whole evening and we didn’t know how to ask her to take them away!
The boat got back to the dock at 9.30pm so it was late when we got back to the hotel but another great day so it was definitely worth it.
P.S. if it is really hot and you have been outside for most of the day and you are a little dehydrated, just a little beer can be too much beer.