Ueno, you should!

Even though Sunday was yesterday, today started with a visit to a place of deep religious significance, the Senso-Ji Buddhist temple in Asakusa.

I'm not personally religious, but I do like the underlying message of Buddhism and I was able to appreciate the tranquility and history behind this shrine, even though it was swarming with selfie-stick toting tourists while I was there. It's a must-do for every Tokyo visitor and worth a visit, even if you're just there for the tacky souvenirs or food stands that line the path to the shrine. Obviously Buddhists are very pragmatic and don't object to their followers being able to indulge in a little capitalism on their way to and from worshipping.

Next on today's very full list was Ueno, for the impressive park and the collection of incredible museums packed into a small area. Well, the park was lovely, but the museums were all shut today. What the heck?! Did they not know I was coming? Who gave them permission to close when I was here?

Fortunately my planning skills are more flexible than a Romanian gymnast, so I did a quick online search and learnt that Ameyokocho shopping district which is in the Ueno area, is renowned for its variety of wares and sharp prices.

After spending a good hour wandering around the Ameyoko area I'd say it's a bit like an Asian version of an English street market, right down to the knock off sports wear. I did enjoy my visit to one of the many video games arcades in the area, and was surprised to learn that virtual horse racing is really popular in the arcades. They even bet on the outcome.

After a quick scouting mission to the Odaiba area to check out a couple of malls I rode the Asakusa line to the foot of the Tokyo SkyTree. I'm quite the tower aficionado, having visited, climbed or summited them from Sydney to Taipei, Auckland to Las Vegas, and finally I can cross off Tokyo's entrant in this erection competition. It's 634 metres tall at it's peak, and is currently the tallest tower in the world. Personally I prefer Taipei 101, but it was great to jump up and down on the glass at the top of this one and take in the vast sprawl of Tokyo.

Riding the express elevators down to ground level I just had time to run to the Oshiage JR station, and catch the first train back to Shimbashi, before the madness of rush hour began.

Tomorrow more cultural explorations await.Read more