Japan: Day 1

Disclaimer: I just read that last post and I dismiss any past and future grammar/spelling issues to my body clock being completely whacked.

Wow... I am tired. We met with our guide this morning at 9am and really hadn't stopped walking until about 8pm. We made a point to bring a pedometer because when we travel alone we end up doing a lot of walking. At the end of day one, we did just over 19,000 steps. Now I know everyone's gait is different but my internet search reveals that's about 9.5 miles. For a guy who drives 8 miles round-trip to work, that's a lot of walking. Anyway, I'm really tired so I'm gonna opt for the bulleted list of highlights (in no particular order).

• Touring with our guide was pleasant experience. She was about our age, spoke better English than a good portion of America and was very excited that I knew some Japanese and a decent amount about their history/culture. Having someone to help orient you in the city, on the subway and with food was a good way to start our stay here.
  
• I can officially cross eating sushi in Japan off my Life List. We ate lunch by the fish market and the chirashi was amazing. I'm not just saying that to be the stereotypical tourist in Japan eating sushi. The quality of the squid (ika) and salmon roe (ikura) really were far, far better than anything I've eaten in the US. The wife doesn't like salmon roe in the US and she loved it here, if that says anything. We also got a bunch of freebies from the chef because it "was in season" and he wanted us to try it. No fugu yet but I'm not ruling it out.
• The Harajuku girls really are beyond me. I guess if I was 10-15 years younger I might be able to identify but I think I've grown a bit too old. The women there, and everywhere in Tokyo, seem obsessed with footwear. At least half of the women are wearing knee-high boots and the other half are wearing some sort of fashionable high heel. Don't bring a women here and expect her to not want to shop for shoes.
• We met Björk in a 6 story toy store. We were on the top floor, buying a few gifts to bring back and I noticed a strangely familiar women tearing $600 worth of dolls out of their packing to hand them to a little girl. No one appeared to recognize her but us, which she seemed to realize for better or worse. We didn't get a picture or autograph as I prefer to leave celebrities to their own... but it definitely qualifies as a completely random experience.
• Shintoism seems to have figured a few things out. They warship heroes, nature, ancestors and sake is a sacred drink. I think America has deemed the first three disposable and nothing is sacred to us, especially not an alcoholic beverage. Go Shinto!
  

I think that's gonna do it for tonight. It's 9pm and I've been up since 6am so I'm fading fast.