June 29, 2025 - Searching for Some Nature

 I’ve always heard Japan and her people are in tune with nature.  Perhaps the country is and we just happen to staying in Shinjuku in one of the most densely populated cities in the world..  Tokyo has the same difficulties and challenges as any other city, for my part I needed to search out at least a little nature since I got up early still fighting jet lag…who am I kidding, I get up early whether jet lagged or not! We walked to a park close by in the early hours, to pet some dogs other than our own, and stretch our legs near some grass.  One doesn’t walk far without tripping over another temple, 

A kittke walk through a Hhinjuku park.

A beautiful landmark building in Shinjuku.

Random temple at the edge of the park. People come to offer prayers and small donations anytime of day. 

Pretty cool statues in the park...

After doing laundry, the Yayoi Kusama Museum awaits.  We arrived early, had lunch, and you guessed it almost tripped over another temple.  The temple not only provides a place for almost daily spiritual practice but a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.  

Shade ad a cool breeze on a hot day. 

Absolutely and unexpectedly fabulous temple to stumble across. 

The entry to the temple shrine. 

The museum of course exceeded my expectations. Kusama has suffered from mental illness her entire life, and it was interesting to see her work connect to that aspect of herself,   Small and intimate but exceptionally informative and wonderfully quirky, like the woman herself. I’m glad to have seen this exhibit. 

Yayoi Kusama...polka dot realness!

An excellent welcome into the museum. 

Me life sized, the statue? Not so much.

The dot room. You receive a aheet of dots and can put them where you want in a completely white room. Interactive art?!?! So cool.

Dot-tastic!

Roof top mirrored balls? Another cool display reflecting sky, city line, and yes the viewer.

Returning to the hotel, we decided to go for sushi around our hotel.  We found a basement sushi bar, small, intimate, and elegant. It turns out this sushi restaurant was omakase style, (literal meaning is - “I’ll leave it up to you”). The customer trusts the chef to serve what the chef decides. We were fortunate to be squeezed into the 7:30 seating and although we weren’t seated at the bar for the whole experience, we certainly considered ourselves very lucky.  The other diners were an odd assortment, a German married husband and wife, and we assumed a gay Spanish couple - a little annoying in their superior attitudes in only the way Europeans can be…two Japanese women clearly splurging on a special vacay evening, and a Japanese man and woman clearly on a date…add the three Americans and international fun ensues.  

Hatsume! An excellent restaurant, more of an experience...and for Omikase? a reasonable price...our splurge for sure.

The menu, we recognized about half of the suhi choices...more and adventure than a menu.

Could we ask for anymore after just showing up to this clearly months in advance reservation restaurant? I think not gentle reader. The menu was about twenty two different sushi courses, an elegant soup course and small bites of tamagoyaki for dessert (rolled omelet sushi). What a truly transcendent experience to have had on the fly.  Gentle reader, if in Tokyo reserve a spot at Hatsume, in Shinjuku and give a big howdy to Matusudo. (In the small world category, Matsudo went to school at Buncomb Community College for two years, in you guessed it, Bellingham  - Yes this is the same Bellingham we will be moving to eventually). Enjoy these pictures of perhaps the best sushi I’ve ever had.  

A work of art to be sure.

Delicious and beautiful.

Presentation of the lobster to guests before the lobster broth and soup are prepared.

This sushi mea has spoiled me forever from eating grocery store sushi. What a wonderful impromptu experience. Be sure to go see Matsudo, but do make a reservation,just in case.