Animal potatoes!

Our first stop of the day was the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building. On the way there we passed a large grassy area with a pavilion where a group was leading people through a series of stretches, which reminded me of the yoga groups I see in Grant Park sometimes. Once we made it to the Metropolitan building we went up to the Observatory where we were able to get a beautiful view of Mt. Fuji and the surrounding cityscape. They also had a nice little gift shop on the top level, with some toys I haven't seen in quite a while (ie Furby).

People doing group stretches in a pavilion

Left to Right: Tokyo cityscape, Mt. Fuji in the distance,

The next stop on our list was to visit the Square Enix Showcase. We spent a good amount of time in their character goods shop, which was filled with plushies, figurines, clothes, and jewelry. They also had a special area in the back of the store where everything was displayed inside glass cases. After we had our fill of shopping two Square Enix representatives, Mr. Izumi Tsukushi and Mr. Yasuhiro Takamatsu, gathered us together inside the store for a Q&A session.

Among the many questions, a student asked if Square Enix was planning to remake more of their popular titles, to which they responded positively. I am not as familiar with all the products Square Enix has worked on, however I was intrigued that they would put so much effort into updating some of their classic games rather than breaking out a slew of new original titles. Consequently, I can see how remaking titles can be a good strategy. Not only are they are solidifying hard-core fans and giving them an incentive to keep playing, but they're making recent versions available for generations that may have missed the originals.

Life-size Sephiroth (from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children)
encased within the floor

Q&A session with Square Enix representatives

Group photo with reps

We said goodbye to Square Enix and moved on to our next destination: Asakusa, where the Buddhist temple called Senso-ji is located. As soon as we arrived we noticed how crowded Tokyo districts could get, with bands of people bustling in and out. Before making our way to the temple we passed through the first large entrance gate known as Kaminarimon (or Thunder Gate). This gate led out into a street full of shopping called Nakamise. There were stands full of delicious smelling food, kimonos, and fans. From here we were ushered into the second gate, Hozomon, and towards the main building of the temple.

Left to Right: Kaminarimon entrance gate, Nakamise market street,
5-tiered pagoda next to Senso-ji Temple

Right outside the temple was a fortune telling stand, which many of us decided to try out. First we had to insert money into a coin box, shake it, and turn it over to receive a stick with a number on it. The number then corresponded to a drawer which contained a slip of paper describing our fortune. I received the fortune called "No. 96 The Best Fortune". Apparently, if you receive a bad fortune it is best to tie your fortune slip to a rack to get rid of any bad luck.

Leading up to the steps of the temple there was a small struture with smoke rising out from it. People gathering around it were wafting the smoke around their faces and heads, as it is said to be sacred and capable of curing illnesses. When we made it inside the temple the ornamentaion and architecture were breathtaking. Looking up we saw two large murals on the ceiling, one of a dragon and the other a bodhisattva. Groups of people were gathering towards the center of the room and dropping coins into a trough. Overall it was really exciting to finally see a Buddhist temple in person, especially since I researched Buddhist art and architecture for a previous class.

Left to Right: Smoke rising from cauldron, Rack outside fortune stand,
Ceiling mural of bodhisattva

Of course, we had to take advantage of the Nakamise street markets before leaving, so my roommate and I headed down the strip to pick up some souvenirs. Luckily, I had just enough time to find a beautiful folding fan - something I was set on purchasing before leaving Japan.

Our last stop of the day was Akihabara, otherwise known as the electric town. This area is heaven for anyone interested in electronics, games, and anime. It's also a haven of new and used goods, as we found out by visiting Super Potato: a store packed with classic games and consoles that became obsolete years ago. By now we were accustomed to going through floor after floor of merchandise. They even had special floors dedicated to figurines from different games and shows.

All of our shopping and exploring had gotten the best of us and we needed to get some nourishment. Noriko, our instructor and guide, had already made reservations for our first group dinner at a place called Warabiya. I chose a dish with shrimp tempura and pumpkin over a bed of rice. My plate also came with a box of soba noodles and a small dish of, what Noriko explained, was sticky potatoes. Seeing as it was only my second time using chopsticks I was really proud of my ability to eat (almost) normally. And the dinner was scrumptious!

First group dinner at Warabiya