April 27: Tokyo – E-ville

The crow has flown away:
swaying in the evening sun,
a leafless tree.

Osewa ni narimashita

Thank you for your hospitality

A short day, we decide to head to the park across the elevated train from the hotel. Turns out to be some garden, requires an entry fee of $3. We pay and start to wander around. Lots of very pretty peonies in a profusion of colors. We see where the boat tour of Tokyo lands, and a swarm of 12-13 year old students departs to spend time in the garden.

We are right next to the fish and produce market, so with our last yen we trundle over and wait in a line to have super-fresh sushi; DB has two grades of tuna, I have two grades of tuna (one same, one lower than DB) and roe, both over bowls of rice with nori shards. miso soup, tea and unusual apricot ginger chunks. $32

On to the airport, where lo and behold there is a line to get through security. The two most inefficient moments on the entire trip have been in Narita airport.