29 October 2018
Asakusa without the shrine
Walking from Ueno to Asakusa past a hedgehog cafe
Asakusa is near Ueno. The main shrine of Tokyo is there, Sensoji or something like that. Everyone goes there, buys plastic versions of the shrine takes photos. I have done that 3 times. Tonight I managed to be the first person in recorded history to go to Asakusa and not see the shrine.
I decided I had not yet done quite enough steps today, so I walked there and back from Ueno. It is really not that far, and I like to wander around the back streets and peer in peoples windows, a window on ordinary Tokyo life. The most unusual thing I saw was a man in his underwear playing a tuba. The second most interesting was a guy cleaning his fish tank while his cat watched.
In Asakusa I found my dinner and a few rather strange cafes, as you shall see.
I didnt see the main shrine but I saw this one in the backstreets. It had a sign explaining its purpose. It is a shrine for business people to come and wish for successful business and wealth. While I was taking the photo a couple of salary men did come and do a small bow hoping they get that big promotion down at the office or whatever.
No need to go to Miyajima to see Torii gate floating in the water, here you can see one rising above concrete. That reminds me, I have not been doing any of my amazing haikus yet. You are in for a real treat when I remember.
Here is the famous 1/50th scale model golden shrine. Japanse children do not build models of ships or racing cars, they build model shrines. Some assembly required. Lots of glue. Japan glue is inferior glue.
I bought an entire collection of pots to assist me in my one true love, baking things in pots. Luckily they sold me a case to carry my pots in so I can wheel them all around Japan before carrying them home on the plane.
This old lady lost all her money on bitcoin so now she has to grill mystery meat on sticks in the middle of the night and sell them to passing strangers. Actually this was a heavy crop, and despite that it still looks good to me, no noise etc. Sharp as a tack, whatever a tack is, all I know is photo websites describe things as being 'tack sharp'.
OMG A HEDGEHOG CAFE! Its probably cruel, I dont know, I dont speak hedgehog to ask them.
It looks like they take them out of the glass tank things. They dont seem to be too prickly to pick up or try and run away. Maybe they drug them. I bet they are delicious. This one is a heavy crop through glass. I will stop talking about crops soon. I dont need a zoom.
Here is an Asakusa street. The weather this evening was DELIGHTFUL, caps to emphasize the ridiculous description of the weather. Despite it being so nice outside, Tokyo seemed very quiet.
Here is my dinner. Its a kind of ramen. I think I should have gone to Ippudo Asakusa (they had one). This ramen was beef in a beef broth. The menu had a lot of English and talked about how healthy it is compared to normal ramen.
Last photo tonight is a rather non remarkable photo at first glance. Except these plants are for sale. By day this is a nursery. They just leave their plants out like this after they go home overnight. No one will steal them....or will they?