I’ve just jetlagged-ly stumbled from Sushiro Akihabara back to my hotel nearby, and sleep has happened…
Although possibly too much sleep! I forgot to set an alarm on my phone this morning, and thought that I would naturally wake up early. It’s the 7th day of me waking up in Asia, on +8 or +9 GMT, so I assumed I’d be OK and wake around 7… I woke in a panic at around 08:55 as I had activities planned for the day, and thought I might miss them!
This thankfully wasn’t to be the case, although I did miss breakfast at the hotel, which was only served until 09:30. Not to worry – I got up, washed, dressed and went to visit my first konbini in Japan, FamilyMart, and had a yummy Onigiri (rice ball) and some fruit juice to start the day off well.
There are so many different convenience stores (konbini) everywhere in Tokyo – with FamilyMart, Lawson and 7/11 being the big three names, but they just make it easy to eat something quick, vaguely healthy and tasty – as life is fast. There is an amazing selection of different fresh foods, some already hot, some designed to be eaten cold, and some to be heated or cooked in the konbini or at home. There is usually a small area to eat and prepare your food with seats, tables, any kind of chopsticks, spoon, fork, wipes etc you may need, and microwaves and hot water dispensers!
Breakfast was sorted, so on I went to find my first activity of the day – Sushi School!
Before I went on this trip, I booked in some activities I thought I’d love – and today’s was going to sushi school, learning how a sushi chef forms the rice, and slices the fish into Nigiri sushi and also how to make basic sushi rolls.
I made my way over to Asakusa using the Tokyo Metro Ginza line, from Suehirocho station, directly to Asakusa metro station – but getting slightly lost on the way there, as I didn’t realise that each platform had its own entrance, and there wasn’t a way to get between platforms underground. Suehirocho is only a small station, located to the north of Akhabara, and there wasn’t much underground other than a couple of entrances and the train tunnels and platforms.
I arrived above ground and stepped out into a cool January morning. I was a little early for the 11:00 class, but realised that the sushi school was just around the corner from the absolutely immense Senso-Ji Temple – which was straight across the way from the metro station exit. I had a few minutes so I made my way over there…
And straight away I was transported to sights I had only previously seen on TV – The grand entrance gate to Senso-Ji, the masses of people crowded around to photograph, and if you turn around, there is Tokyo Skytree! Just by shifting my location slightly I felt in the middle of so many things – but now understanding more how the geography of these areas fit together.
It was now that it hit me – I am here! I’ve wanted to be here for so many years. I’ve finally made it to see this place! It’s real, and so am I!
I wandered around agog for a few minutes, taking in the bright colours, the hordes of tourists, the scent of incense in the air, mixing with sweet treats, and the noise and bustle of a quiet yet earnest city… it was all mesmerising.
I dragged myself away from being immersed in this world – as it was nearly time for the sushi class.
I arrived on-time but a little later than everyone else in the room – they were all American tourists in a large group, but from all over the US. We were presented with a great set-up – a rice bowl, lots of implements, a practice plastic nigiri-sushi, some rice dressing, and water for keeping hands clean – and later on, the mystical box of fish itself!
The teachers were so friendly and approachable, and really enthusiastic. We learned about the history of sushi, different kinds of sushi, how it has spread around the world, the customs when eating in Japan, and some Japanese language to do with sushi… and eating in general!
- Itadakimasu! – meaning, “I humbly receive” and said before eating any food
- Kanpai! – Cheers!
- Oishii! – This tastes great!
- Sumimasen! – Excuse me
- Meshiagare! – Bon Apetit – or enjoy your meal, the chef or waiter may say this.
We then got to work, firstly making the sushi roll (which was way more difficult than it looked) and was filled with crabstick, egg and cucumber and was decorated wth tobiko (fish roe) on one side and sesame seeds on the other.
After that we were shown how to create the rice shape for Nigiri sushi, which again, is a lot more complex than you imagine, and takes a lot longer to make for a newbie. I’ve seen expert sushi chefs make these deftly with a few swips of a hand, but there is *way* more to it than that – making sure the rice is the correct width, it’s not too compacted so the grains are still singular, that there’s a small whisper of fresh wasabi on it before the fish goes on, and that the rice is shaped like an oval to present the fish most beautifully. It really is an art!
In the end, we could decorate our plates with whatever we wanted, so I went a little rogue with the chilli-sauce and the Kewpie mayo…
The group of us then said many a Kanpai! and Itadakimasu! before eating our creations – the fish was fresh, the rice was very well seasoned and overall it was delicious. The activity took around 2hr overall including eating the sushi, and for a solo traveller it was a good opportunity for me to meet some other people in Tokyo – the group of people I was on a table with were very interesting to talk to!
When I booked, the activity was £35 which seems very reasonable – I’d rate it 5 stars as the class was a great balance between informative and fun, the team were amazing and full of energy and information and it was a really useful and good activity!
I whizzed down to the ground floor and couldn’t quite believe my eyes. Senso-Ji was just across the road, so I was looking forward to visiting, but once on the street you are just in the middle of it all.
Tourists dressed in rental Kimono, looking for the perfect spot for the instagram grid are everywhere. Chefs and bartenders spill out onto the street to invite you in.
Traditional rickshaw runners with their carriages behind them mix with cars and bikes in the road.
I crossed over, and past Kaminarimon, onto Nakamise shopping street, which had so many beautiful arts, crafts, souvenirs, snacks, and wonderful things in.
Upon reaching the temple, it is customary to draw your fortune, by paying 100 yen and shaking a little box. A wooden spindle falls out, and this has a number on it. Find the number on the wall, and you will receive your fortune.
This was mine – a really not great fortune!
Thankfully, you can redirect the bad luck in this fortune, by tying it on to a designated “pine tree” usually made of pine wood, metal and string, and by leaving the bad fortune at the temple, you are asking the gods to intervene and prevent the bad fortune from reaching you.
Photos were not allowed inside the temple, however the grounds were so atmospheric!
I purchased a Goshuin-Cho from Nakamise shopping street, which came in a beautiful lilac, gold, amber and aqua-blue cover. I handed this in at the Goshuin Stamp area at the temple, and queued to collect it. Each temple in Japan has its own stamp, and by handing your book in, you can choose one of a few kinds of temple stamp which are stamped and then written over with calligraphy with the date and time of your visit.
I wandered around the temple some more, soaking in the late-afternoon peace, watching waves of people pass…
I made my way back to the hotel to have a brief rest, shower, and get changed – ready for dinner with a long-time friend!
I made my way over to Tsukishima by the Ginza line to Ueno-Hirokoji, and walked through to Ueno-Okachimachi on the Toei Subway Oedo line. The reason for going over to this area, is that my wonderful pal asked what I would like to eat and she would find a restaurant that would be good for that! My request was okonomiyaki – the super tasty cabbage pancake – She did one better than this and took me to the best restaurant on a street known for Monjayaki – which is the Tokyo version of Okonomiyaki – this is more of a dish from Kansai region, so Osaka area.
Dinner at Kondo Honten was absolutely fabulous.
We started off with the Monjayaki, and a waiter cooked this for us on the teppan (hot plate) in front of our small booth. It was a yummy assortment of vegetables and seafood, mixed in a thick gravy, which turned into a solid pancake when cooked – so you eat it by scraping a part of the teppan near you with a scraper and eat directly off the scraper! It was so tasty.
We also ordered one okonomiyaki with cheese and mochi (as well as cabbage, egg, and all the vegetables mixed inside). For ths one, the waiter cooked it entirely on the hotplate, and when the last squeeze of mayo was on top, it was ready to be eaten. There was also a ridiculous cheese layer inside! This was also delicious but we were quite full at this point – so my pal boxed up the rest of the okonomiyaki for another time.
On the way back to the subway, we visited a tiny bakery specialising in Melonpan!
I took a bite, and it was the most delicious melonpan I have ever had. (given all before now had been in the UK or in Hong Kong or Singapore!) Crusty, sweet, fresh, bouncy… YES.
We made our separate ways home, me back to Akihabara, and her back to her lovely home in Shinjuku.
What an absolutely wonderful first whole day.
What an amazing place.
I knew I would like it, but I never knew just how much I would like it…
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