Day 2: Tsukiji Market, Senso-ji, Kappabashi-dori

We still haven't quite managed to adjust to Japan time so we started day 2 off super early, getting up at 4 am to make it to Tsukiji market, the bigget fish market in the world. We wanted to arrive in time to see the tuna auction, but we didn't know they had imposed a limit of 140 people per day who would be allowed to watch the auction. Apparently you need to be there lined up at 4:30 if you want a chance at being allowed in. Ugh. We did get to see the wholesale fish area though, which was enormous and packed so full you could never see everything there was if you tried. To get there though, we had to navigate a maze of poorly marked shipping areas full of people who were driving trucks, bikes, scooters, forklifts, or odd little vehicles we had never seen before, all stacked way higher than they should have been with styrofoam boxes of seafood. None of them even thought about slowing down for the pedestrians in the area.



Once we made it inside without being run over, we were greeted with the sight of a lot of fish.



The people who had been successful at the tuna auction were all breaking down their purchases in to smaller pieces with giant knives.







We thought the presentation of the octopi was hilarious.



After we left Tsukiji itself, we wandered through a bunch of little shops outside the market which sold produce, knives, kitchenware, and the freshest sushi you can possibly get. We ran into an old man on a bicycle who had about six boxes of seafood strapped on to the back of the bike and a box of daikon which had fallen off the top and on to his head. We helped him out by putting the radishes back on top of the pile and hoping they didn't fall over again. 

One of the most impressive things we saw at the backstreet shops were Matsutake mushrooms, which grow on pine trees in the forests in Japan. The best ones can sell for $2000 a kilogram, but the most expensive we saw were 7500 yen apiece, or about $92.



Passing a gas sation, we saw the tiniest car wash stall ever!



On our way to the Asakusa neighborhood we found a fire station, and posed for fireman pictures.



This is Kaminarimon, or the Thunder Gate, the outer entrance to the Senso-ji temple complex. It was first built in 942, but was destroyed and rebuilt many times since then



There were a ton of souvenir shops on the way to the temple.



Hozomon, the inner gate to Senso-ji was also first built in 942 and was destroyed by fire in 1641 and in the bombings of WWII in 1945. The current gate is built of concrete, so it is unlikely to burn down again.



These are the two guardian statues of the gate, if they ever decide they are bored and would like to go for a walk, there are giant straw sandals on the back of the gate for them to use.







We were sure this sign was telling us we had found a lemonade fountain, but it was just a plain water fountain.


There were lots of  shops in the area selling all sorts of things, food, souvenirs, fans...



and amazing rainbow suits!



Check out these satisfied customers!



A few blocks away was kappabashi-dori, a street full of shops where you could buy anything you needed to run a restaurant. This knife shop had an amazing suit of armor outside.



We found a few shops which sold shockingly realistic plastic food models for restaurant windows. They were pretty pricey though.





This impressive restaurant was across the street from where we had lunch. We guessed it probably sold Kobe beef.



We saw this truck driving around playing some sort of chanting and music while spewing scented smoke everywhere from the wood burning oven in the back. We have no idea what this was about. 



Asahi Super Dry Hall is supposed to look like the foam being blown off of a giant mug of beer, but it really just looks like someone left a giant golden poo on their building.



Weird Japanese drink of the day: scotch flavored yogurt drink. It was sold out at this vending machine so we couldn't try it and I think we are really glad we had that excuse!