Long Weekend- Monday

Monday was awesome!  It was a sight-seeing packed day, which is how I like it!  It was also my awesome parents' 35th wedding anniversary.  Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

We woke up at the New Sanno and had room service.  We ordered the "Traditional Japanese Breakfast."  For $14, we got fish, soba, miso, pickles, fruit and green tea.  It's tasty and a fun thing to order while in Tokyo.

CW from left: Memorial, Sweet Bread Shop, Nakamise

After breakfast, we got ready for the day and headed to Asakusa.  It was pretty crowded!  We made our way up Nakamise, the main shopping street.  It is lined with vendor shops and carts selling many different forms of rice treats, souvenirs and clothing.  It is also the main approach to Sensoji shrine.  We walked around for a bit and SMS took some pictures.  I went to a cool little shop making "Japanese sweet bread."  It was a delicious, light roll with granulated sugar on top. Yum!  The store owner was very nice, directing traffic in his restaurant and outside in line while waiting for bread.

Left: You can't take me anywhere Right: The daijoubu (sumo ring)

Then, SMS and I walked down the Sumida Riverfront down to Ryogoku, the sumo stadium.  We got there a little on the early side.  It was noon so the tournament had been going on for a few hours but the big guys (ha, ha) didn't really start until 2:45.  We watched until 5.  It's pretty engaging.  We rented a radio between 4-5 and that helped us understand some of the finer points.  It cost Y100 and a Y2000 deposit, which was easy to get back upon radio turn-in.

We took the train to Tokyo SkyTree.  First, we ate at Rokurinsha, an incredibly popular tsukemen, or dipping ramen, restaurant.  The line was quite short and we had delicious ramen.  I even used the bib although I initially refused.  Then it was off to the SkyTree.

From Left: SMS, View from 350 m, artsy SkyTree renditions

It's Y3000 to get to the top and I think it was totally worth it.  It was nighttime by the time we got up there and to see the entire metropolis from the high, 360 views was completely amazing.  On the main observation deck at 350m, there's even a double-layered glass floor.  Sagoy!  We had our picture taken there and even though it was totally cheesy, I bought it!

We headed back to Horinouchi around 9.  The train was packed.  We got seats for about half the journey but it was impressive how crowded it was on a Monday night.