Ramen in my Underwear

We thought we could hit up the Tuna auction at Tskuji. So we got up around 6:00 to head out around 6:30. It turns out the auction starts at 5:15. We headed out there anyway to check out the public market - which is the biggest fish market in the world- and to have some awesome sushi. The market itself was pretty standard, albeit huge. Stalls selling seafood of all sorts( fresh, frozen, dried); cookware; spices; herbs; medicine; and produce. The highlight of the visit, at least for Carlos was the sushi. I had a tuna nigiri sampler plate of sorts; three different types of fatty tuna, seared tuna, and minced tuna with green onion. I tried to have a cucumber hand roll, but it was drenched in wasabi. I think some of my tastebuds might've been burned off. I'm not that into sushi, but I must say my favorite was the toro;(fatty tuna) it just melts in your mouth. Carlos was in sushi heaven. He had 12 pieces of toro nigiri, two pieces of salmon nigiri, raw shrimp, fried shrimp head and shell, amber jack nigiri, and uni. I don't think I've ever seen that much elation; he insists that we return before our trip.
The real highlight of my day was Odaiba. Odaiba is one of the quieter, slower parts of Tokyo- so quiet its a little spooky. On our train ride there, we got to see Tokyo from across Tokyo bay. It was breath taking. The purpose of our trip to Odaiba was for an onsen. An onsen is a public bathouse. Thats right, a public bathhouse. We figured it was like a public pool only with no chlorine and cleaner. Upon entering the onsen, you have to first remove shoes and place them in a locker.(Key #1) Also, if you have tatoos, are drunk, or part of the Yakuza, you're assed out. Then the entrance fee is paid and you get key #2, which is attached to a wristband and also has a barcode on it. The barcode is used to keep track of any purchases you make while inside the main hall. Next, a yukata is picked out. A yukata is a pretty much a bath robe with a sash. I thought it was cool that we each had four different designs of yukata to choose from and we could pick our own color sash. After that, you head to the dressing room. Key #2 has your locker number on it. You strip down to your underwear and change into your yukata. Once the yukata is on, you're allowed into the main hall.
The main hall is kind of designed like a courtyard. There's food stalls that serve sushi, udon, soba, ramen, pasta, gelato, shaved ice etc. There's even a couple of bars. Of course there's a couple of souvenir shops. You can also get other services such as massages, facials, wraps, and pedicures. Carlos and I both got 30 minute foot massages. I was a bit man handled by this rough looking lady. She would massage my feet, then my calf, and then my upper thigh(getting dangerously close to the Bad Lands!) But out of nowhere, she starts elbowing my ass cheek! I let out silent whimpers of shock and pain. This was supposed to be a foot massage; what the hell does my butt cheek have to do with my foot? She did the same thing to other side, and after beating on my other cheek, she proceeds to push my cheeks together. I really don't know what her deal was, but the actual massaging of the feet and legs felt divine.
We parted ways after the massage. The onsen is gender segregated. Why? Because you're NAKED! I thought I could get away with wearing a swim suit and that nudity was optional, but a sign in the dressing room states that "No clothes or big towels allowed in the bath house". In the dressing room, you're given a big towel and a small towel. You strip down to your birthday suit and head for the baths. (This is where Key #3 comes in) I'm someone who doesn't wear anything past the knees and even wearing sleeveless tops makes me nervous. I'm very self conscious, so you can imagine what harrowing experience this was for me. It was like one of those nightmares you have, being naked in front of a bunch of strangers, except this was real! I kept telling myself that I was on vacation as I sashayed into a sea of naked women.
You shower before entering the baths; there are stalls that provide shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I made sure to keep my eyes forward, but it proved to be difficult. When I was in there I had mixed feelings; I was grateful for what I had, but then I was reminded of how much I need to start losing weight. I was also a little squeamish. I was thinking "what if one of these bitches has the crabs or weird rash?" Or "Ew, someone's naked ass was just here!" But again, I got over it knowing you have to shower before entering the pool. There are many different warm baths; jacuzzi, milk baths, outdoor pool, one cold bath and barrels that hold about 1-3 people. There's also a sauna, a steam room, and place to get another massage. I pretty much tried every pool and did a Russian Bath. A Russian bath is sitting in the sauna, then dipping in to the cold bath. It actually feels pretty awesome.
After the nudy bath, you shower once again and put back on your yukata. Carlos and I met up in the main hall again, exchanging our stories for. After ramen, gelato, and Sapporo, we went into a common seating area with mats and pillows and took a nap.
We ended the evening back in Shinjuku, where the majority of it was spent at the Black Sun Jazz Club. We climbed up a steep staircase to get into this tiny venue (it can hold a maximum of 12 people) and there was a duo playing a set. The jazz loving patrons (who it seemed were regulars) looked at us with curiosity but ended up being really nice. We were referred to as "Cah-Ros" and "Andison", from "Cawrifonya". A few men in suits would walk in, have a glass of Jack and water, and listen to the music. A cute little man, who also was a jazz pianist, served as our translator. His wife plays the banjo, and he told us she played for the Sacramento Jazz Festival. Small world.