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Japan: Tokyo, Pt.2

Temples, robots and more friends. (Oh, and food too).

By Very Long Weekend

April 27^th, 2017

Sensoji Temple & asahi sky room

Our friends Marcy and Andrew (of MarcyMoji fame...like, actually famous) made it to Tokyo! They've been riding their bikes around the world for the last 18 months and happened to be spending some time in Tokyo while we were there.

We headed to the well-known and, as it turns out, heavily tourist-frequented Sensoji Temple. Leading up to the temple we saw dozens of souvenir shops and stalls selling freshly made Japanese treats. It's also one of those places that people will actually dress up to go visit.

You can rent full kimonos and just walk around, take selfies with your selfie-stick (obviously) and spend about 90% of your time posting to your social media app of choice.

We did none of those things ("Instagram Stories totes doesn't count...duh"), but it was pretty hilarious to see the number of people doing it.

At one point we all took turns getting a photo with a group of very friendly ladies dressed in full traditional garb. It wasn't until we heard them talking to one another that we realized they were in fact Thai...Hilarious.

Overall, great people watching. Once we got out of the main temple complex, we found a lovely quiet spot to capture some of the stunning spring afternoon light.

Not actually Japanese ladies wearing actual Japanese kimonos

The lads and the ladies. L to R: Dylan, yours truly and Andrew. Not pictured: other tourists taking pictures of us with these ladies.

We left Sensoji and headed to Asahi Sky Room. Julie had heard that a nearby skyscraper happens to be the corporate headquarters of Asahi Beer. Our trip to Sensoji was no coincidence.

On the walk over we crossed through a park that happened to have plentiful cherry blossoms, sort of like being in a room full of pink. The park also had a beautiful ancient shrine (Ushima Shrine, built in the year 860) that was completely deserted - for a change.

The light kept getting better as we neared Asahi tower. A quick trip up to the building's 22nd floor to collect our reward: ice cold Asahi (I cannot overstate how much I appreciate having a cold beer served in an ice cold glass, something the Japanese do consistently well) and glorious views over Tokyo.

Julie doesn't normally drink beer. But you can't turn down an Asahi, especially not when you're at Asahi HQ. Also 😍

Tsukiji fish market & sushi daiwa

On my last trip here I had tried to go to the famous Tsukiji fish market but was unable to go (work). So this time around, we committed to doing it.

"Committed?" you ask? Well, Tsukiji only takes in 120 visitors to the fish auction in a given day. The auction begins at 5 a.m. but due to its popularity, you have to be there even earlier to ensure you're in the first batch of people. Which is exactly what Julie, Marcy, Andrew and I did:

We met up after a late dinner and found a bar under a railway bridge full of old local people smoking cigarettes and drinking beer. We spent a few hours there to pass some time and then headed to the entrance of the market. It was 1 a.m.

We were in the first dozen or so people there, so we were guaranteed a spot...all we had to do now was wait. We came prepared with snacks and drinks and took turns sitting on Andrew's camping chair (Andrew was the only one who had the foresight to bring a chair - we were all extremely jealous).

A couple hours later we were escorted into a tiny 'waiting room', given hi-vis vests and told to sit on the floor and wait. At some point, a local tuna trader with absolutely perfect spoken English gave us a quick explainer on tuna trading. Fun fact: the first tuna fish traded in the New Year always fetches an abnormally high value, this is done to bring good luck to the traders in the year ahead...So now you want to know how much that first tuna went for:

$1.5 Million US Dollars.

😱

Shortly after our fantastic lecture, it was time to head in. Because it's a highly active market and time when you're trading high-value fish is of the essence, everything moves fast here. I'm not talking morning rush hour fast, I mean risk-getting-hit-by-a-truck-can't-even-understand-what-people-are-saying-they're-speaking-so-fast fast. So that explains the high-vis vests.

A fascinating thing to witness is the attention that prospective buyers bring to each fish. These buyers are buying at auction in order to then sell at wholesale to agents of Tokyo's best restaurants (yes, that includes Jiro). And when you're buying fish the average price of which is that of a small Audi, and can extend to a Tokyo penthouse, you'd better be sure you're not getting sold sub-par tuna. So here's what you do:

1) Shine your flashlight on the piece of tail meat that is displayed on top of the fish. Look for a uniform, deep red color in the flesh, that progressively turns a nice, fatty pink to the belly and topside areas.

2) Get your hook out and take a chunk of flesh from the tail portion of the fish. Rub the flesh between your fingers, it should feel slightly oily - but not too much

3) Repeat for the half hour you are allowed to inspect the fish before auction

The auction itself is insanely fast. The auctioneer rattles off the prices and buyers quietly put up their hand to bid. A successful bidder has his fish dragged off the sales floor and prepared for him to transport to its final destination.

Before we knew it, our 20 minutes inside the auction hall were over. Breakfast time!

This guy had a fantastic method: he would collect chunks of meat from different fish and benchmark them, carrying his 'clipboard' of flesh.

A buyer's fish is taken away for preparation

Behind us, buyers in the larger auction of the morning were preparing

We were escorted out of the main market area (again, in a single file high intensity/danger rush). We headed for the line of people outside of Sushi Daiwa. And after about half an hour's wait...

Light pouring into the back of the market

...Breakfast was served. Fish that couldn't be any fresher unless you caught it yourself. Our cheerful Itamae (sushi chef) served some of the best omakase any of us have eaten: fatty tuna, medium fatty tuna, fresh uni...it was a glorious, if rather unusual 6 a.m breakfast.

AND NOW, FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: ROBOT RESTAURANT.

Julie had booked a surprise for her brother Dylan's birthday, the (in)famous Robot Restaurant.

I'm not even sure how to describe this place. Bright lights, the loudest possible combination of colors and sounds...and general insanity.

It's not really a restaurant, although you can eat there (don't). The show organizer's website doesn't even provide a description...you really can't accurately explain the absurdity of the show itself.

Comprised of four parts (that don't really appear to be interconnected) the 'plot', if you can call it that, at one point involves a friendly forest people and their underwater companions who have the great misfortune of being attacked by evil robots. Naturally, (don't worry, I promise I am not spoiling any of this) our friendly forest people are rescued by some Mad Max-esque women riding giant pandas, fire-breathing snakes and other mechanized creatures.

And so goes the pendulum of Robot Restaurant's 1 hour theatrical performance.

These guys were awesome. Remember 'Fighting Gravity'? This was better.

As if there weren't already enough flashing neon lights and lasers, you are handed glow sticks for the final part of the show. That last part is basically a cross between a dance performance you might see on America/Britain's Got Talent and the hallucinogenic effects that would have served as the foundational inspiration for The Beatles' Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

It's complete insanity, but in the best way possible. Our minds were blown.

Yes, it is absolutely touristy but highly recommended.

FOOD. ALL OF THE FOOD. (AND FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS)

In almost 3 weeks in Tokyo, we spent a good portion of our time eating out. It was all delicious - though some meals were better than others. Here's our list, not complete but if you're Tokyo-bound it'll be a good start:

Gohanya Isshin - for lunch, get one of their set menus (sashimi and tempura)

Maisen - for tonkatsu

Ohitsuzen Tanbo - for ohitsuzen (a sort of 'DIY' meal, cool experience)

Gogyo - for some of the best ramen. Don't order anything other than the burnt miso ramen

Kisoji - for Shabu Shabu (book if you can)

Bar Albatross in the Golden Gai - there are two bars with the same name (the other is 'Albatross G'), they're both cool

Harajuku Gyoza Lou - only gyoza, and beer

Rokurinsha - we took Trudy for lunch here, it was a bit overrated unfortunately. Still, semi decent ramen

炭火串焼ふく - Where Nao took Trudy, Julie and I for incredible Yakitori (book if you can)

Node Uehara - nice cafe

Ginza Sato Yosuke - cold udon noodles with curry (choose green and red curries)

Shake Shack - uh...why not?

Jomon - yakitori, a few too many tourists here but good food (book)

Totti Candy Factory - for the giant cotton candy

本とさや - for yakiniku (Japanese bbq/grill)

Teyandei - (credit to Andrew for this one) great izakaya

Library Lounge These - great drinks and atmosphere

Katsukura - go for lunch, get the set menu of tonkatsu and tempura shrimp

Sushi Daiwa - Tsukiji Market

並木橋なかむら - fantastic Izakaya, thanks to Yo and Go for a great dinner!

Numazuko - if you want conveyor belt sushi, go here

Below, a random selection of photos from (some of) the above places.

炭火串焼ふく Yakitori (this is a baby sardine and radish palate cleanser)

炭火串焼ふく Yakitori, chicken and onion...can't go wrong

Teyandei - this was a minced beef patty with slow cooked egg, so damn good

Gogyo burnt miso ramen, don't even look at the menu and ask for this. Seriously.

Library Bar These - they bring you a bowl of fruit, you pick one or two and choose your alcohol base, they make you a drink

Library Bar These - this is what you get if you choose strawberries with a whisky base

Library Bar These - the vibe in this place was perfect. Speakeasy style, but not trying too hard.

This is the upstairs lounge at Tsutaya Books in Daikanyama. Prepare about two full days just at Tsutaya, it's that expansive and that good

Unnamed bar in Golden Gai (close to Albatross G)

Albatross G - The view from the mezzanine down to the 2nd floor bar

FAST FRIENDS - RIDING IN JAPAN!

I have Field Cycles to thank for not only building the best bikes in the world, but also for creating a small, tight-knit community of like-minded people. It's through owning a Field bike that I met Mark and Dom, and by extension met Darragh - a fellow RCC member, and Tobias - a fast climbing Swede with a great photographic eye.

As Julie and I were on the road, I messaged back and forth with the lads to plan some rides whilst I was in Tokyo. Three days after arriving in Tokyo (and the day after that famous Shabu Shabu, see Part 1), I met up with the guys in the early hours of the morning as we headed off on what was to be one of my all-time favorite rides.

These guys have all been living in Japan for years now, so they had put together an epic route that departed from Saitama (a prefecture Northwest of Tokyo) and through some of the areas most menacing Tōge (mountain passes). The ride spanned close to 90 miles and 8,000ft of elevation. Some of the climbs had 20%+ grades, but the views at the top and the descents coming down the other side made you forget all about the pain. A lot of it was on completely deserted roads, some of it took us to the snow line - it was early April and still freezing cold.

Great riding, coupled with hysterical fits of laughter as Mark, Dom and I posed for Darragh and Tobias's cameras in an unofficial 'Field Cycles photo shoot'. One of the greatest days in the saddle I've ever had. Thanks, lads.

I wish I could have ridden more whilst in Japan, alas the weather and timing didn't work out in my favor. Still, it was so unbelievably cool to be halfway around the world and have the opportunity to ride (my own bike!) in amazing terrain with fantastic company.

I will definitely be back for more.

If you want to see some great Japan riding photos, follow these guys on Instagram:

Mark: @landoftheridingsun Pro tip: don't try to follow Mark up a hill. You'll tear off your legs.

Dom: @xdom_sx Dom is the best dressed man in cycling.

Tobias: @ridesofjapan Tobias should be a social media strategist.

Darragh: @Darragh13 Darragh should be a United Nations interpreter (for me, being in the Japanese countryside without speaking a word of Japanese is a challenge - but not if you have Darragh around). He also captured one of my favorite shots of me on the bike. Thanks mate.