Mucho Mochi and Japanese Toilets

                                                   Mucho Mochi and Japanese Toilets

     If there are two words that are important in Japanese, it's arigato (thank you) and gomen nasai (which could mean anything from sorry to excuse me).  Anna and myself have become experts at the bow, by day 2, and try to be as polite as possible in every situation!  This means going to the toilet to blow our noses constantly, remembering not to eat/smoke/speak loudly/telephone in public/ use two hands to give and receive and to bring extra pairs of socks in case we need to bare our toes when we walk inside.

     The Japanese we have met or spoken to, so far, have been incredibly helpful and polite.  They (total strangers) have guided us personally to exits and platforms (have you been to Tokyo Station?!!! makes Kings Cross look small and simple), walked us to alternative restaurants that don't use nut oil (allergies) for yakitori, googled possible answers to our questions and so on. If they have ever thought us ignorant gaijins (foreigners), they have definitely kept it to themselves.

     Speaking of the Japanese, they must be an OCD's idea of perfection.  The meter men wipe their meters before checking them, they are constantly picking off lint from carpets and cleaning their cars, nothing smells in loos and subways and everything and is absolutely spotless.  My husband's idea of paradise. This spoon photo is an illustration:  this is the spoon in my room for the coffee.  Who ever thought of actually sealing a spoon for coffee consumption in the morning?!

     And of course, there are the loos.  The fact that they are heated, with various sprays that clean all the right places AND you can actually press a button that sounds like a toilet flushing so that no one can hear any bodily noises that you might need to make whilst going to the toilet. Plus, everyone brings their own little towel to wipe their hands so they don't need to touch any unsanitary part of the toilet to dry their hands or even touch paper towels.  Amazing!

     Today we went to Asakusa, the old part of Tokyo.  Saw the Sensoji Temple (oldest), went to Kappabashi where they sell the best Japanese knives and kitchen equiptment (I need another suitcase already), Hamarikyu Gardens and took a boat around.  Great sights, very touristy, of course.

     Now, if you haven't had a mochi, which is a Japanese rice cake, it's a must.  What is a revelation is the variety of ways you can have a mochi.  We have already been acquainted with them in London, with various ice cream centers (yum and double yum) but today we have sampled (gorged) ourselves on other kinds.  There are the sweet mochi with various coatings (red bean, sweet soy sauce, sesame)
on sticks and there is a tempura mochi (I guess the Japanese version of a fried Mars bar). Not to be missed.

     Speaking of tempura: our guide today took us to lunch to what she considers the best tempura restaurant in Asakusa (a tempura area).  It was very very good.  So good I bothered to take a photo of the name in case anyone wants to go visit it.

     We are now off to the Robot cafe.  More about that later.