Day 5 - Tsukiji Fish Market, Ueno Park, Roppongi Hills, Harajuku part 2

Today we embarked on an ambitious plan to cover all the sights we hadn't seen in one day.

First stop: Tsukiji Fish Market (which incidentally was in the news yesterday: apparently tourists are no longer allowed at the wholesale auctions that take place in the wee hours of the morning because they are too disruptive). At the market, we bumped into a big group of elderly French tourists from our hotel. I overheard one of the french ladies making a rather asinine remark to her husband while pointing to stacks of soy beancurd: "C'est quoi, là? C'est du fromage? Du beurre?" ("What's that? Is it cheese? Butter?")


Man slicing fish


Huge octopuses (octopi?)

Second stop: Ueno Park, where the National museum, art gallery and zoo are located. It was also at the Ueno subway station where I rediscovered the joys of shopping at the GAP, an experience I had all but forgotten since I came back from the US. Overfriendly sales assistant who insisted on practising his engerish on me ("How you doing? Find anything you liked? Need me to find size?")

Ueno park: oasis of serenity in Tokyo's urban desert


Shrine we encountered along the way


Washing my hands with holy water spewing out from a dragon's mouth

Third spot: Roppongi. A posh new district with swanky shops and contemporary art exhibitions.


Louis Bourgeois' alfresco spider sculpture outside Roppongi Hills


United Buddy Bears exhibit. Couldn't find the Singapore bear sadly


No prizes for guessing which bear this was


Harajuku kids in a world of their own