First Day in Tokyo

 What's a traveler to do when they are jet lagged and wide awake at 4:00 AM in Tokyo?  Why, head to the Tsukiji Fish Market, of course!

We weren't one of the first 120 people to arrive at the market (we got there at 4:40 AM), so we didn't get to see the tuna auction.  Apparently some tuna go for as much as $20,000!  We did get to see plenty of fish though.

 The market was full of all kinds of delicacies, many of which were completely unrecognizable to us.

It was completely dark out, and this entire world exists with hundreds of men bustling about with styrofoam boxes and the freshest catch imaginable.

It was a somewhat surreal experience where we were introduced to Tokyo and all its glory with a bang.

After the wonders of the market had been viewed, it was clearly time for a sushi breakfast.  It may sound unappetizing to my readers, but John and I both wanted nothing more than a 6:00 AM sushi feast after our walkabout.  It did not disappoint.

After the fish market we had to head home, as literally nothing would be open in Tokyo for at least another three hours.  We took naps and headed to Ginza for a delicious ramen lunch at Ippudo.

 We were in Ginza for a completely different shopping experience from the fish market.  I have the bad habit of equating everything in Tokyo to places in Manhattan, and Ginza was very similar to Fifth Avenue in my eyes.

We visited a 6-story paper store (Ito-ya) that sold every notebook/writing utensil/scissor/etc. imaginable.

 My favorite store, by far, was the 4-story toy store (Hakuhinkan) we visited where we stocked up on several toys for Orelia.

 The stuffed animal section took up an entire floor - I was in heaven!

I wanted to get this Harper puppet look-alike, but it was $90 and from America, so I had to leave her for another family.

I can't get over how massive Tokyo feels.  I thought Tokyo would feel like New York, and it does in some ways, but it just seems to never end.  It's not as crowded with people as I expected, but it is more sprawling and packed with buildings than I could even imagine.   We are having a great time and are so grateful to be here.