Japan in the spring - Nagoya

Nagoya is the first port after Yokohama.  It looks like a busy shipping hub with lots of bridges and cranes all around the port.  I was glad though that the three places we visited on our shore excursion were far from commercial.  

Our first stop was the Tōshō-gū shrine, a small shrine in the Naka area.  It is small compared tot eh Meiji Jingu in Tokyo but it has essentially the same set up - the cleansing fountains, the Tori gates, the amulets and votive tablets.  It is set in a beautiful landscaped garden.  We felt like pros after having gone through all the bows and hands clapping that are part of the shrine visiting etiquette at the Meiji shrine.  

The first tori gate entrance to the shrine

The cleansing fountains

The landscaped garden beside the shrine

A local doing his hand exercises 

I had thought Nagoya Castle would be another castle with fortification and moats.  But it turned out to have some stunning art work in the castle rooms.  The surprise was that the imposing tower that stood out in photos of Nagoya Castle is actually the dungeon.  The castle proper, like most Japanese palaces, are unimposing single level buildings.  It was such a pleasure walking through the living rooms and the reception rooms inside the castle, each decorated with gorgeous murals.

Nagoya castle

The very thick walls of the castle entrance

The main palace all on one level

The entrance to the palace

The rooms were all covered with murals

The hallway leading to the reception rooms

The stunning artwork in the reception rooms

Love this one!

The Shirotori Garden (White bird) is a peaceful Japanese-style garden with koi pond, bamboo grove, springs, streams and a beautiful tea-house.  We enjoyed seeing the different kinds of flowers and trees in the garden, including an unusual spring that creates music.

One of many huge kois in the pond

Our first plum blossom

Pieris

A musical spring - you can hear it play through the bamboo pole

Bamboo grove

Entrance to the garden beside the tea house

The teahouse entrance

Inside the tea house

I was certainly pleasantly surprised by Nagoya, knowing that we had only skimmed the surface of this city in the few hours that we visited.  This was just a foretaste of the many delights yet to come on this trip.

Japan in the Spring - Tokyo 2

We spent our second day in Tokyo with a gentleman from the Tokyo Free Guide.  I was alerted to the  service by my friend - it was a great experience.  I had to apply for the service two months in advance and the service provides a local volunteer as a guide for a day, no fees other than covering meals and transportation costs.  The best thing about this is getting to know someone who actually lives there - it was a great cultural exchange.  The volunteer actually has to pay a nominal annual fee to be part of the service.

Our guide introduced himself in an email, a retired professional with a spouse and grown up family.  He was very helpful in helping us plan our day, pointing out closures, and making reservations for lunch.  He picked us up at our hotel and took us to the various spots on our itinerary and at the end of the day went out of his way to show us the way to Ginza.  

It was another packed day starting with a trip to the Asakusa Visitor Center, a Kengo Kuma building looking down upon the famous Nakamise Shopping Street.  The view from the top was definitely better than the one at street level.  It was insanely packed all the way to the Sensoji Temple - apparently a must-visit for Tokyo visitors.  

View from the top floor of the Asakusa Visitor Center,

The Asakusa Visitor Center designed by Kengo Kuma

Inside the building

The busy crossing to Nakamise Shopping Street

The packed entrance to the Thunder Gate

The even more packed Nakamise Street

Sensoji Temple - the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo

Younge ladies dressed up for the visit.  There is a shop across from the Temple that rents entire outfits, including accessories for tourists. 

Sukiyaki lunch at the Asakusa Imahan was definitely the highlight of the day.  Delicious food and amazing service!  It was lucky that we had reserved a room because when we arrived at the restaurant, the dining room which doesn't require reservation is completel full and they were not even taking wait lines.

An after lunch stroll along the waterfront allowed a glimpse of the river and the famous Tokyo Skytree Tower and the Asahi flame (nicknamed the "golden turd" for obvious reasons)

The Hamarikyu Gardens yielded a respite from the bustling Asakusa area.  The beautiful Otemon bridge rook us into the gardens with some of its beautifully landscaped areas but also my first encounter with Tokyo wildlife.  The duck pond also has some Canvas backs which I didn't expect to see. 

Otemon Bridge



A brown-eared bulbul - a lifer for me in the most unexpected place, and I didn't even have my birding lens with me!

The Shogun's teahouse surrounded by beautiful Japanese pines.  

A 300 year old pine on the property

Love this window sign in one of the Shogun's lodges

We walked form the Hamarikyu Gardens to Ginza, gawking at all designer houses along the strip.  The Kabuki Theatre was was quite exceptional among all the glitz.  Since the neon lights were not on yet we decided to have an early dinner to beat the crowd at the Chikuyotei Ginza.  The eel dinner was exceptional!  Coming out onto Ginza with its lights turned on was a treat as you can see below.

The Kabuki-za Theatre, the largest in Japan, opened in 1889

Front door of the Theatre

One of many interesting buildings on the Ginza strip

Ginza crossing - you just have to catch it in that 30 seconds before you get run over!

Ginza Crossing when the lights came on

A few of the buildings on the strip that caught my eye...

I was proud to say that we made it back to the hotel on the subway without having to take a taxi.  It was easy, because our Guide had found us the best route among the many options available.  Tokyo is just amazing with so many varied options for transport!  But even more remarkable was how busy and yet pleasant it was even at night.  There were no scary corridors or dangerous platforms to navigate, everything was orderly and calm in spite of the bustle.  Above all, it felt safe! 

Taking the wrong turn coming out of the subway yielded unexpected opportunities for photography.  As the landscape was not familiar, we decided to turn back, but not before taking a few shots!  

This wrapped up our remarkable two days in Tokyo.  In the morning, we negotiated the train station again and made it to Yokohama to catch the boat.  Wish there were more time in Yokohama as it looked interesting.  All I could manage was this night shot of the harbour before we took to sea.

Next stop:  Nagoya