Tokyo - Day 2

Plans for today changed a bit when Valentina woke up unwell and had to stay in the hotel. The Coventry family headed out late morning to the parasite museum, astonishing their Uber driver. Only Lucie and James went in, and surprisingly, they weren't alone!

James shared some photos that confirmed to everyone else why they didn't want to go. Lucie got a parasite ruler 'to impress the boys with,' according to her dad.

Meanwhile, Freya and Ali walked around Nakameguro and got a feel for the back streets of this fairly trendy area. Small houses were packed tightly on narrow, small streets, with small cars driving on them or parked in the tiny garages.

They ended up at Nakameguro Koukashita, a trendy, vibey place with bookshops, stores and cafes. Next to the cherry-blossom tree-lined canal (all bare as it's winter) they found a bakery serving tiny Sino-French fusion pastries and sandwiches. The peach-coloured, curved, bubble-like style interior and soft furnishings had drawn in mostly young, fashionable Japanese women.

The Coventrys then joined Mario and Sebi at the Ryogoku Kokukigan sumo arena to watch a live tournament. As the ranking of the wrestlers increased, the bouts became more exciting and the crowd more lively. It was unusual to hear Japanese people shouting and making noise!

Each bout lasts about 5 to 10 minutes depending on the number of false starts. They crouch and look like they're about to grapple, and then one stands up and walks back to his corner. They slap themselves and use a wash cloth before going back to the starting position. Leg raises and salt throwing ward off demons and purify the ground of the arena. Suddenly, the fight is on! They slap, push, grab fiercely, and sometimes get locked in a seemingly stalemate embrace, usually to admiring applause. Then, one will succeed in pushing the other out of the ring or throwing him to the floor. That's it, all over in 10 to 20 seconds. The next two contestants are called up, and it starts all over again. The higher the wrestler is ranked, the more sponsor banners are paraded around the ring. Meanwhile, an unassuming worker meticulously and continuously sweeps the sawdust of the ring to perfection.

After the sumo, we all had Kura sushi again in Shinagawa where we're staying. Mario rushed off to enjoy the Japanese spa again, a highlight for him on this trip!Baca lagi