Tokyo: Ginza

After a satisfying breakfast and walk at Tsukiji markets, we headed to the nearby Ginza to walk off the calories. Before heading to Ginza, we visited the nearby Tsukiji Hongan-ji as I didn't have a chance to visit on my previous visits.

The temple against the blue sky was really beautiful, despite the coldness of the weather. As soon as you step through the gates of the temple, there is an instant calmness steeply contrasted with the buzz of the fish markets. 

The statue kind of reminds me of Master Shi-fu from Kungfu Panda. No idea why. We also took a walk within the temple. There was a ceremony going on inside and many people paying their respects so I thought it was inappropriate to take photos of the place. 

A quick ten minute walk will get you to the heart of Ginza. The council/government has blocked off a large section of the road for pedestrian access which makes browsing the area really comfortable. There were even tables and chairs set up in the middle of the road for you to take a break. Looking back, the current George St set up does give off the Ginza vibes. I really hope that one day Sydney can achieve that feel.

After walking up and down the streets, we chose to go to Mitsukoshi Department Store. There are plenty to choose from so going into any one would not disappoint. If you have more time on your hands, why not go to a few. I spent most of my time on the basement level raiding the food counters. The sad thing is that these counters won't let you take photos of their beautifully appetising displays. Seeing all the delicious food made us all hungry and we bought a whole assortment of chicken wings, meatballs, sushi, gyoza and garlic crab. The one thing I really like about Mitsukoshi is that they have a whole level dedicated to relaxation where you can enjoy all the food you buy from the food counters. 

I tried to take a photo of the food we bought, but it just looks like a jumble of plastic bags so not going to ruin the aesthetics of the blog :P
Dinner that night was back at Ueno, at a very special restaurant. Stay tuned!