Day 2 in Japan!

After a good night of resting in the hotel, we woke up more than energized to meet a fresh new day 2!

We started off our analysis of Japanese culture right in the hotel when having breakfast. Did you know, the canteen vendor for the buffet breakfast actually replenishes the food when it’s left with around 10%? This is so much better than compared to Singapore where we often have to wait a while for the food to be replenished after it has run dry. Such a simple act of their already shows how much sincerity they put into giving us an authentic dining experience!

We then moved on the world-famous Tsukiji Fish Market where we were greeted by the various amazing types of seafood in the market!

HUGE hairy crab!

Look at the size of the scallop, its almost as big as the fish head!

A day at the fish market

The delicious looking seafood aside, we noticed some interesting things about the people there! Unlike the usual Japanese culture of looking professional, we noticed that the fishmongers were not concerned about personal image due to work requirements (that they had dishelved appearances and dirty aprons) It was then that we realised that they do make exceptions to their culture when necessary. Also, they were not so welcoming of foreigners, which was could be seen from their colder service attitudes and that one of our teammates was almost scolded for bumping into them. From there, we guessed that they may not be happy with tourist but do not show it publicly.

But even so, after looking at all that fish, who wouldn't feel like trying some? :) So on the way out… We went to try out the sushi at a nearby sushi bar!

Awesome sushi!

We then made our way to a famous shopping district in Japan, Harajuku! The place was however very catered to girls shopping needs (look at all the pinkish designs of the buildings!) this greatly added to the atmosphere as women who patronized the shops could feel that that was a special attempt to make them feel better, as though the shop was tailored for them.

We then had a desserts buffet for lunch and enjoyed a wide spread of sweet treats like these super tasty cakes! However, even when we were eating, we still needed to ensure that we are observing and analysing, so we then noticed that their buffet emphasized more on the quality of food over variety, which is very unlike Singapore where most of us enjoy buffet for its variety. However, this was  definitely a unique and unforgettable buffet experience!

After that, we were extremely full and took a walk to Meiji Shrine through a beautiful scenic park!

Group photo just before entering the park!

Walking through the scenic park

We even followed their traditional customs of cleansing themselves (washing ourselves and drinking the water!) which was actually quite fun! The water was also quite fresh and tasty so dont worry!

Following their customs and traditions

We noticed that in patrons of the shrine and the park were rather well dressed, showing Japan managed to preserve the sanctity of its religious places. In Singapore, this sanctity is not as well preserved (we see uncles with half buttoned shirts and shorts walking into temples), and we often blame it due to changing times. More importantly, we also managed to interact with the children involved in the 753 Japanese Festival

And to our surprise we found a Nigerian child wondering about in the temple!

Look at the Japanese-Nigerian child in the middle!

We were pleasantly surprised by this as talking to them could perhaps uncover how they feel as an immigrant to Japan, which tells us a lot about how inclusive Japan is of foreigners. Not wanting to loose this chance, we then approached his father who was a UN ambassador, and requested for an exclusive interview with him to share his opinions about how he adapted to the Japanese culture! :)

Interview with the Nigerian living in Japan

Before rounding up the day, we had one more stop: Shibuya! Though it was late in the evening, it was a good time to visit Shibuya as it is a district famous for its night life. No dont worry, not the sleezy type of night life, but a teenager friendly type. In Shibuya, there were not many majhong and pachinko shops around but more of shopping places for teenagers to hang out. This is unlike Singapore where there are not really a lot of "night-life" places for teenagers, but more for adults. However, this also shows that Japanese teenagers spend less time with their family as they hang out at night with each other.

Finally, we had dinner at Shibuya before heading back to the hotel!

Our dinner!