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| one of Ginza's more unique buildings |
We started the day with a visit to the huge Tsukiji Fish Market, only to find that it is closed on Wednesdays. There were a couple of fishmongers there, but not the thousands you usually seem slicing, washing and selling fish in the midst of frenzied activity.
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| Tsukiji fishmonger with fish heads |
The Ginza is one of Tokyo's best-known shopping areas, with nearly every luxury brand in the world represented. It also has some of Tokyo's most unusual buildings, designed by leading Japanese architects.
We arrived at one of Ginza's most prestigious department stores in time for its opening to watch the formal process of welcoming shoppers. Dozens of people were lined up outside waiting to get in at the exact moment of opening. Two clerks opened the doors, bowed to the crowd several times and stood at attention until exactly 10:30. Meanwhile, no one tried to barge in through the open doors. Everyone waited politely until they were told they could enter. The day's special sales were announced on a loudspeaker as the crowd waited.
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| Department store greeter |
Once inside, the part of the store I like best is the basement, with its 2 floors of gorgeously displayed gourmet foods, ranging from gaudy cakes to chocolates to Kobe beef to fresh fish to many kinds of breads to absolutely perfect fruits and vegetables. You can buy a melon, wrapped individually in a spongy netting to protect it from the weight of the other melons, at $50 per melon or $200 per melon. Or a tray of ripe, red strawberries for $40. One mango can cost $200 as well. We bought a sale package of strawberries to share with our group, each individually situated inside the tray, for $10 (I'm sure they were that cheap because they would have been over the hill--with maybe a soft spot or two--by the end of the day).
Beef costs from $50 to hundreds of dollars per pound, depending on its marbling and origin. Wisps of bacon are thinner than a piece of paper. There is no such thing as a Costco-sized rib roast or package of steaks. Every piece is individually packaged and very small.
You're not allowed to take photos for some reason no one could explain, but I sneaked in a couple just to show the beauty of Japanese food artistry.
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| display of fresh fish |
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| Kobe beef, ranging from $40 to $200 per pound |
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| $60 melons |
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| $200 mangoes (each) |
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| beautiful tomatoes that actually have wonderful flavor |
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