Yanaka Food Tour and a surprise find!

We were delighted by a culinary and historic tour in Tokyo's most traditional district of Yanaka. It was spared from bombing in WWII and is now known for its wide artisans filled streets, Buddhist temples, great restaurants and traditional matcha tea ceremonies. Side note - many of the 60 restaurants in Yanaka Ginza have an odd cat theme. According to our guide, many cats would hang around Yanaka and in its temples, but no one could explain why. Hmmm. All of the food vendors served delicious and traditional bites (all identifiable if you were wondering about the cats - just saying) and our guide was very knowledgable, but the matcha tea ceremony was something extra special! After a sit down lunch of shabu shabu, we entered a four generational, family owned Antique store for a traditional matcha tea ceremony. This family's history includes nine generations of Samurai members! We sipped matcha from 300 year old antique bowls and left with a feeling of harmony and tranquility just as this ceremony is meant to fill your soul. The tour ended with a peaceful walk through Tokyo's largest and oldest cemetery located on Cherry Blossom Lane.
Now for the unexpected find! As we were saying goodbye to our guide, he says, "If you are interested in fabric, Yanaka has an impressive Fabric District just one block that way." Ha - he had no idea! There were blocks of stores filled with bolts of beautiful fabric from Italy, France and Japan. (because of the size of my carry on, I'm only bringing home two beautiful yards of Japanese silk). And once again, David was a good sport :)
We finished the day with traditional Yakatori, but wait...the day wasn't over!
It was my turn to be a good sport and participate in the World's largest tourist attraction (I wont call it a trap because it's free) - Shibuya Crossing. One of the world's busiest and most iconic pedestrian intersections, nicknamed the "Scramble" due to thousands of people crossing from all directions at once in organized chaos (not really), symbolizing Tokyo's vibrant, fast-paced energy, immense crowds, and modern urban life, often featured in films, music, and media with its huge video screens and neon lights. You'll just have to watch the video to understand!Read more