Day 2 in Tokyo
December 2nd 
A day spent sight-seeing around Tokyo using a all-day pass for the Metro. Went to the Sensoji Temple, the oldest temple in Tokyo built in A.D. 628. The Temple is a collection of structures or buildings. I was fascinated by a process whereby people would approach an area where there was a wall of little tiny drawers, each one marked with something. They would put money down a grill then shake a metal container around, we could hear it rattling. They would then shake one thin bamboo-looking stick out of a tiny hole at one end. They would read the end of it then go to one of the drawers that presumably matched what was written on the end of the stick. From the drawer they would take a small sheet of paper which they would read. Even though the paper was only notebook size they would often read or ponder the contents for a long time. They would then fold the paper into a strip and tie it onto wires provided for the purpose, then leave, looking quite sombre, even sad. As the temple is a Buddhist temple this is obviously a Buddhist practice – I must find out more. There were many of these walls of drawers within the grounds of the Temple.
We went up to the 45th floor of the Southern tower of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building. There is also a northern tower. The tower offers a view over Tokyo. Despite the day looking clear from the ground, from the top of the tower the view was hampered by smog.
Lunch turned out to be a German sausage in a bun – what is this? Haven’t seen a bit of sushi anywhere. Brings an awareness of how every city in the world is made up of restaurants offering food from other cultures. We did however spot the definition of a long lunch, it’s a long luunch!
Dinner was another such experience. We decided to dine at the hotel restaurant to be sure to get a Japanese meal. We got Italian. I chose Buffalo Mozzarella because I had heard it as divine. I found I had a small selection (4 slices) of cold sliced cheese as a mains. It was pleasant, as a pre-dinner nibble. Didn’t cut the mustard as a mains however. Hanging out for breakfast in the morning.