Nikko

Yesterday we took a gorgeous day trip to the temples of Nikko. Along the way, we ate raw Yuba (Tofu skin), which tasted like cold clay to me, delicious and very salty chicken Ramen, and Nabeyaki Udon.

The temples were ornate and peaceful and trying to visualize what life must have been like for the monks was a lot of fun. But then we were jolted back to modern times by gawking at a creepy fifty year old transgender man dressed as a japanese teenager who was with one of the tour groups.

After hiking up and down ancient moss-covered stairs and stone pathways all day, it was back to Shibuya for some oishi (delicious) tonkatsu (fried pork cutlets). Then a quick jaunt up the main Times Square-esque drag and a chance exploration of a gambling Pachinko parlour. It was the loudest place I've ever been. Millions of small ball bearings cascading down metal pins as zombified players hope to win more balls. Here's what Wikipedia says about gambling on them, though.

"Directly gambling on pachinko is illegal in Japan. Balls won cannot be exchanged directly for money in the parlor. The balls are exchanged for tokens or prizes, which are then taken outside and exchanged for cash at a place nominally separate from the parlor."

With our ears bleeding and our brains again melted, it was back down the street before nearly collapsing at the hotel bar for a night cap. Action-packed Japan!