Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Today was a more mellow day here in Tokyo. It was rainy, and we had Rick to ourselves today, because his interview wasn’t until this afternoon. We visited the Fukugawa-Edo Museum, which is a lovely, deserted museum across the Sumida River. Inside, a small block of the Edo (former name of Tokyo) of 200 years ago is recreated in life-size buildings. We were the only visitors to the atmospheric place, which had recorded sounds you would have heard, mood lighting and buildings like the home of a sawyer, a tavern, a rice-seller’s home – all of which you could enter to explore the tatami-matted rooms filled with old furniture, straw “raincoats” and the everyday artifacts of Edo life. A 24-hour day, complete with sunrises and sunsets, passes in 25 minutes. We met a lovely woman who worked there who was excited to tell us all about the place and life 200 years ago in Edo. We were the only visitors this morning, which made it seem even more special and mysterious.

After that, we zipped up the subway line to nearby Ryogoku, where Will and I had visited the Edo-Tokyo museum yesterday. We wanted to visit the Sumo grand stadium and the small museum there. We have become sumo-crazed on this trip. We’ve decided that the next time we come to Japan, we will come when there is a sumo tournament we can attend, and when all the school children will be safely in school so we can visit Disney Sea. The museum was small, but interesting, and I got to see my favorite sumo, Chiyonofuji.

This afternoon, while Rick was off visiting a rooftop garden in Roppongi Hills, Will and I went back to the restaurant court at Shin-Marunouchi, where Will picked out the restaurant with a view over the Imperial Palace. Raw horse sashimi was on the menu, and I was tempted, but we went with more traditional sashimi, miso soup and rice. After that, we wandered Ginza looking for a wine shop selling Oregon wine, because Rick wanted to get some for his guide, who loves wine. There are many wine shops in Ginza, but the only American wines are Washington and California. Finally, we were able to get the name of one shop nearby. Thanks to the Internet, I was able to find its location, and I later went out and bought the only two bottles of Oregon wine in the place – a Sokol Blosser and a Willamette Valley pinot. They told me Oregon wines are too few and too expensive. But I was able to have the wine wrapped, and I told Rick to tell his guide, Suzuki-san, that both the Oregon Democratic and Republic parties are represented, a balanced wine flight.

 Will is now drawing sumo cartoons while we watch the sumo tournament, and the sky is turning to evening. Tonight, yakitori for dinner. If we can find the restaurant, Bird Land.