Japan - Tokyo - Day 1b

We are back in Tokyo for our last hurrah in Japan! We took a limited express train and a bullet train to get here - around 5 hours from where we were. It is very enjoyable to ride the trains and not hard to figure out how it all works.We were actually spoiled because we were met at our train car in Tokyo by our next hotel to escort us to the hotel - nice service! So, we arrived in style and we were upgraded to a room with a view of the Imperial Palace. We actually strolled around the Palace the first time we were in Tokyo. However, the perspective is completely different from here - the Palace looks huge and the gardens are also quite expansive. For being an overcast day, our room was bathed in sunlight and very welcoming. We got a few games in before our dinner in the 16-seat Japanese restaurant in the hotel. It is only open tonight of the days we will be here, so we feel lucky that we were able to get in. And, as it turned out, one of the best meals we’ve had in Japan! It was an Omakase menu, which means chef choice. The chef scours the local markets each day to determine what he is going to prepare for the evening meal. As we were sitting at dinner, I had a bit of an epiphany about Omakase/Tasting menus and taking tours on vacation. They are both similar in that you put yourself in someone else’s hands and they lead you down different streets and alleys that you may not have chosen on your own, and sometimes you are surprised by how much you enjoy the discovery of something new - I really enjoyed our tour of Japan and I really enjoyed our dinner this evening. Both presented with things I would never have chosen on my own and yet I tried to keep an open mind and I was pleasantly surprised with most everything new that I tried…