Day 12 - Tsukiji & Ikebukuro
Once again 6am wake up... at least now having Tsukiji around is a bit more helpful, as I can do an early walk through the fish market.
I grab a sandwich and a coffee from the supermarket, there is no good place to sit down and eat it, so I just awkwardly stand in a corner in the sun, outside a supermarket, not sure, maybe I was impolite to other people, but they seen foreigners doing worse I guess.
I carry onwards to Tsukiji, pass by the buddhist indian looking temple, it's already open for people to have a look, I decide not to for now as I'm dressed in shorts.
The market itself, is full of locals and tourists forming some queues, a few good spots to take pictures, but as this is the outer market, there isn't much that catches my attention, some people doing their normal job of packing things, cutting fish, cooking it. A small temple on the edge of the market, but I've been here, a big bridge to cross towards Odaiba area, not sure if I can walk all the way on foot there.
After a morning stroll, have a think about where to go, and as previously we discussed about Ikebukuro, thought it would be a nice visit, see that most things still open at 11, and its still too early, but as it's on the same line as my local metro station decide to head anyway, have another coffee.
Arriving at Ikebukuro, the station is as confusing as it gets, there are 2 or more malls adjacent to the station, and I need to find a way either trough the malls or outside to cross the station towards the main city areas.
I find some outside way, find a coffee place next to a park and a temple, sit down and plan a few more spots towards Sunshine city mall.
As with every mall in Japan there are plenty of people standing, and greeting you and holding some special signs of sale, I'm not here for this right now, I decide to go towards the signs that say observatory.
Catching a lift that goes 600m per minute to the 60th floor, and has the voice of Detective Conan alongside it's theme music, I am surrounded by Tokyo in the sun, for an observatory , costing around 2Gbp its a very spacious one, with a full 360view of the area, a cafe, a nursery called haihai or more like a space for young kids with their moms, and a merch store for everything Conan, alongside some puzzles on the walls for kids to solve.
I proceed to do a few rounds taking as many photos as I can with my camera.
After a good 30 minutes I think, it should be enough and it's time to see a bit more of the city itself, I still see a lot of recommended things are bookstores and vintage shops, but i feel like it would be wasted on me right now, so instead I notice a few photo spots on my map and head towards them.
Some architecture, some streets under the highways, a red bus passes along, also a few neons worth coming back any other night. And probably hundreds of more interesting stores, but I decide to instead make my way back to the station and grab a bite either here or closer to my central area.
I find a simple burger place, it satisfies me, and proceed to head back to Ginza, stopping at a more central station to see if I can catch a few more photos of the nice day and have another coffee before starting work.
Work is back on track, I even have a time to pop out for a dinner snack at the supermarket and snap more photos from above Ginza Six roorftop.
