JAPAN Day 20

Nov 9 - This is it.

Words: Sebastian + Images: Araceli

We've arrived on the last day of our trip. Our final mission for the day is to find the Fireman's Cap. The last resort is the Fire Museum of Tokyo. After a short metro ride, somehow, we ended up in front of Sushi Wasabi, the museum occupying the opposite corner of the avenue. We enter the museum, and a kind man receives us and explains the different floors of the museum. Our ears react to the word Shop , down to the basement. We make a beeline for the shop, really a couple of display windows, at the far end of the room. Each step we take I hope we find the cap. And we do! Hanging from a hook, the glorious cap. But, Araceli points out, it's not the same exactly. This must be a civilian version. The text and the font are slightly different from the ones used by current firemen. Nevermind, such is life, we don't always get what we want, or exactly how we want it. We love this cap as well.

The rest of the day was dedicated to finishing some lingering errands around Ginza. We spent a great deal of time, in trance, inside Akomeya, a rice specialist with more than 100 years of history.
As we walk in between destinations, we miss the country already, not fully grasping that this is the end. We make thousands of promises, to be back a hundred times, to rent a car and explore the countryside, explore the north, explore the south, islands, and mountains. Japan has given us so much, we are eternally grateful. We will be back, as many times as we can.

Our last dinner is at Il Tamburello , a Neapolitan-pizza sanctioned institution. The restaurant is small, it can probably seat 20 people maximum, spread between a few tables and a tiny bar counter. The colors are blue and white, Diego Maradona, the patron saint, is ever-present. The menu is in Italian and Japanese, with beautiful starters, light and fresh. Followed by incredible pizza. Comparing both pizza experiences this trip, our overall favorite was PST, however.

Time to get back to the hotel, finish the last tetris suitcase, and get ready for a long flight tomorrow. We might not have rested a lot, but our eyes, souls, and hearts are full. What else could I ask for?