After the hottest summer on record, it finally looks as if autumn is here, and evidence of that are the red spider lilies, known as
higan-bana (
彼岸花), sprouting up everywhere. Indeed, the name of the flower itself -
higan - comes from the fact that they bloom around autumn equinoctial week which is called
aki no o higan (秋のお彼岸) in Japanese. The middle day of equinoctial week comes on the day of the autumn equinox known as
shūbun no hi
= 秋分の日 (a national holiday that fell on September 23rd this year).
Higan refers to the
Buddhist holiday celebrated in Japan during both the spring and autumn equinox. Buddhism is of course closely related to death in Japan - funerals are
Buddhist and graveyards are found in temples - so it is no surprise that
the lily is also known as the flower of death. This image is
strengthened by its presence in graveyards and at funerals: being
poisonous to small animals they used to be planted around graveyards in
Japan's pre-cremation days to stop the dead bodies being eaten (today,
of course, cremation is obligatory in Japan). But whatever the deathly connotations they have, they are a welcome sight after a scorchingly hot summer.
The cooler weather means more opportunities for getting out and about and I enjoyed visiting two popular spots in recent weeks, Toyosu, home to the
biggest fish market in the world, and Odaiba, the popular entertainment and dating spot, both sited on an artificial reclaimed man-made island in Tokyo Bay. To get to both places you need to take the Yurikamome Line, an automated, elevated, driverless train which runs from Shimbashi,
travelling over the marvellous Rainbow Bridge and offering great views from the large windows. Yurikamome actually means black-headed gull, a common sight in Tokyo Bay and also the official bird of the Tokyo metropolitan government!
Taking the Yurikamome Line - officially called the
Tokyo Waterfront New Transit Waterfront Line - from Shimbashi, over the Rainbow Bridge, the first stop is Daiba (台場)
. While the station is called Daiba, this refers only to one district of the island; most people use Odaiba which refers to the entire Tokyo Waterfront Secondary City Center
(東京臨海副都心). Despite having various restaurant and entertainment options, Odaiba itself is surprisingly quiet, though it seems to be trying hard to redefine itself as a romantic mecca for couples and is loaded with heart-themed photo opportunities and illuminations. Recent efforts to attract more visitors include plans for constructing one of the largest fountains in the world, a 2.6 billion yen (!) fountain to be completed by March 2026
. Mysteriously, there is also a large Statue of Liberty here, 1/7th the size of the original!
Continuing on the Yurikamome Line from Odaiba, the final stop is Toyosu. Tsukiji, the famous fish market originally founded in 1935 had limited scope for growth due to its central position near Ginza, so the market moved to Toyosu in October 2018. Today, the new Toyosu Market is almost twice the size of
Tsukiji, making it the biggest fish market in the world. Like Tsukiji, it is still possible to see the famous tuna auctions (free but you need to book early!) and to enjoy a breakfast of
super fresh sushi or sashimi at one of the many restaurants which moved over
from Tsukiji. One of my favourite snacks sold at the various street stalls is not actually fish but the delicious rolled egg (
tamago-yaki); they say that you can tell a good sushi restaurant by the quality of the
tamago-yaki! I recommend
Marutake for an unbeatable dashi-taste that apparently has remained unchanged over its 100 years of history.
After eating your fill in Odaiba and Toyosu, my personal favourite thing to do is to get a hotel room with a view of the Rainbow Bridge which looks spectacular at night. Two recommendations are the
Intercontinental Tokyo Bay and the (slightly cheaper)
Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba. Just be sure to book a room high up with a clear view of the bridge. Why not tell me in the
COMMENTS the location of your favourite go-to place to unwind, rest, and treat yourself - in Tokyo or anywhere in Japan!
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