The day started with a very interesting breakfast… The usual staples were there: eggs, sausages, cereals. However, the chips, fried chicken, clam chowder, salad, and broccoli were a fun surprise.
Another fun surprise occurred when we celebrated the 18th birthday of one of our players Naveed. Not only was he put on a chair for ‘Happy Birthday’ but he received an incredible gift from Victor Spence of a peace tartan kilt. Every one of us was really pleased for him!
Then it was off to finally start exploring this vast city. Our tour guides from the J Team have been imparting fantastic facts and little stories about Japan and it was great to get a talk through the area as we drove around in our coaches.
We then visited the Sky Tree for a panorama view of the city and although it was extremely cloudy today we got a great feel for the huge size the place. The top of the tower itself was totally hidden in the clouds. No Mount Fuji was spotted either.
The orchestra then had our first go at getting some authentic Japanese food at a food court and the sights and smells were very appetising! Udon noodles, ramen bowls and curry were very popular.
Then it was out and exploring Japan’s Oldest temple, Asakusa and the Sensoji Shrine, followed by the Market Place. If the bustling streets or humidity wasn’t a culture change enough for you, then the area of the temple would definitely shock your system. The smell of incense along with people in full traditional dress, the statues, and the worshipping was otherworldly.
After all this traditionalism it was time for something a little more modern and we headed to Akihabara which is famous for its electronics, games and anime markets. There were plenty of places to amuse yourself such as a six-story high arcade filled to the brim with different arcade games. It was an extremely colourful and busy place and gave us a great feel for that wacky side of this city that you hear so much about.
After a long and exciting day, it was time to relax and enjoy dinner together and what a better location than a sumo themed restaurant? We had a shared meal in our bare feet on sunken flooring, sharing our stories about our experiences of the first day. It was a rather new experience as we cooked our own main dish at our tables on a stove.
We are all very much looking forward to our beds with our body clocks being confused but really excited about our first concert tomorrow!
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