Today I woke up very late, at 12. Last few days were very tiring and in the end I needed lots of sleep.Waking up so late has some advantages: you skip the breakfast (so you save money) and you can have directly an amazing and delicious lunch. Which I had: tonkatsu – some kind of Schnitzel, but much thicker, from pork meat. The meal contained a tonkatsu (Special cut, which was half more expensive – because I am a tourist), a big portion of cabbage, miso soup and all you can drink matcha. The total was 1200 yen (9,92 euro). The normal tonkatsu was 750 yen (6,20 euro). The restaurant was small, very crowded (i had to wait in line on a bench in the back of the people that ate at the counter) and I was the only one not local. They helped me of course to understand what I want and the entire experience was shocking: People waiting, not commenting or even speaking, once a place was free you had to wait to be invited on the chair. It was a clear order and a procedure that you had to respect. The meal was delicious and huge, this was my only meal today and I considered myself completely full and happy.After the lunch, I continued the walk to the Ueno park. Here I found Shinobazunoike Bentendo Temple.
This is a Buddhist temple and in the same time I was there it was Service. I could hear from the entrance the drum and a voice talking with a rhythm something in Japanese. I decided to go inside, even if other tourists just took a look, made a photo and were leaving. I left my shoes at the entrance and found a place somewhere in a corner.The Service was very relaxing, I could understand very little, but even so, I liked it. The people around me were singing(more like an incantation) with the priest. At the end, the priest turn around and looked at us. He started to speak to us and this time I understood a bit more than before: i think the hole idea was that even sometimes everything seems very complicated and hard, to take it slowly because it will work out in the end. He was very relaxed, was laughing and he transmitted a very good energy, even if the language that he spoke was not easy for me.Below some photos of this place:
The park has a small lake where people can rent a boat and make some rounds on it:
In the same park you can find Ueno Toshogu Shrine. The outside was open, but inside the Shrine I couldn’t go unfortunately.
And also here I saw Hanazono Inari Shrine:
Then I walked to an market that is outside, near park Ueno (Ameyoko). Here you can find anything, but especially fresh fish and fruits. The sellers try to say louder than the neighbor what amazing things he sells.
I was already in the market mood, so I took the way to the Nakamise Shopping Street near Senso Ji. It was extraordinary full.
And the Senso Ji again, this time on light:
This guy was transporting two people like he was a horse. I can’t believe someone would agree to pay for something like this.
So the shrine time was ready, I wanted something spectacular. I walked to the Tokyo Skytree where the views over Tokyo are the best. This is the highest point in Tokyo, maximum 450 m.
I finished the day with Shinkuju, where the most skyscrapers in Tokyo can be found.
