The Sanja Matsuri was happening in Asakusa while we were there. We went on Sunday, the final day of the three-day festival. It is estimated that approximately 2 million people visit Asakusa over the three days of this festival and this is one of the few chances that people can see yakuza display their tattoos proudly and is one of the highlights of this festival. We didn’t get a super early start to the day so we did see the omikoshi and the neighborhood teams going about the neighboring areas but we didn’t see any yakuza displaying tattoos. We did, however, find the melon pan shop outside Sensoji temple and both Aaron and Steven agreed that this is the best melon pan they ever had. There were lots of food booths in the area and I was intrigued by the delicious-looking ayu broiled over the open fire so had to have that too. We headed to kappabashi for some kitchen goods but since it was Sunday, most of the stores were closed so I only got a couple of things. From Kappabashi, we stopped at Ginza and headed straight to Mitsukoshi to check out the goldfish exhibit at the Art Aquarium Museum. It was beautiful but also made me feel a little sad for some of the goldfish that were living either alone and/or in a very small enclosure. Since we were at Mituskoshi, we headed to the unagi restaurant on the 11th floor where Naomi took us last summer, and indulged in a yummy unagi lunch. After dropping off our purchases back at the hotel and getting a quick rest, we went back to Asakusa to see more of the matsuri and to see if we could see any yakuza as they did the final parade back to Sensoji. What was I thinking? All I saw was other people’s backs. I was squished. And a little worried about crowding accidents. I tried to see what was happening via other screens that were being held up high and recording but this is one event that unless I know clearly the parade route and where to go, I think I can enjoy seeing it through the photos taken by others. This crowd was even worse than the experience I had on a train for rush hour–and that is saying a lot! Like the train, there was police/security at the edge of our crowd pushing us back to designated areas. After that matsuri experience, we had to rest so we stopped for a drink and snack and to get off our feet before heading back to our home base where we did a bit more shopping before getting some food and a nightcap at an izakaya.

The next day, was our final day in Tokyo. We went back to Tsukiji for more shopping. It was time to get to the hotel to rest, shower, and PACK! We ended up with 7 checked luggage. Thank goodness for our platinum status on Hawaiian Airlines with extra luggage allowance. We had a 1 p.m. late checkout and Aaron headed to do more shopping in Yurakucho but I didn’t want to get sweaty in the slightly humid weather so I stayed at the lobby bar and indulged in drinks and snacks for the last couple of hours before heading to the airport. One reminder–if you’re platinum, I think you get access to the Sakura Lounge at Haneda Airport. The ticket agent didn’t tell us and I didn’t notice it on my boarding pass until just before boarding so I missed out this time. I love Sakura Lounge! Even though I missed out on that, I always love my time in Japan and this was no exception. Living Hilo Style in Tokyo.