Around The World In 80 Waves

It is time for some more sightseeing and I am joined on my travels by a French girl called Emilie, who is staying in the same hostel. Here she is putting on her most photogenic visage for the camera.

First up we head to a restaurant which has been recommended in the Asakusa area. We are shown to our miniature table and then offered green tea while we look at the menu.

The restaurant specialises in Tempura which is seafood fried in a crisp batter, but somehow we end up with a version soaked in soy sauce which is not really that pleasant, even if it is filling.

From there it is a short walk through the market streets to the Dembo-ji temple founded in the seventeenth century to enshrine a golden image of the goddess of mercy, Kannon.

The craftsmanship that has gone into the buildings is amazing, but the temple is somewhat overpowered by all the office and residential blocks which have been built up around it.

Next we take the metro across town to the Ginza area which is full of high end retail brands and Emilie has heard that there are art galleries in many of them. We visit the eight floor of the stunning Hermes building, whose walls are made of glass bricks where we see an exhibition entitled The Mattress and The Wardrobe.

One of the exhibits entails the two of us being asked to take our shoes off and then be shut into a darkened cupboard made of veneer thickness wood. Inside there is a distorted mirror and a chair, and on top of the cupboard is a paisley cushion with lots of rope threaded through it. I will never understand art!

A short walk from here are the manicured garden of Hibiya Koen, which were the first public gardens created in Tokyo.

Even in the drizzling rain it is an oasis of calm in a very busy city and a beautiful place to be.

Across the road is the start of the grounds of the Imperial Palace, which is home to Emporer Akihito. After the second world war it has become a largely ceremonial position, in much the same way as the British monarchy.

The palace is only open two days a year for the people to pay homage to the Emporer, and even then the public is only allowed a short way into the grounds. This view was the best vista that I saw while in the area.

The two of us were shattered by this stage and in need of a pick me up. we decided to head for Roppongi which is supposed to be a happening part of the city that is full of bars and clubs.

However like the Japanese themselves it was really quiet and we couldn’t hear any suggestion of night life whilst in the area. Eventually we stopped at an Italian restaurant which was at least full of people. However we were served the worst mojito I have ever tasted there and neither of us wanted to stick around and be disappointed with over priced food too, so we headed back across town for a few drinks back at the hostel.