Day 2, part 1: Kappabashi Kitchen Town

Helen's Japanisation proceeds apace, this morning impelled by the effects of our washing machine which is also a dryer. It told us when turned on that it would be ready in ... somewhere beyond 6 hours. It finished somewhere in the night. By the time I opened the lid in the morning, not only were items dry but tangled wrinkled dry. Some time later I turned from writing yesterday's bloggery to see this unprecendented, amazing and charming sight of Helensan hard at work on a shirt of mine. 

Super kawaii!

From our apartment doorstep it's go right into Asakusa (day 1), go left into Kappabashi Hondori leading to Kappabashidori, known as Kitchen Town, major source of supplies for restaurants and items of interest to tourists of all kinds, whether the novelty of plastic food plates as displayed in many Japanese eatery windows, the clatter of kitchen doovers to carry home for aunts, the classic white look as per Noritake 1965 or some stunning stoneware.

So to photos:

 

Coming from the north we arrive at the signature end of Kappabashi, at the corner of Kappabashidori and Asakusadori, which runs from Asakusa Station to Ueno Station. We walked part way towards Ueno till feet led us down a subway staircase.

Along Asakusadori the answer to the question 'where does the old kitchen go?' ... with some fascinating items.

I am conscious seeing people around my age, mostly lean and getting about if not always vibrantly fit, how different our lives have been. Some are physically very small people indeed and I wonder about comparative nutrition during and after WWII. But then I note that they walk among giants of younger generation Japanese, each generation taller, some a little rounder. Here stands Marlboro Man waiting for the traffic lights to change!