Day 3 of my Asian Odyssey was a busy one, firstly we docked in Osaka after sailing around 319 nautical miles, from there I took the train to Kyoto, followed by returning to Osaka on the Shinkansen.
We docked in Osaka on time @ 07:30 at the Osaka Cruise Terminal
Day 2 of my Asian Odyssey was a sea day as we transited from Tokyo to Osaka. This is the way all cruises should start, a nice relaxing day at sea after what can be a chaotic day of embarkation. For me today was purely familiarising myself with Azamara Quest and dinner in Windows Cafe, the ship’s buffet restaurant.
Today I boarded my new home for the 17 nights of my Asian Odyssey, the Azamara Quest, at the Tokyo International Cruise Terminal. The terminal must have been very new and not used too often as both the hotel concierge and taxi drivers thought that I had to go to Yokohama.
Boarding was very efficient, hardly any queuing and then straight onto the ship. One of the differences between Azamara and Regent is no Champagne on boarding. Will have to find a bar I guess
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I was feeling a bit lazy after great day in Tokyo so decided to give one of the hotel restaurants a try. The Japanese was full, next up was Karin, the hotel’s Chinese Restaurant. And I am glad I did! The cuisine is Cantonese that takes advantage of the local fresh produce.
My food choice for the night was Chef Takeshi Okubo, the head chef of Karin Chinese Restaurant, dégustation menu. Definitely a good option.
Seasonal colourful assorted appetizers
Each bite was tasty, my favourites were the fish and pork belly.
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I have wanted to visit the Tokyo Fish Market for a long time, Tsukiji Outer Market is what remains of the original market that moved in 2018. Unfortunately the fish auctions are no longer open to the public, unless you are with a local Chef.
The Tsukiji Outer Market is home to both wholesale and retail sellers as well as a number of food outlets.
As I had no idea where to start I decided to join an organised tour, my tour guide for the day was Kumei from Arigato Food Tours. My tour of was the Classic Tsukiji Breakfast Tour, which combined a tour of the markets and the opportunity to try some of the local fare.
On the way to the Tsukiji Outer Market we passed a large Buddhist Temple that was built using stone based on an Indian style. The builders chose stone to help protect it from earthquakes the previous temple was significantly damaged by an earthquake early in the 20th Century.
After a very wet first night in Tokyo, I awoke to blue skies and mid to high teens Celsius, perfect for a wander around Tokyo. The district an around my hotel is near the National Diet and a number of Embassies. Expect it will be good for a photo or two (well, maybe at an extra zero to the 2).
The first area I came across was Ark Hills and saw this in the Ark Hills Garden. I am guessing that one of the local school or kids groups have created and are maintaining it.
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