Tourists in Tokyo

I was a little shocked to learn yesterday that some American tourists I met had stayed in a luxury hotel and enjoyed their three days in Tokyo. Buffet: American breakfast.

The first day was a bus tour of the city stopping at a few temples, including one really weird one near the Tsukiji fish market. They drove through and looked at the market. The second day to Mt. Fuji and a boat ride. The third day, Disneyland. Food at tourist locations. Lots of good food but few fish choices. Then off to Kyoto.

I love commerce, so I can't complain that some company makes money from this kind of tourism. There are clearly people in the world for whom this is an enjoyable visit to Tokyo.

I also love Tokyo. These people are not seeing anything of Tokyo, the largest city in the world and the most interesting. (The second most interesting is Tel Aviv.) Missing food too. More restaurants here than anywhere on the planet, 160,000. With more Michelin 3 stars than Paris.

At the Tsukiji fish market, all the action occurs between 5 am and 7 am. It is the most exciting and chaotic action visible anywhere on the planet. In the past five years a viewing area has been built in the tuna auction area to protect the visitors and the workers. A little less fun, but necessary.

No one should ever miss the sea of humans at Shibuya crossing. The only place like it in the world. But that is wildest in the early evening, when tourists are back in their hotel.

There must be good tours of Tokyo. I've been coming here for 40 years for a month or two and I still have felt I've missed too much.

My brother and his wife took a bicycle tour of Tokyo starting early on the day they arrived when they had jet lag. They learned more from their bicycle perspective and the meals than anyone else I've ever heard of.

I have some interest in the tour business. I shook-up the tour world (literally the world) when I started a tour of the 'bad area' of San Francisco in 1972. You can read an earlier blog about that adventure.