Fun with Etsuko in Tokyo

While I was able to get a few days off from work during spring break Koko wasn’t as lucky. So, during the day when Koko was busy at school I would take the train into Tokyo for a little sightseeing. Since Koko’s sister, a student studying sports medicine at university, also had vacation time off from school she sometimes accompanied me during the day.

During one of our day trips Etsuko and I spent an afternoon in Ame-mura, short for American Village, a town renowned for its bustling atmosphere and bargain prices. Together we wandered up and down the town's streets stopping along the way to try on sunglasses, sample foods, and purchase souvenirs from a few of the street vendors lining both sides of the road.

At one point we noticed that one vendor had a crowd of spectators surrounding his booth and when we got a little closer to check out what the commotion was all about we quickly understood why this vendor was so popular. An old man selling roasted chestnuts would fling the chestnuts into a bag as he sold them and the more he was cheered on by the crowd the more chestnuts he would throw in the bag. Etsuko and I couldn’t resist and we too had to buy some to take home. In the video below I am saying “ojichan omakeshite” which means “grandpa, hook us up!” I think he did too!!

After we had our fill with vendor shopping we each bought a giant takoyaki (friend octopus ball) and went to the nearby Ueno Park, a park famous in Tokyo for its spectacular cherry blossom trees. There was sat under the trees eating our takoyaki and and enjoying the view. We definitely had a great day!