Tokyo, Japan

A very impressive city and a very impressive civilization. One day in the quirky, architecturally old-fashioned Asakusa and two days in the upscale, high rise Ginza near the fancy stores. Public behavior is very orderly and appears relaxed. Citizens and drivers wait three-minutes or so for some lights to change without showing impatience. Turning cars unfailingly give pedestrians the right of way. Streets are immaculate everywhere. In fact, everything is immaculate. Prices are high for basics and relatively low for luxuries.

I could say this was the neighborhood of Asakusa, our first hotel in Tokyo but it's actually a portion of one of the wonderful models in the Edo-Tokyo History Museum.

Our Asakusa neighborhood was quite beautiful

Our Asakusa neighborhood had long shopping streets

Our 6-tatami mat room in Asakusa - charming but not as comfortable as we would have liked - so we moved to a conventional hotel in the Ginza.

One of the spectacular dishes from our splurge dinner at Les Creation de Narisawa. Glass plates specially created for the restaurant. The dish was called "Chiayu, sweet fish - Sakura on the surface of the river" (Includes pink, sugar-coated cherry blossom petals.

"Soil 2001" called "dirt soup" by some, made with soil plus ? - Not bad., more a philosophical dish than a real soup.

The Ginza neighborhood of our second hotel

Our second hotel was walking distance to the Tsukuji Fish Market, where we blundered into the inner market at 7:30 AM, in technical violation of the ban on tourism there until 9AM.

Lots of fish and lots of electric vehicles.

Afterwards, the best sushi we ever had in one of the many sushi restaurants which adjoin the market.

A man who has never been to the top of the Empire State Building was compelled to go to the Skytree in Tokyo

The Skytree at night, seen from our hotel window with artistic reflection of a shirt.

Department store attendant bows to departing elevator passengers.

Sidewalk repair above. Porter below

Proof that Japan is the world of the future - escalators at bottom of Skytree.

Subway guard. I saw him salute the last car as it passed.

Subway map

Subway seats are upholstered. Percentage of suits is high.

Cleaning crews prepare to board our train and give it a thorough cleaning before we board and travel to Kyoto

The ideal theoretical view of Mt. Fuji from our train window

The actual view of Mt. Fuji from our train window