Tokyo

To prevent excessive rambling I'm just going to give my top three favourite things about each city that I visited in Japan. City number one, that sprawling metropolis, the capital of Japan; Tokyo.

1. The Weather

It was t-shirt weather for the two days that we were there. Compared to the relentless rain that struck on the day I was passing though to go home, we were very very lucky. There was sunshine and, most unusual for Tokyo, clear skies. It was so clear in fact, that you could see Fuji from the top of panoramic buildings. Even from 100 km away it looked huge.

2. Sukiji Fish Markets

If you told me that waking up at four thirty in the morning to watch people haul fish around would be one of the most fascinating things to do in Tokyo I would never have believed you. I'm a vegetarian for goodness sake, and even when I wasn't I didn't really eat fish.

But there I was on a crisp, clear morning, at a market the size of Vic Markets (ie BIG) dedicated to supplying the fishy needs of over 8 million people. It was a life and death experience walking through the mini carts used to haul the fish around, but we somehow made it to the auction hall alive. Unlike the fish.

We watched the buyers examine the fish, poking and prodding and chatting. The auction itself was all over very quickly - most fish sold for around 1000 AUD and above. Then they were lugged off to be cut up and sold on to retailers and restaurants.

3. Jet Lag

I always find jet lag amusing - it's like being drunk without all the bother of drinking! Walking around Tokyo in a daze just added to the ambience. It was almost like being in Lost in Translation - but the hotel wasn't as flash and Dave makes a really unconvincing Scarlet Johansson.