Wednesday 8th September 2004
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It's 4am, just got in from Skiji, towards the financial district, where I was taken for a late
night meal at the very special Sushizanmai. It's open until 5 in the morning and is rated by my
Tokyo hosts as the best spot to get the real deal nigiri. We had Sea Snapper, Yellowfin Tuna, Sea
Eel, Horse Mackrel, Flat fish and many more... amazing. Definitely one of the best meals I've ever
had. I've realised that to have a great sushi experience it's best to head outside the glitz and
glare of Shibuya and find a simple, local spot.
Started my day with a look around the shops in the Omote Sando shopping area not far from where we
are staying. Loads of boutiques and plenty of places for people into their rare denim and micro
label fashion! Didn't have time to start buying but did get lost in Tower Records, 7 floors of
selections that put the equivalent stores back home to shame! Checked out HMV too, and likewise,
the Jazz and Soul and Classics sections are out of control. The Hip Hop floor takes up most of the
building! If there's anything you've lost, couldn't find or didn't buy the first time... believe me
they will have it in stock. Prices wise it's exactly the same as shopping in the UK, about
£10-£13 for CDs. Stocked up on some old skool Kurosawa DVDs and then headed out of Shibuya to
check out the old quarter district of Tokyo, Downtown.
Took the Ginza line to Asakusa, the final stop. It was great to see a more relaxed and
traditional area after a spending most of my stay in busy Shibuya. Visited the ancient Buddhist
temple of Senso-Ji, once a great pilgramage site and the spiritual centre of this part of the City. The Huge Pagoda next to the temple as well as the giant lanterns that line the Nakimise had queues of people from all over Japan waiting to take pictures in front of them... and the temple
itself is stunning. Read my fortune but I'm not telling what it said! The whole area is extremely
peaceful and has some great traditional stalls too.
Headed back into Shibuya to hook up with the rest of the 1Xtra crew and compare notes on our
experiences. Had a meal together, after which Seani B headed to Yokohama to catch up with Mighty
Crown, Ace and Vis headed off to do some karaoke while I checked Jazzy Sport records for
their after hours shopping session. Ended up staying there 'til past midnight. They serve
coffee, beer, and other things that make the crate digging experience very chilled, all the time
playing dope tunes on their heavy sound system. Looking forward to having them in on the show. Today started super early and now it's... super early, so at 5am, Benji B says goodnight. Over and
out.
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