Day 96: A Stroll Through Sumida City and Asakusa Dori

I didn't have anything specific on my agenda, so I decided to simply walk around to get a feel for Tokyo (at least, the minuscule portion within walking distance). Less than a minute walk from my capsule hotel is a view of the Sumida River, Asahi Beer Headquarters, and Tokyo SkyTree.

I thought that maybe the golden tadpole building signified a national museum, but nope, just beer headquarters

I walked across the river and into Sumida Park, which is particularly beautiful in the sleepy, early spring light and with the wind snowing sakura around you.

My photos don't do it justice.

While walking through Sumida City I came across a troop of young Japanese men that were singing in unison and marching around a flag. I had no idea what they were doing, but it made the walk a bit more lively.

Leaving Sumida City

After crossing a different bridge onto the side of the river I had originally started my journey on, I decided to stop at a café along the waterfront. The second-floor café was empty when I walked in except for an old Japanese lady. After catching her attention I was eventually able to communicate that I wanted a black tea. Partway through my tea and biscuits someone who looked like she could be the old Japanese lady's daughter came out and told me her mom (?) would like to sing an old Japanese song for me. I acquiesced and the older lady came out and sang a quaint little tune. Applauding her, I brought up a map on my phone and showed her all the places I'd been so far. In return she brought me her laminated scrapbook of photos of the SkyTree being built and talked me through each page in Japanese. I had no idea what she was saying, and I'm sure she had no idea what I was telling her, but it was just another one of those interactions that sometimes occur when two unlikely people meet!

From the café I walked down Asakusa Dori, the street above the Ginza Line, figuring that eventually I would run into something interesting.

I did eventually run into a series of indoor and outdoor shopping complexes that hug Ueno Park. I was even able to find a book store that sells Nikoli puzzle books! Nikoli is the company that brought us Sudoku as we know it today, but they have many other language-agnostic logic type puzzles.

Now I just need to find an Otomatone and my time in Japan will be complete.

Where are you, Otamatone?

I spent the rest of the night into early next morning solving puzzles. They're a bit addicting!