Since our biological clocks were already screwed up anyway, we started out the day early, just after 5am with a visit to the Tsukiji Fish and Produce Market. This is an amazing sight. Virtually all of the food that is served in Tokyo restaurants comes through here fresh every day, and many people buy for their own homes as well. We were almost run over several times by delivery carts, and the smell was ... fishy.

Later we visited the serene Hama Rikyu Gardens nearby. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and it's an incredible sight. Even Japanese citizens are visiting Tokyo to see the blossoms, and many gardens will light them up at night. These gardens were once the private duck hunting grounds for the Emperor of Japan. Visiting dignitaries also stayed here as his guests. This tea house is in the middle of a saltwater pond on the grounds.

Following the Hama Rikyu Gardens, we boarded a water taxi and spent 40 minutes traveling up the Sumida River to Asakusa, a traditional neighborhood from Tokyo's Edo period in the 17th century. This area is the home of the Senso-ji Temple, Japan's largest Buddhist temple. There were hundreds of thousands of people there -- shopping, worshipping, and wandering. We also stumbled onto a Shinto wedding ceremony, which was fun to watch.

We figured out how to use the subway system (with a little help from some patient Japanese), and only got lost once, on our way back to the hotel. This evening, we plan to wander around the Ginza, Tokyo's version of Times Square.