We left the apartment early to get to the Tsukiji fish market. Traveling in the thick of rush hour was interesting! Just when the train rolled into a station and I thought “those people on the platform are bummed. No way are they going to get on this car. It’s too full” they just stepped on the car and backed it in packing us in like sardines. Which I guess was appropriate, given where we were going!

Tsukiji Fish Market

It’s said that nearly 20% of the worlds fish go through this market everyday.
We only went into the retail part of the market. The wholesale part where they hold the tuna auctions can be toured, but you need to be there by 4am! No thanks! It was cool walking around, vendors yelling greetings in Japanese. Trying to get people to stop and buy their fish or produce.
We stopped for a brunch of sushi because we figured it couldn’t get any fresher than fresh caught! It was fantastic

Here are a few more shots of the market. Notice how large the tuna head is! That’s a bike wheel next to it! I was standing back, not up close!
Also what is with that stuffed bob cat. That was a little weird. I’m sure somehow it went!

My old hood.
From Tsukiji we went to Shibuya, which is like the Times Square of Japan. This was just a brief stop before heading to my old house

It was crowded and the whole intersection stopped to let everyone cross all sides at once!
We got back on the train and headed to my stop, Kaminoge. Walking from the train station to my house, we passed the grocery store that I used to ride my bike to. It is looking a little rundown.

Then we came to my house. It was just the three younger kids that moved with my parents to Japan. Diana, Greg and I but everyone came to visit. What a great memory! The house is looking a little beat after 28 years!

From there we walked along the canal to my school. Taking the same path that Diana and I walked everyday!

My classroom was on the top floor of the building where those large windows and balconies are. Once we came into view of the school, the image of it came flooding back. I was surprised that I had forgotten what it looked like, but then all at once it looked familiar and I remembered! Very cool!