I started the day by making it down the the port in Katsuura to observe the tuna market.
Supposedly, this tuna market is the largest in Japan.
I am glad that I had this opportunity. The famous Tsukiji Market in Tokyo was moved to Toyosu because of interference from tourists. Although the many fish restaurants remain in Tsukiji that we might still visit. The auctions are now limited to tourists.
Anyway, the auction was very interesting. It was quite a bit quieter than I expected. These fish go for thousands of dollars (sometimes tens of thousands). Yet in Japanese fashion, it was quiet and orderly.
The buyers carefully inspect the fish by observing the quality of the meat in the cross sectioned tail. They then place stickers on the fish. I suppose those are the bids.
The fish are then quickly packed in crates with ice and loaded onto trucks to be shipped around the country.
Foot Bath
Katsuura is famous for its tuna and its onsens.
It had started to rain while I was watching the auction so I waited out the rain while soaking my feet.
Train
I realized that we had to hustle a bit to catch an early train to Nagoya and then on to Odawara.
The plan for today is to close in in Tokyo. Owen is happy to be on a train and heading toward the city.
Odawara
We had a very comfortable evening at our hotel in Odawara. Are hotel is attached to the train station so it was very convenient.
We bathed, did laundry, had an easy ramen dinner and watched TV.
It was a great way to regroup before Tokyo.
TV
We have not watched much television at all in Japan. I seem to remember during my last visits, television was everywhere and on all of the time. Cars even had television playing.
This trip, I have noticed that television is much less ubiquitous than it was. Maybe smartphones have changed the television watching habits of the Japanese.
During the little television watching we have done, I notice again how interested, borderline obsessed, Japanese are with food. Over half of the programing showcases food, food preparation, and food production.
It does not surprise me that the only Western show that I have seen is translated British Baking Show.
This reminds me of one of the presentations during the Food Summit I attended during my last visit.
The theme of one of the Japanese groups was the concerning decline of traditional Japanese cuisine.
I am sure that it was a legitimate concern, but I can mot imagine the Japanese losing their appreciation of food, traditional or otherwise.