Japan in the Spring - Tokyo 1

I visted Japan this spring on a cruise on the south side of the island.  We were lucky to have great weather most days, a bit cool, which didn't help the cherry blossoms although we did get a glimpse of it in the last week. The visit is such a pleasurable experience I can't wait to tell you all about it!  Thanks to two dear friends who are pros in Japanese food and culture having lived there before and visited regularly since, we were armed with lists of places to see, things to do, places to eat which all helped to make this a great experience.

We started in Tokyo.  Haneda airport was easy to negotiate and we found the Airport Express Bus ticket counter easily.   I tried self-service at the ticketing machines, it wasn't hard figuring out the route number from the overhead map but it wouldn't take my credit card.  (TIP: I have since figured out cash is the way to go for the train tickets!)  We finally got tickets at the ticket counter for the bus that took us to the bus terminal a short walk from our hotel in Shinjuku (a district in Tokyo) - a bargain at $12 CAD.  (A taxi would have been around $120 and not much faster).  There was no problem communicating in English.  What a contrast with my first visit in 1975 when hardly anyone spoke English and I remember having to resort to drawing to communicate.  

It was dinner time in Tokyo regardless of our body clock so we ventured out to the streets of Shinjuku to gawk at the busy restaurants with tables spilling out onto the sidewalk.  It was refreshing to be in a city with a busy street life at night and there didn't seem to be any safety concerns at all.  Our first bowl of ramen was tasty and very satisfying!  

Streets of Shinjuku at night

An exceptional bowl with spinach, bean sprouts and cabbage, vegetables are not common unless deep-fried!

Our first destination the following day was the Meiji Shrine.  It is just a couple of stations from the hotel and we could have walked but knowing that we had a long day of walking ahead of us, we decided to brave the rush hour traffic and took the train.  It was an eye-opening adventure and we experienced in person what we had seen online of Tokyo train stations in rush hour.  Proud to say we survived the ticket machine and the crowd and found our way to the relatively peaceful Meijijingu.  

This is how far back we were standing on the platform, but we got on the second train

The main Tori gate at the Meiji Jingu

 

Sake wine barrels lined the path to the shrine - sacred ritual wine is an essential component of Shinto purification rituals

 

The "temizuya" where worshippers wash their hands and mouth before proceeding

The main courtyard of the shrine

Lineups to purchase amulets and votive tablets

Omamori or amulets for luck and protection

Ema - votive tablets for special personal prayers are hung around a divine tree with wishes written on the reverse side.  These are offered at the morning ceremony held every days and the supplications are conveyed by the priests.

These camphor trees, planted in 1920 at the time of the enshrinement of the Meiji Jingu, are considered sacred.  Known as "Meoto Kusu" or "Husband and Wife", the coupled tress have become a symbol of happy marriage and harmonious family life.

One of the side entrances

Because of our early start, we finished at the shrine and ended up on Omotesando Street ahead of schedule, too early for lunch (especially after our sumptuous hotel breakfast).  So we walked the famous street with its designer buildings and designer fashion houses all the way to our destination, the National Art Centre.

Lineup for donuts?

Omotesando has been describe as the "catwalk" of Tokyo architecture.  I can see why. These are just a few that caught my eye.

Long line up outside the Gentle Monster store.

The National Art Centre -  stunning in green glass and curves

Inside the NAC

A reflection of the NAC on the building across the street

On our way to Rappongi Station to take the train back to the hotel, we stopped by a noodle place for lunch, attracted by its distinctive look.  I've since found that many Japanese restaurants have very attractive entrances.  You will see more of these in upcoming posts. 

We went back to the hotel for a midday break - (TIP:  it's so important to stay at a place in the middle of everything so we could take these essential breaks.!)  We wandered out to Omoide Yokocho, a maze of narrow alleys near the busy Shinjuku Station with lots of street food.  These narrow alleys seem to be an incredible hive of activity all day, not just at night.

Shinjuku Crossing

We went on to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building's 45th floor to see the much touted Tokyo nightview.  We were surprised at the long lineup to go up the elevator but equally surprised that it didn't take that long.  The view was indeed worth it.  

We had to take a taxi back to our hotel as Google got lost under the canopy of the many covered passages under the government mall.  It was a short ride as we were at worst a 15 minute walk from the hotel if we hadn't got lost.  Our night ended with dinner near the hotel at a place serving small dishes with mostly locals.  We tried a sampling of several things on the menu - they were delicious.  My first full day in Tokyo ended with 22,751 steps, a record for me.