Tokyo-Boring Museum but Good Food

Yesterday, I woke up, had breakfast and took the metro to the Tokyo National Museum, which is the best museum in Tokyo. I know so because that is what the guidebook says. I have been to a lot of museums-not because I like museums but because I like to learn about countries I am in.

This museum, which was roughly an hour train ride away (after I got on the wrong train), was very big. I saw statutes from a Buddhist Japan. I saw Samurai swords, and the large murals depicting Japanese art. It was actually quite boring-I was looking forward to learning about Japanese history.
The highlight is a calligraphy course, where I paid $1.00, and drew a symbol on a fan-I forgot what the symbol was. There we're about a dozen people drawing symbols, with more waiting. The instructor said I did well. I don't know if he meant that or if he was just appeasing me to get me out of there.

After a few hours at the museum, and taking a nap on a bench, I walked out, and wandered around the surrounding neighborhood, which was interesting. It was more of a traditional Temple neighborhood, with narrow streets, and temples on the side of the street, along with stores. The temples had cemeteries with traditional Japanese graves.

When I was in the musuem-I was looking for something to do for later, so i used the museum's free wifi to sign up for a $70.00 food tour. Although it was expensive-i was looking at meeting others. I was nervous that I would be the only person on the tour-so I wouldn't have the opportunity to meet others. i even emailed the office saying that if I was the only person-please tell me and i could reschedule.

So I made it to the meeting point right at 7-the start of the tour. which was in Shibuya-the neighborhood I was in the day before. I found the guide. i needn't of had to worry of being the only person on the tour-there we're two of us (and the guide). When we met-i asked the other guy on the tour-a math professor from Oregon who was in Japan for a conference-if he wanted to maybe do it another night when others might show up-he seemed to indicate he was fine-so we decided to go on. And I felt sort of like a jerk for suggesting another time.

The tour was pretty good-it exceeded my expectations. We went to three restaurants-the first one served us beers promptly-but the food never came. After waiting 45 minutes-it seemed-the waitress said the food would come in 20 more minutes-and we had to get to the next restaurant. The tour guide said he would speak to the restaurant, about what happened. (I am not sure how that would help me, and the other participant on the tour).

We went to two other places-the first served some type of sushi with meat and dumplings, and beer, and the next chicken, and sake. It was a good time, and I learned about Japanese. It was nice conversation.

I made it home on just one subway train-(the trains are majorly complicated-it's hard to find my way around).