Tokyo in pictures

We got back from a week in Tokyo on Friday and then had the pleasure of our old neighbours (and BFs) passing through on their way to Thailand for the weekend, so I am a little delayed in uploading a few pictorial highlights of our trip to Japan. We really were lost in translation, but I did have an opportunity to sit in our hotel room in my pants looking at this view.


We were both captivated with Tokyo and the Japanese vibe - it is a subtle, intriguing place that works a slow kind of magic on you. I did a lot of sightseeing on my own, but Tim managed to join me for a touch of sumo wrestling and the tuna auction at the fish market at 5:30am on the morning we left, followed by a fresh sushi breakfast. Very hardcore.


The wrestlers are allowed four minutes to eye each other up and glare at each other. They are supposed to start when they feel 'psychologically ready'. But this creates tremendous suspense and anticipation for the audience. After all that glaring, the matches themselves are over very quickly.


I think it was inevitable, but the little guy didn't win this match. As Tim says, it is all about mass x velocity, or something.














Another action shot - the wrestlers are trying to get a hold of their opponent's silk belt but the protruding stick things that you can see are not allowed to touch the floor. There are four judges that sit around the dohyo (ring) to make sure they stick to the rules.

The fish market

Tourists are only allowed to go to certain parts of the fish market which is probably just as well. We were asked to don a green vest so we could be identified and after a lot of waiting around in a hot room, were eventually herded into a 'pen' from where we could watch the auction action. Flash photography was prohibited, as was any kind of hand movement. Presumably, hapless tourists of the past have mistakenly bought themselves thousands of pounds worth of tuna by inadvertently scratching their heads.

This sunrise was worth the 4:30am wake-up call.

Potential buyers checking out what's for sale - tuna are huge.