Japan in Autumn - Tokyo

 I visited Japan last spring during cherry blossom season.  I was probably a week too early so while I did see some cherry blossoms and huge crowds, it was not quite the spectacle on travel websites.  But it did give me a first hand experience with the Japanese transportation system.  I was so impressed I decided to go back this fall to do a self-guided trip with my daughter and son-in-law around the country using the shinkansen (high speed train).  We visited 7 cities in 15 days.  I booked all the trains and a few buses a month before and to my relief, everything went without a hitch.  All the bookings went smoothly, the trains were spot on to the minute with no delays and we were able to make transfers at big and small stations on time.  A lot of credit is due to my daughter who quickly learned to navigate the system at the stations, not to mention her expertise at following google maps on the streets (which I have to confess I am hopeless with even though I can follow driving directions without a problem).  Grateful also to my son-in-law for keeping a protective eye on me to make sure I don't get lost hunting for a shot!

We spent three whole days in Tokyo, mostly soaking in the streetscape of the different neighbourhoods.  You won't see a lot of iconic Tokyo tourist sites here as we didn't visit any other than the Meijijingu  - a revisit for me so I had focused on the people.  The Shibuya Scramble Crossing was a highlight and truly the "wow" experience for me.  The big disappointment was the unexpected closure of the two museums on my itinerary - the Nezu Museum and the Sumida Hokusai Museum.  November 1st was a long weekend dedicated to Culture Day in Japan.  I think the museums opened on Monday (when they were normally closed) to celebrate Culture Day and closed on Tuesday instead.  I had noted the normal Monday closure when building the itinerary but missed the Culture Day aspect.  All the more reason for another trip...

Our Shinjuku hotel was a pleasant 15 minute walk to the Meiji Shrine.  It being a Sunday of a long weekend, there were lots of people, including locals who were there to celebrate the Autumn Festival at the shrine.  Chrysanthemums were the theme and many adults and children were dressed in kimonos with the motif.  We visited some interesting side streets just outside the shrine area before heading to the Shimokitazawa neighbourhood, a trendy, bohemian area known for unique coffee shops and vintage clothing stores.  We went back to Shibuya at night for the awesome sight of the crowds at the Shibuya Scramble Crossing.  It was a packed first day.

One of the beautiful Tori gates at the Meiji Shrine bears a repeat

Gorgeous chysanthemums on show at the shrine

Chrysanthemum bonsais!

This elegant young lady was happy to show off her stunning chrysanthemum kimono

Young couple with newborn baby happy to pose

Prescious!

Performers headed to the ceremonial dance

A long shot of the ceremonial dance - a reward for braving the crowds on a long weekend

The beautiful architecture of the Meijijingu above the crowds

The eaves at the shrine are fine examples of Japanese wood joinery technique

We ventured out onto the streets after our visit to the shrine - walked by some of the couture houses on Omotesando Street before cutting through some side streets to Takeshita Street, famous for its youth culture, fashion and sweets.

Not dessert but soaps!

Harujuku Street fashion - this seems to be all the rage

A surprise art deco building in Harajuku area

Sign says "Free diagnosis today" at a palm reading store - funny how people outside immediately looked at their own palms to compare with what's up on the chart!

The tallest chip stack

The biggest cotton candy!

Shopping streets in the Shimokitazawa neighbourhood.  This is the tourist section.

Parents and kids were lining up for group Halloween celebration event

A more subdued gentrified section of the Shimokitazawa district

A reprieve from the crowds in this coffee shop, relaxing with Leonard Cohen in the midst of bustling Tokyo.

Families walking home after the Halloween celebration

Restaurant specializing in fermented foods beside a closed aesthetic salon.

Bonus golden hour shot of the Docomo Yoyogi building, a landmark in the Shinjuku Yoyogi area, reminiscent of the Empire State building.

Shibuya Scramble Crossing is truly a sight to behold!  Unbelievable crowds.  This was taken from the walkway to Shibuya Station above the bus turnaround area.

What it feels like to be right in the crossing, with the crowd.  Tourists would pose for a shot in the middle of the road.

Just a little distance from the crowd

Birds' eye view of the crossing in full swing!

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.