After lunch, we started to explore this old Tokyo area. This was the Kaminari Gate(雷門), the first of two large entrance gates leading to Sensoji Temple.
On the approach to the temple after entering the big gate, it was Nakamise Shopping Street , lined with numerous lively stalls selling traditional tourist souvenirs and local snacks.
Simon had been waiting to come here to buy the fortunate cats for days!!! I couldn't help but be amazed by the Japanese craftsmanship.
At the end of the shopping street was Sensoji Temple, Tokyo's most famous temple. A giant grass shoe hanging on the wall. A very friendly Japanese old man proposed to take a picture for us .
It's a Buddhist temple so is very similar to those in China. And I am not surprised to see the fortunate-telling box. For 100 yen, I rattled the box until a stick came out through a small hole. The number shown on the stick was 50 and I took a pre-printed sheet from the corresponding box numbered 50.
My fortune's good one.
Simon got number 81 and the paper shows "small fortune".
We were not keen on entering the temple. Instead we returned to one of the shops we had been in earlier.
Simon was spoiled with choices. Although it was a hard decision, he finally chose 2 fortune cats out of millions. He could have brought home more if there had been no luggage limit.
We then transferred to the Kappabashi street ( some people call it Kitchen Town) nearby. This is actually a kitchen equipment area and had pretty much anything that you might need to start and furnish a restaurant. But it has now become a famous tourist attraction for souvenirs.
I've always been fascinated by the plastic food that every Japanese restaurant displays outside.
Heaps of plastic models and they have every type of sushi you can think of.
Totally convincing bowls of ramen. We wandered up the street for a while then headed back to the hotel as we couldn't wait to drop our luggage in the hotel.
Out in Shinjuku again. This is one of many department stores in Shinjuku and is called "Isetan".
We will have first half of our dinner in this Yakitori Alley tonight. Yakitori ( meats on stick), a roasted skewer of bite-sized pieces of meat, usually different parts of chicken such as heart, skin, liver, tongue etc. The is the entrance to the small and famous yakitori Alley in Shinjuku.
Omoide Yokocho 1-2-11 Nishi-Shinjuku
We picked any one of the restaurant and order 2 drinks and a plate of this set with different part of the chicken to try. With the sit-down charge, it came to about 2000 yen. A rip-off for the first time in Japan but no regret as it was an experience. A warning: don't dress nicely if you want to come here as the area was so smoky that by the time I left my whole body smelt stink.
We then need to have the second half of our dinner. There was no way of us being full after just a few sticks of meat to share. They were more like appetizers. I found a Yoshinoya (吉野屋) just around the corner. Perfect! I always wanted to try that. It is a chained fast food restaurant that sells beef on rice (牛丼).
Wow. That was one of the biggest surprises. The beef was so tender that you could never imagine they came from a fast food restaurant. And the sauce was perfect companion. More importantly, the food was served hot literally 1 minute after we ordered.
My beef set with grilled fish (牛鮭定食). Just the right portion for me. I am not a fan of fast food. But I can take this every day. Magical.
The total of the bill was a pleasant surprise, came under 1200 yen. It was a perfect finish of the day.
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