Had a pretty good night's rest, jet lag not much of a problem so far. We ate some curry and eggs for breakfast, along with yogurt and rolls. Not fancy but tasty enough. Then I bundled up for a run, two long-sleeved shirts, tights, headband, and a jacket. I walked over to the entrance to Ueno Park and started my run there. Over to the temple, then north along the northwest side until I found a cross street to get to the east side. Back to the shrine and around the paths until I turned and ran up the steps to the east part of the park. Headed north again, by the ballfield and then up to the large building near the north end, which I think is the Tokyo National Museum. Started heading back from this point, on nice wide running paths, back down the stairs and past the shrine once more, then south along the west side and out of the park back to the Airbnb. Felt good on the run, I didn't push it, and the new shoes worked fine.
Avg pace = 8:09/mi
Total distance = 3.66 mi
Elapsed running time = 29:49
Avg heartrate = 166 bpm (Fitbit)
I got back early enough to cool down and relax before showering and heading out for the day. We stopped at Zehn Coffee nearby and had coffee and toast, both very good with excellent service. Then we walked over to catch the Ginza line subway, a little confusion about which station to enter but figured out quickly. Several stops on the subway to Asakusa Station, where we got off and walked toward the Senso-ji Shrine. It was still fairly early, but crowds were building. We headed by the shops, it became quite familiar as I continued walking, since we'd gone here in 2019 on the business trip. Walked up to the shrine and the pagoda, looked around and stood in a line for Ann to get a stamp with calligraphy. Then we walked over to the nearby mall of shops, where I bought some origami paper (was mildly annoying to have to carry it the rest of the day, as it wouldn't fit in a pocket). We kept walking around the shopping area for a bit until it was time for lunch. Ann had found a place by the river with vegetarian options, and it was pretty decent. We walked across the river afterwards, but there wasn't much to see. Back through the big crowds to the station, where we followed confusing signs to get to the train station adjacent. Our intent was to go to the Yanaka neighborhood, supposed to contain more traditional houses. It was a chore figuring out what we had to do to pay for the train ride with our Suiza cards, but I figured it out, with minor help from the train conductor, who showed us how to validate the fares by touching the cards to the sensors above our seats. A short ride, pretty expensive for the distance traveled, then we had to find our way out of the Nippori train station, which wasn't as easy as we thought it would be. Got out eventually and we walked onto the main shopping street which was moderately crowded, filled with mom-and-pop stores. I think we saw three stores dedicated to cat-related items, and I took a video of these two old guys playing a spinning top game that was cool. It got breezy and we ran out of shops, so we walked directly back to the station and we were able to take the Chiyoda line directly back the Yushima station right by our Airbnb. Another break before we walked to an upscale outdoor sportswear store and got some pricey gloves. While out, we stopped at Summit and got some stuff for dinner. Bread, cheese, and tofu for me, sushi and salad for Ann. Wasn't great but was good enough after a longish day. I watched some Netflix and then read before going to sleep.
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