Toastmaster Lydia Huang knew that I was going to Japan. She called me before my departure and asked me if I could bring a box of pineapple cakes for Toastmaster Masafumi Abe. I was delighted to be the Santa and enjoyed a fantastic day of wonders and bewilders in Tokyo.
I left home early in order to meet Abe at 10:30 on the platform of Sobu Line at JR Akihabara Station. It was 10:00 when I arrived at the JR Tokyo station. I walked from one end till the other end of JR Tokyo Station, only to find out that Sobu Line went to the airport. There was no Sobu Line to Akihabara. I inquired the directions from passengers and railroad staff, but all to no avail. I became panic!
Time was running short. It was 10:30 I was still running back and forth in the middle of nowhere at the gargantuan JR Tokyo Station. When I saw a friendly woman with a smart phone, I approached her immediately and asked for help politely in Japanese. To my astonishment, she held both her arms up and screeched in English "Don't ask me. I don't speak Japanese". I was on the other hand thrilled to run into an English speaker, "Oh, yes, you are the one who can help me. May I borrow your phone to call my friend?" She said she only had WiFi and showed me where the information center was. The information lady told me with a stern face that no telephone service would be available to passengers and the only way to Akihabara is by Yamate Line.
It was 10:45 when I arrived at Akihabara station. I ran to Sobu line only to see a huge crowd of passengers waiting on the platform, mainly salary men in dark business suits. Oh, my God, a meeting point on the platform, what a brilliant idea! There was no way I could find Abe.
I must come up with some strategies at once. Without hesitation, I went to a kiosk on platform and pleaded young saleslady for help. I must have sounded very desperate in Japanese, she used her company phone to call Abe at the other side of the platform. Abe told me that I should have confirmed with him by phone in advance the moment he saw me. But shouldn't he verify there was no Sobu Line at Makuhari? I found it frustrating meeting somebody at the platform. There is no way to identify anybody at a train station in Tokyo with people mountain people sea.
The first thing Abe helped me was to get a Suica card. We first took the subway to Tsukiji Hongan Temple. Then we visited the famous Tsukiji Market located between the Sumida River and the upmarket Ginza shopping district. Being the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world, Tsukiji attracts both domestic and overseas visitors. The seafood is fresh and the price is reasonable. People don't mind waiting in long queues just to taste the best of the best seafood freshly from the sea. Without knowing any restrictions of Tsukiji Market, I visited the inner wholesale market. At noon, most shops were closed for the day. I got a chance to glance what it was like to be a wholesaler of tuna! Just looking at the cart full of discarded tuna heads, I wish I could use my magic hands to make the best miso soup for all my family and friends in Taiwan on my 60th birthday party.
How luck I was when Abe told me that I could see the first of two Rooster Festivals at Namiyoke Inari Shrine in November. Be it small, Namiyoke Inari Shrine has a history of 300 years. At the gate, there are two big lions, one is black, the other is red. Many colorful and auspicious Bear Hands of all sizes were displayed for sale to bring in fortunes for business people. Bear Hands are bamboo rakes decorated with all kinds of auspicious autumn harvests, including pine branches, golden coins, lucky deities. By chance, Abe and I walked pass a local eatery for business people and families. At the Fish Four Seasons, Abe ordered fried shrimp, I ordered sashimi, with a side order of grilled ray fin. We shared a big bottle of beer to celebrate the good Monday fortune in Tokyo. After lunch, Abe and I took a walk along the Sumida River. It's a pity the Sumida River Cruise didn't run on Mondays.
We then ventured to Zojo Temple built in the year 1393 and moved to its present location in 1598. The Sangedatsumon survived many past fires, earthquakes and wars and dates from 1622. I took many photos of huge Zojo Temple with the red and white Tokyo Tower in the background. Abe took a few photos of me at the gate of Tokugawa family Mausoleum. If my memory was correct, the last time I went up the Tokyo Tower was with Toastmaster Tommy Oshima about 15 years ago. I love Tokyo Tower (333 meters) as much as Eiffel Tower (320 meters). Tokyo Tower completed in 1958 is still a tourist attraction even the Tokyo Skytree (634 meters) was opened in May 2012, the new broadcast antenna in northern Tokyo.Now what could happen on a romantic Monday afternoon? Abe and I walked into Coffee Room Renoir Ginza since 1957. While I sipped the best coffee au lait in town, I wonder how many couples spent their first dates at Renoir and where they were now. After we left the coffee room, I realized I lost my hat. Abe ran back to the coffee room and failed to find it. I must have left my hat at the ceremonial service at Zojo Temple. Abe decided to accompany me to buy another hat at Mizukoshi Department Store Nihonbashi main branch. In the whole department store, Abe was the only gentleman who accompanied a lady to go shopping. What a scene, I just couldn't help laugh out loud!
After a joyful window shopping at the oldest and most prestigious department store, Abe and I walked to the Rakugo theater before 5:30. While Abe took care of the box office, I took the opportunity to rehearse my workshop as I was the first and only customer. An old lady in her 70's came in as the second customer. I stuck a conversation with her. She told me everything about her own company, her family, her ladies friends, and her interest in Rakugo. She laughed from the beginning till the end sitting next to me, while I fell asleep between her and Toastmaster Tommy Oshima. But I was impressed by the hand gestures and facial expressions of the senior Rakugo artists. They seemed to have power to control the likes and dislikes of the audience. I shall watch Rakugo show on Satellite TV when I go back to Taiwan.I joined a dozen Toastmasters to have dinner after the Rakugo show. It's nice to make new Toastmasters friends, especially young Toastmasters. I noticed that there are many single Toastmasters, but they were not interested in dating, not to mention to getting married. Nowadays, young Toastmasters were busy with their life and work, no interest in romance what-so-ever. It's a pity, but it's the trend.
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