Dodgy brekky sourced from Seven Eleven in our sumptuous apartment followed by a stroll through fancy pants suburb Asakasa to the upmarket Tokyo Midtown Mall. Stopped at a local shrine on the way – our very first. Luckily Lou knew the drill – wash hands, bow, clap twice bow etc. Actually managed to find decent coffee at Midtown then it was on the subway to Odaiba for the Team Lab extravaganza.
Team Lab is an interactive digital art exhibition. Amazing, beautiful but at the same time very commercial, a touch gaudy and somehow a bit like eating fast food. Followed it up with lunch at the suspiciously named Palette Town Mall.
Staggered through the blinding heat to the Odaiba pier to catch the ferry to Asakusa and Tokyo’s most popular shrine Senso-Ji. But not before docking opposite the Asahi Beer headquarters (designed by Philippe Starck and supposed to look like a giant beer with a flame? – looks a bit more like a jobby)
Asakusa was “a lot” – very beautiful, very crowded and very hot. More hand washing, bowing and clapping. We even saw a woman walking down the street with a real live Owl perched on her shoulder. And I don’t mean a little birdy, I mean a fully fledged Harry Potter certified giant fricken owl. It turned and watched us as it went past.
Later dinner at Honmura An in Rappongi – soba noodles on bamboo mats with dipping sauces – and beer – in this heat, always beer. Later a stroll through Rappongi (clubs, neon, pachinko – deafeningly loud Japanese versions of poker machines etc).
flyeelookee 