#6 - More Sushi, Please!

Have I mentioned that I love sushi? I thought I might have. It's actually on my mind most of the time. My husband and I have a silly conversation whenever dinner or lunch plans are in question. He says, "What do you want to eat?" I say, "You know. It's always the same." He says, "Sushi." And then we usually decide that it's too expensive to have right now or we don't have time to go get it. I am simply unable to answer the question "What do you want to eat?" honestly without saying, "Sushi." That's just how it is.

We lived in Los Angeles for 8 years. During that time, I heard people say that LA actually has more sushi and better sushi than Japan. I heard people say that Japanese people don't even eat that much sushi at all and that the people of LA (and certainly other US cities) eat sushi much more regularly. That, I suppose, I believe. Especially if I was included in those statistics.

I suppose I could just believe what these people say. Maybe Japan is not the place to go for sushi. But I don't know for sure, now do I? And how do you explain this, the front page of the Tokyo tourism website?

You see that? That is SUSHI! That is the most prominent picture on their website and I want to eat it!
So, in order to see for myself, I think I have no choice, really. For my next imaginary vacation, I choose

Wishful Vacation #6

Tokyo, Japan

Why I imagine I would go to Tokyo:

Ummm.. see above. And below.

Photo by Michael Maggs, Wikimedia Commons

Beyond sushi, though, I am definitely interested in Japanese culture and Tokyo's modern feel. I would like to experience some Japanese shopping downtown. I am a big fan of video games, and my husband is pretty much in love with Sony, so it would be cool to check out some Japanese technology. Sony has a building in the Ginza area where I would be able to see new products in the showroom and buy international models of Sony products. Awwww yeeah.

I have really enjoyed my time in Japanese shops in San Francisco, Boston, (dare I say it) Epcot.. and I would love to visit some Japanese shops in Japan. It may be touristy of me, but I think I would have to check out the huge Sanrio World store. I love me some Hello Kitty. I just went to their website and one of the ads says, "A castle of chocolate, full of sweet dreams." Who wouldn't like that?

Where I imagine I might stay:

This imaginary trip is another good chance to stay in the center of it all. I choose the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo in Chuo. The reviews are fantastic, and the rooms look amazing. I love floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the city! This is a Mandarin Suite. Sounds perfect.

Image from here.

See that cute little seat by the window? That's where I would like to be. The corner suites have such awesome views.

Though it's not an original part of my plan, I couldn't help but notice that the Mandarin has a lovely spa with special rooms for massages. Check this out.

Image from here.

Certainly I could find time to have a massage in that amazing place, right?

What I imagine I would eat:

In reading about the sushi in Tokyo, it seems like each restaurant or sushi chef would be a completely different experience, and a completely different focus. I know in LA, the focus is often on the crazy rolls - lots of ingredients rolled up together. A lot of people complain about that because it's not authentic, but I think it's delicious. On the other hand, I also think simple sushi - super fresh fish with sparse accompaniment - is also delicious. I'm not that picky about the type of sushi. I just want it to be fresh.

I would want to try out several restaurants to see what I like best. This method also allows me to eat sushi for multiple meals, which I think is a good idea. Since this is an imaginary trip, I don't have to worry about the remote possibility that I become tired of eating sushi.

 

Photo from here.

One option that has good reviews is Sushi Bun. The translation of the web page doesn't make much sense, but the fish looks good! I think the best course of action would be to trust the sushi chefs of Tokyo to choose a good selection of fish for me. I can't wait!

What I imagine I would do as a fun activity:

I have read about Japan's express trains, and I think it would be fun to take a train to Kyoto to visit some of the ancient architecture there. Check out this gorgeous building - the Golden Pavilion. It is a Zen Buddhist temple originally created in 1397. Whoa.

Photo by Keith Pomakis, Wikimedia Commons

I also found a sushi school in Tokyo that looks a little touristy, but also authentic. Does that make sense? I know that I would have fun trying my hand at sushi making.

Japan is a trip that I hope to take sometime in the future. In the meantime, I'll settle for imagining it and maybe a quick trip to the Japanese restaurant! Are you in love with sushi, too?

Happy travels!

xoxo - Erika