28 October 2024
Grey skies and green water
Kiyosumi Gardens
Prepare yourselves mentally for me to complain about a bit of rain. I may have already mentioned it but the last few month long trips I went on it did not rain at all. Now it has rained last night and today. So that is a new record for rain and it is supposed to rain more again tomorrow.
I will get wet and complain. Umbrellas are for people who value not getting wet more than not getting in my way.
Election update, the guy that replaced Kishida that replaced Abe who only started in the job a month ago who's name we never even knew has lost some kind of important majority. The emperor is displeased. Something like that.
I hung around my hotel a bit longer than usual, with my face pressed alternatively against the window (from which I can see bullet trains going past) and the weather radar on my phone. It was raining hard, but then at about 8am it stopped enough for me to go to a cafe for breakfast. After which it stopped entirely so I have no idea what I was complaining about.
Originally I planned to wander around boring shops as most culturally important boring things like museums are closed on Monday, but then it stopped raining so I walked to a garden instead.
The walk took me past the very crowded former fish market at Tsukiji, over many bridges connecting fake islands before I arrived at the small garden with very green water of Kiyosumi. It was only $1.50 to get in so no complaints. $2 would have been $0.50 too much.
Anyway, then it was time to walk back via Ginza again for a salad in the basement of Takashimaya. It was as green as the lake water.
This photo is just to show that it is raining. Even though that is kind of a cool looking old brick building over there.
Nearby was this park. I believe it is a disguised smoking area. Since it was raining it was just me.
Time to do an environmental rant. Every single light pole in Ginza has these 2 fabric flags affixed advertising the season and some kind of event. They both have 2024 printed on them so they cannot be re-used next year. In a month or so a few thousand of these are garbage.
A very grey and damp Ginza.
I can never resist an overpass photo.
Now it was time to regret coming to Tsukiji. Last time I was here I got chased by an angry sushi chef wielding a meat cleaver who decided I was a homosexual (true story!). There are way too many people here lined up to get the same stuff you can get from every 7-eleven for cheaper. I think that the Japan food market game is weak compared to other Asian countries.
A less busy bit. I avoided the busiest bits. A lot of it was knocked down to make way for the Olympics that sort of happened during Covid. But they never actually built anything in it's place, construction is only just starting now. There has been a giant hole in the ground where the wholesale market used to be for many years now.
Time to start crossing some bridges. I have become very familiar with the very grey looking Sumida river.
That sky bridge connecting those 2 towers is kind of like the extending bit of the aerobridge you use to walk onto a plane. And I thought that was a bit weird. But then I thought about it and I guess the inner bit is on rollers so that when there is an earthquake and the towers sway that it does not pull off the side of one of the towers.
Next bridge.
Artificial islands and grey skies.
Here is one of the whaling vessels in dry dock being serviced ready to join this years hunt.
Apparently it is actually the maritime college. I do not know what this building is, perhaps an old observatory to teach people how to navigate by the stars.
Garden time. The yellow arrow helped me avoid confusion.
If you are going to take photos like this in a place like this then I am going to take your photo and put it on the internet.
The water was slime green. Maybe it is St Patrick's day?
The guy in the boat has the loudest of 2 stroke motor's, which means I must type, how's the serenity?
OK, one more green lake shot.
This would look really nice if the sun was shining.
The final bridge for the day is a blue bridge, the greatest bridge of all.
And in a rare treat, a real lunch. I was the only guy in here, I made all the women nervous. A bit pricey, but it was the Takashimaya department store basement on Ginza.
Will it be raining this evening? No idea. Will it rain enough tomorrow to stop me going hiking? Hmm, that will be a more difficult decision.