Day 17 - Tokyo

We went back to the Tsujiki fish market to sample the various local delicacies.  This was our 3rd time there and it's partly due to Mei who joined us two days later did not have the opportunity to visit the market yet.  However, some of our favourites (e.g., gigantic scallops with sea urchin on top or fresh salmon sashimi) were sold out by the time we got there.

After a delicious sushi lunch at the fish market, we went back to the hotel to retrieve our luggage and took the local express train to Narita airport. Much more economical choice compared to the JR Narita Express or the Airport Limousine bus.  Richard has become an expert in local subway and train network system now towards the end of our trip.

Richard wanted to check out the ANA lounge at the airport and he was not disappointed.  It offered made to order soba or udon noodles along with sushi and stir-fried noodles.  He was also impressed by the Kirin beer - 4 dedicated machines for the draft beer. 

The flight home was much shorter than expected - took only 8 hours!  Definitely worth another visit to Japan!

Reflections:

The top things I liked about this trip:

1) Cleanliness of the country
2) Shinkansen and the punctuality of the train system in general
3) Food and the freshness of sushi and sashimi
4) Hotels Richard picked and the amenities they provided
5) Surprisingly, two items on top of our best food experience are also a bargain compared to North America: the fluffy light cheese cake only available in Osaka and the frozen premium ice cream bars from local supermarkets
6) Onsen in the sea at Yukashima and foot onsen on Sakurajima island

7) More take in the views and less take pictures to immerse into the culture and experiences

Things that were disappointing about this trip:

1) No garbage bin on streets
2) Smoking still allowed in restaurants and hotels
3) Too touristy in Osaka and Tokyo areas
4) Living standards too high - aka things too expensive
5) Terrible toilet paper (so weak that it disintegrates in your hands - bad!) but super strong food napkin paper (so strong that it absorbs neither water nor grease)!

6) Kobe - expensive hotels, people smoking everywhere, dirty (!) and first time seeing garbage on the streets in Japan and some local pedestrians not obeying traffic signals!