Japan – Tokyo

A little history lesson about Tokyo 

Where do I start with what many now call the largest city in the world? Tokyo itself has population of around 14 million inhabitants, although what is effectively the greater metropolis of the area (when Yokohama, Chiba and Kawasaki are added in) has around 37 million inhabitants. It is the largest urban economic area in the world.

It has come a long way from its origins as a fishing village in the 12^th Century AD called Edo. The city’s Edo name in old Japanese means “cove entrance” and for centuries was the city of the Edo family.

A castle was built here in 1457 and when the local warlord became a Shogun (regional military dictator) in 1603 he set Edo as his capital and the population exploded. The city enjoyed peace and prosperity for the next 250 years. By the 18^th Century it was one of the biggest cities in the world, with a population of around 1 million inhabitants.

From 740 to 1868 Japan’s capital was at Kyoto, where the Emperor resided but change was afoot. Edo was the nation’s biggest city and when civil strife and rebellion broke out in the city in 1867, the Emperor overthrew the local Shogun and moved his Palace and entourage to Edo in 1869.

He began by residing in what was the castle here and it became the Imperial Palace. He took the opportunity to rename the city Tokyo, meaning “Eastern Capital” and thus Tokyo city by name was launched.

The city and much of Japan was now opening, albeit reluctantly in many areas to western influences in commerce and politics. Huge industrialisation began and by 1900 the city was crisscrossed with many train lines to aid movement around the crowded city. It got it first Metro underground train system in 1927 and the lines expanded rapidly that now it has one of the most extensive transport systems in the world.

A phenomenon of Tokyo is its exposure to earthquakes (and a lesser degree volcanos). There is a small earthquake roughly every 3-4 days that can be felt by the local population. They cause little, if any damage and is just a slight swaying feel that the inhabitants think nothing of.

To many foreigners it is not usual and can cause concern – I never felt any earthquake or heard of one the whole 10 days I was in Japan however.  They city receives a major earthquake roughly every 50 years and the 1923 one was the last major one, leaving 140,000 people dead. Clearly Tokyo is due for another one sometime soon!

We all know how Japan suffered during WW2 (and I was to visit Hiroshima later in my trip). Tokyo was extensively fire-bombed by the Americans, who used the fact that the city was predominantly filled with wooden structures.

The bombings, by the end of the war had killed around 200,000 people and left half the city totally destroyed.

The population had evacuated out and dwindled from 6.7 million at the start of WW2 to 2.8 million by the end. The city was devastated and a massive reconstruction programme, overseen by the Americans, started after the war of concrete and steel structures.

This is one of the reasons that Tokyo has little of its old wooden buildings, temples etc left. Most that are still here, are often reconstructions.

Today it has the tallest free standing Tower in the world – The Tokyo Skytree – with plans afoot for what will be the tallest building in the world, if it goes ahead.

Tokyo’s two airports

If you are travelling to Tokyo do remember to check which airport you will be landing at. Arrive at the wrong airport and you could be in for a lengthy and expensive journey to where you need to get to in the city.

Tokyo, like many international cities has more than one airport – two in fact.

Narita Tokyo Airport

One – Narita airport – is newer and is in the far western outskirts of the city, actually out of the city limits at around 60km away. It’s around a 40 mins to an hour away from the city centre by taxi/car/bus (depending on traffic) or 14 mins on a fast express train/35 mins cheaper slower train. A taxi is very expensive and would cost around £130 and the express train around £22. The bus being the cheapest option is around £5.

This airport is good if you are staying in the north of the city, but will be even more time-consuming and involve multiple train changes if you are based in the south. Click here for the airport website.

I have this little pic that is not major in itself but means a lot to me. I arrived in Tokyo at 6am as the sun was appearing over the horizon and I had to get a shot of it through the airport’s windows.

I fondly think of it as my first pic of japan where it encapsulates the sun rising in the land of the rising sun.

Haneda Tokyo Airport

The other airport – Haneda – is older and just south of central Tokyo, actually in Tokyo Bay, so about 15km and 20 mins by car/bus/taxi from the central area. It’s connected to the city Metro and train system so effectively you can be in the centre of Tokyo in around 15 mins. Click here for airport website

Haneda airport has been around since the 1930 and reached capacity in the 1970s with noise and slot restrictions due to its small central location. Narita was built way out of the city as the new airport and had plans for 5 runways. That was challenged by locals and it presently has three runways and thus by the 1980s also reached capacity, so Haneda was kept on for overflow.

Then Haneda used an infill in the bay for expansion and it was back in the game, even attracting major airlines back as its hub. The two now effectively share the volume of flights.

I flew into Haneda (I had several options of airlines all with different landing airports) for several reasons.

It was near the cheaper accommodation area of the city in the south that had excellent transport links to the city centre where all the places I wanted to see are located. It is connected to the Metro subway system for easy travel in/out from anywhere. The overriding next choice was because I found a great quality cheap hotel not far from the airport that had a direct bus link from near the hotel to Haneda – easy!

JR Rail Pass

If you will be travelling around japan, especially on long-distance trips I absolutely advise you to consider the JR Pass, Its a discounted pass for all of Japan Rail trains, affording you rail journeys at a much cheaper total price.

The pass comes in a 7 or 14 day pass format ie 7 or 14 continuous days. You can opt for first class or ordinary (first gets you a better seat and free onboard snacks/drinks). I found ordinary was superb and exceeded my expectations with huge, comfy seats and room galore in wonderful carriages. A snack trolley comes round often and the seats have pull down trays and at seat electrical sockets just like planes.

Ordinary for 7 days start at £217 which isn’t cheap but if you use the trains a lot, especially the expensive Shinkansen inter-city bullet trains it is much cheaper this way. Train travel in Japan is expensive anyhow (as is a lot of other things here!). The website even gives you a calculator to show the price of individual city to city prices etc and you can then do the maths to see the price savings. I worked out I saved 50% on the fares I would have paid out just for my 4 inter city trips. I thus got all the trips around Tokyo and Osaka by local trains free as well.

So how do you get the Pass? Well, it pretty simple. You apply online before entering Japan at JRPass.com and they send you your voucher that you exchange for the actual Pass on arrival in Japan. In most countries that voucher arrives at your address a day after applying online or a little longer depending on your postal service.

When you arrive in Japan you take your voucher to the nearest JR Pass office at Osaka Airport or either of Tokyo’s two airports or most of the main line train stations. You fill in a simple form and they issue you with your Pass and it’s valid from that day. If you are arriving but not going to use it for a few days then go to the office on the morning you want it to start, you can’t have it stamped for a start date in the future.

There are a few conditions to meet to obtain a JR Pass however. Your passport must be stamped with a 15 or 90 day temporary sightseeing visitor Visa. This is the normal one issued to almost everyone (most countries’ passports get this visa on arrival but check entry requirements first), unless requested otherwise. You will need to show your passport with this Visa stamp in when you collect your pass, so have it ready. If you have a different Visa type eg a working, student or residency Visa that will cancel your eligibility for the pass.

You can use the pass on all JR trains in the whole of Japan – the routes are fairly extensive. There are other company trains that you can’t use it on but they are few and the free handbook you get and website explains where you can’t use it.

The great thing, especially for me is that it gets you a free seat on the Shinkansen bullet trains (advance seat reservation recommended) and all the JR trains to the major cities.Click here for JR Pass website.

Tokyo has many JR train lines going in and out of the city from the suburbs and this had an added advantage for me. My hotel was near a JR suburban line station so I used the JR train to get into the city instead of using the Metro system – it saved me lots! Trainlines are underground in central Tokyo so again I was even able to jump on/off various JR trains for free to get around the city. Thus, I only paid to use the Metro a couple of times

Where to stay in Tokyo

Tokyo is so huge and spread out that it’s important to know where you want to stay in order to get the best out of the city.

Hotels can be spread out all over the city so there is no one “hotel” area as such.

The central area around Tokyo Station/Marunouchi is as central as you can get but bear in mind here you are in the skyscraper area and it is very expensive. However, you are at the centre of the action as the Imperial Palace gardens and nearby Ginza are within walking distance. You are also next to one of the biggest transport hubs in the city – Tokyo Station for all your train and Metro/Subway connections.

Shinjuku is the very busy commercial centre with a great transport hub too. Here is where you need to be for shopping and restaurants but as long as you are relatively near a Metro or train station you can still access other parts of Tokyo from here. You also have the national Shinjuku Gyoen gardens and the Meiji-Jingu Temple nearby.

Shibuya is another commercial, stylish area with a younger urban feel. You’ll be near the famous Shibuya Road crossing (more on the that later), but which only takes minutes to see, so don’t base that on your choice of location. Its also near great transport links for the rest of the city.

Other areas further out eg Shinagawa and Roppongi are near great transport links (you must be near public transport in Tokyo) and have characters of their own (quite high class area), so check these out also.

Basically the further out from the centre the cheaper and probably more modest is the accommodation. What is added to your journey time into and out of the centre on the cheap (or free if you have the JR Pass and use JR lines) trains, is massively saved on the cost of accommodation.

Where I stayed in Tokyo

I took a look at decent central hotels and almost fell over backwards at the prices. The cost for one night was more akin to what I would usually pay for a week!.

I thus took my own advice and looked for a hotel further out from the centre but with good transport connections into central Tokyo.

The options were now much more affordable sometimes a quarter of the price of the central hotels I had seen. I settled on a few and then decided on one in particular. It was in the Ota City area in the Katama district. I saw there was a direct bus from Haneda Airport straight to Katama main line train station and my hotel would be a few mins walk from there.

Perfect, as I would thus have the free JR line trains with my JR Pass direct into Tokyo station within around 20 mins.

I took the bus from the airport from the signposted bus terminal and I was off. I had seen pictures of Katama station so I knew what it looked like (it was big) and where to get off. I got there in around 20 mins so all was fine and then a short walk down a pretty, quiet side street to the hotel.

Red Roof Inn Kamata-Haneda Tokyo

This was a great choice. The price was so much more affordable so I was expecting something that would be just acceptable. However, I found it great and it’s 10 mins from the station that I used every day. The station has shops and there is a bustling commercial area round the corner for anything you need.

The exterior of the hotel building is quite a concrete block style but don’t let that put you off. Inside it was wonderfully modern, in traditional spartan Japanese style also but really comfy.

The receptionist spoke perfect English and gave me lots of tips on where to go locally for eats and snacks and even directed me to a local shopping mall that has a sushi store – I adore sushi and went there the first afternoon to stock up.

The room was small – but beware, as I found out – all Japanese hotel rooms are small unless you are staying in a 5 star international brand. However, the rooms are so totally functional. It had everything, it was just that things slid out from other units eg extra shelves or lifted up to reveal others eg mirrors. It was so perfectly functional that I actually didn’t lack the amenities, you just need to get used to Japanese incredible use of space for functions.

Yes, one side of the bed was against a wall so that was a first ever for me but you have to accommodate Japanese use of space. The bed was so comfy and the room so stylish, clean and modern that I actually quite liked the use of form and function after 3 days.

It was quiet and the bathroom was of a capsule style. That I again found was normal after my fourth Japanese hotel stay. The only thing was that being just over 6 feet tall I did need to stoop under the shower a little to wash my hair, Japanese men apparently being around four inches shorter than me.

Breakfast was ok, basic but fresh and enjoyable on a self serve buffet style of pastries, toast, coffee etc in the reception area in a style more akin to a café or canteen but perfectly modern.

I did appreciate, that for the price I was paying, this was more of a Japanese version of a motel or travel stop-off hotel but the quality of fixtures, cleanliness and modernity was impeccable.

Am happy to recommend it and would defo stay here again if I got back to Tokyo. In case you are wondering, despite being 20 mins from the airport I never heard or saw a plane the whole time so that was great. Click here for the hotel website to book.

As I had arrived early morning at my hotel, way before check-in time, my room was not ready. However the receptionist checked me officially into my room on the system and happily took my bag for storage for later, when I would return to actually take my room.

So, off I headed into the big unknown. My first time in Japan and effectively this far east of any country I had visited so far. In a land where I couldn’t speak the language and where even the written language on signs would be unfatomable to me, I felt a little trepidation set in. Was going to understand how to get around this megapolis?

Marunouchi Plaza area

Up until 1567 this area was underwater as part of Tokyo Bay. It was reclaimed then and used as a extension to the Royal Palace area opposite. Its name means “Inside the enclosure” in reference to being part of the Royal Palace grounds in those times.

This area is Tokyo’s financial heartland and also a large commercial hub in itself. The buildings around here seem largely modern (built within the last 30 years or so). There is a plethora of 30-40 storey glass and concrete style office blocks, although these are not the tallest buildings in Tokyo. Three of Japan’s biggest banks have their HQ’s here along with other national and international companies. Tokyo City Hall and its administration was in a building here until it moved out to Shinjuku in 1991.

However, it has street upon street of cafes, restaurants and the roads are often tree-lined to break up the monotony of the office blocks. If you base yourself here you are probably in the best location for style, shopping, business and nearness to most of the city’s sights. Those sites further out are easily connected to here, as here is the main Tokyo train Station for the bullet trains and numerous underground Metro links.

If you are heading for the Imperial Palace Gardens then its more than likely you will be getting off at Tokyo station, one of the few buildings that remain from its time of construction in 1914. The red brick Edwardian style of western architecture contrasts with its surrounding high-rise structures.

Tokyo’s Ginza District

The Ginza is the fashionable, chic shopping area of Tokyo, along the lines of Fifth Avenue, New York or Knightsbridge, London.

I could get there via a short one stop Metro ride but decided to walk there from Marunouchi in around 20 mins.

I was expecting small boutique stores and outrageous designs. There are a few stores along those lines here, but it was much more an area filled with showcase designer stores, stylish department stores and very walkable, wide, paved streets. The buildings sort of reflected the modern Marunouchi area I had just come from but building heights were more in the 20-storey mark and much more avant-garde in design.

Prices certainly reflected the high-class area it was (I found Tokyo in general to be expensive for a Brit like me in most areas anyhow). I was content to browse and not buy!

It kind of confirmed to me that wherever you go in the world and enter a major city’s exclusive shopping zone, it all pretty much looks the same and Tokyo was no exception – there’s always a GAP store and Starbucks in all of them.

In Ginza was something I had heard about and so wanted to see it from the outside. I have heard the shows are vey long and in Japanese so it would have been lost on me anyhow but I wanted to see it anyhow. The theatre performs Kabuki which is a traditional Japanese stage drama show. It is strangely performed by men only and has elaborate costumes, music, dancing and make-up.

Shows often go on for over 4 hours, but to accommodate those with limited time, or those foreigners who would get weary of such a long performance, you can buy strictly limited, standing room only tickets on the day, for just one of the many acts. This way you get a roughly 1 hour introduction to the process without the overload! Click here for the website if it interests you.

Kokyo Gaien National Garden Tokyo

This garden area is effectively a huge lawn filled with 200 black pine trees between the two moated section of old Edo Castle. Back in its day the area was used for military barracks and parade grounds.

There are paved walkways around the massive area (I never saw anyone actually go onto the lawns or among the trees. It’s perfectly manicured and the trees clipped to enhance their random growing branches and growth spurts.

The fact that so many black pine trees are together makes it look special in itself and then when you use them to frame the beautiful moated walls and buildings you can see their wonder.

The backdrop of the skyscrapers in Marunouchi area gives it a special if somewhat surreal charm. You are in the centre of a major city yet here you are surrounded by flat lawns and sculptured trees.

The wide inner moat facing the dark stone walls of the Old Edo Castle marks its boundary and the skyscrapers, with another outer moat, its opposite boundary. The walk along the inner moat here gives glimpses into the compound inside and everyone stops to take a picture of the classic double-arched stone bridge over the moat with the backdrop of the wooden painted pagoda like watchtower.

It is one of the official entrances to the Royal Palace inside but there are several other public entrances equally traditional in their style.

I walked from one end of the inner moated area to the other, just to get a feel for the size of the effectively, old defensive walls of the castle. The sheer scale and imposing strength clearly would deter any attackers or would be assassin of the Royal family inside.

Diet Building (Parliament)

The Diet – or upper and lower chambers of Parliament – sits in front of one side of the inner moated area. It has its own gardens but no visitors are allowed in.

It replaces two previous buildings of different designs that were both burned down in fires in 1891, only 2 months after its completion, and another in 1925.

Those buildings were located in another part of the city. The present building was completed here in its new setting in 1935. Historically, there have been comments about how it resembles both past and present historical buildings.

Imperial Palace East Garden

From the Kokyo Gardens there is one entrance to the next set of gardens, although if you come from other directions round the moat there are several others.

The heavy looking gate I went through was clearly a defensive one judging by its fortified walls and strong gates. I did see other gateways leading out of the gardens in others parts and these looked more ceremonial and smaller.

Once inside the Imperial Gardens it is clear that you are in a place of tranquillity and peace. The city noise disappears and wide walkways circle the trees, ornamental bushes and lakes. In fact, there are quite a few lakes to take in that seem to connect with each other.

Small bridges and ornamental plants have been placed strategically for decorative effect and immaculate vistas start to unroll in front of you.

There are Koi fish in the ponds – big ones! In their differing colour they slowly swim around near the bridges, obviously expecting scraps of food to be thrown in to feed them.

Massive bonsai-like trees and clipped pines overhang the lakes casting shade onto the water and one lake has a sacred stone lantern fixture at the water’s edge – definitely a Japanese style that I recognise.

At various points a traditional house-like structure would appear, resplendently made from carved wood and local stone – never did work out what many of them were.

Although you could not hear the city noise, occasionally the skyline would appear at a low tree level area and you are reminded that the gardens are in the centre of a modern, skyscraper festooned city.

There is limited signage about to tell you what you are looking at, but my phone map app explained that here I was looking at a bamboo plantation – it had been carefully pruned though as it was the finest looking set of bamboos that I had ever seen.

Nearby was a small terrace of rows of tea bushes – I wonder if they actually pluck the leaves to make tea for the Emperor from these?

Various old, traditional buildings are dotted along the walkways adding to the ancient feel of the gardens. Some were for Palace guards from times past and some more storage and barrack-like in their design

One building was even a martial arts centre – am unsure if it is still used as such today though as I could see no activity around it.

Other buildings were clearly outhouses for where the Emperor could enjoy the gardens on a Summers day, in times long gone. One was clearly of a tea house design. Yet another resembled a huge grain store or stables.

The gardens are extensive and there are lots of small scenery vistas played out at each turn. Give yourself plenty of time here to take in every panorama as the walk about is so peaceful. There’s even a small museum in one area.

Edo Castle 

Inside the Imperial Gardens is the remains of Edo Castle, in an area set-off to one side. It was built in 1457 by the powerful local military warlord of the area. Over time he extended the territory of the castle area and reclaimed parts of the bay with infill, and constructed the walls we see today. The present-day Marunouchi area in front was actually underwater before this time.

When the warlord killed a rival inside the Castle in 1701, it started a local rebellion. Eventually in 1871 the warlord’s successors were overrun and the then Emperor, who at that time resided and ruled from the smaller city of Kyoto, intervened.

He took advantage of the beaten warlord’s demise and decided to establish his new capital in the now expanded territory he governed. He moved the Imperial Court and residence to Edo Castle – thus Tokyo was born as the capital.

The castle grounds had 38 gates through the often 20 metres tall walls and at its height was known to house over 20,000 people.

Some of these walls and gateways are still here today.

There are parts of the walls that are still intact and over 200 metres long. They are still tall enough to cast a heavy shadow on the ground on a bright day, as I experienced.

These huge walls would have been a formidable defensive barrier to any attacker. Yes those little figures at the base of the wall are actual people.

A large platform still remains from what was the basis of a previous building.

There is even a small modern, colourful theatre, that still gives productions in the castle grounds

The wooden structure that remains of Edo Castle is off to one side of the gardens, blink and you may miss it as it is down a pathway among huge trees.

After seeing the Castle area I realised I had seen pretty much all of the Imperial Gardens area  and I exited via the nearby small gate to the north, crossed the bridge across the wide moat and headed to the Metro station on the other side.

As I approached the station, I saw this beautiful modern building. It’s an office complex built over a large shopping mall underneath with lots of eateries inside. It caught my eye because there was clearly a major conference happening in the associated buildings next to it and the whole building had been decorated in the flag of every country on earth. Quite a sight!

My first day in Tokyo was finished and I was exhausted from all the walking,

So far, I had explored the first of my three zones that I had split Tokyo into, to make the visits easier and I was very impressed indeed. My hotel was a few Metro stops away and then a train journey from Tokyo main station – all included in my JR Pass of course.

Day two in Tokyo

Day two arrived and the warm weather was gloriously sunny and dry and I was so looking forward to this day.

I was to visit one of the oldest and the newest buildings in Tokyo. One symbolising its historic past and another representing it modern future – what were these two places? Read on!

I caught the train into town and changed onto the Metro heading for the nearby station of Asakusa where I would begin my trek for the day.

Senso-Ji Buddhist Temple

Senso-Ji Buddhist Temple is the oldest Temple in Tokyo.

Its origins started in 628 AD when two local fishermen found a Buddha statue in the nearby river. The village chief recognised its sacredness and turned his house into a gathering place for the villagers to worship it.

In 645 AD it was turned into an official Temple of the Buddhist faith as so the present Senso-Ji was born.

The Tokugawa clan of military overlords (from 1803-1868) ruled the area from Edo castle (in central Tokyo) and officially recognised the Temple and became its Patron thus raising it to the highest level.

Before you get your hopes up and marvel at the ancient buildings just remember something. Tokyo was heavily firebombed during WW2 (on one night alone 100,000 people died in the firestorm from a bombing raid). Tokyo was a city still built from wood so it burned like a tinderbox and the Temple complex here was no survivor, as it was burned down. The buildings here are copies but are so beautifully designed to match the originals.

The main entrance, the Kaminarimon Gate (Thunder Gate), is bedecked with a huge hanging lantern. Its colours of red and with black calligraphy is supposed to represent Thunder and lightning. This indicated the entrance to a long straight walkway up the one of the temples and again, in Japanese style, is unique.

It is lined with over 90 shops selling mostly beautiful artisan trinkets and gifts.

The crowds were enormous and you do have to go with the flow if you want to walk into the Temple area along this route – there are other less busy walkways however.

Being a disliker of crowds, I at first hesitated but then the Japanese being such polite people (the crowds were 90% Japanese) always respect your personal space where possible and there was no pushing or squashing, despite the huge numbers.

Browsing the stores as I wandered down the huge long pedestrianised walkway was actually ok and I didn’t get my usual frustration at disrespectful or annoying loud people nearby.

I loved the chopstick stores and where else would you find a whole store dedicated to just chopsticks?

There were lots of souvenirs stores but they were so arty and craftlike – definitely not tacky. Ok, a few shops were selling more normal stuff like umbrellas and ponchos for the rain and t-shirts but they were few in number.

I’m not going to be an expert guide here as I am no well-informed person on the in and outs of Japanese Buddhism, so I hope the multitude of pics here shows the beauty and uniqueness of the site.

I was here to enjoy the views, the artistic multi-tiered pagoda structures of the various halls and its places of worship.

The pagodas are stunning – the theme of red, brown and black certainly stand out and I was mesmerised by the styles. I don’t often get the chance to see so many of these types of buildings in one place so I was in awe.

At various places people were bowing with clasped hands, at others they were just looking, contemplatively, into the wide entrances of the doorways.

At other points, you could enter to see the interiors and enjoy the interiors but, yet again, I often didn’t appreciate what I was looking at or their significance, so took my cue from those around me who did.

Flowers, statues, carved items appeared at various points.

Lots of lanterns adorned areas, all with Japanese calligraphy which I can’t read so was disappointed at my inability to understand them.

There are only few plaques, that describe in English, what the different buildings are for – understandable as this is primarily a place of worship not a tourist attraction (despite the hordes).

I just kept taking pics of what I found captivating or enchanting, they could have been anything and often, I didn’t know their significance, I just liked them.

The Nazi symbol was used several times but I did remember that this symbol was a Buddhist representation from centuries before and was adopted by the Nazis reprehensibly. It shocked me at first, knowing its hate meaning but no-one batted an eyelid as they passed by them.

Clearly this symbol meant something completely different here, in a religious context.

Mixed in were gardens at several points. Small statues and pilgrimage-like sites appeared on their own amongst the huge pagoda and halls.

The Asakusa Shinto Shrine is next to the Buddhist temple and seperated only by a small overhead Tori (gateposts), so you wander in and out of it without really noticing that you have entered a different faith’s area.

Carved slabs appeared in small settings, again covered in Japanese writing, but I got the feeling that these were commemorative and sometimes a tombstone.

Carved stone lion-like monuments appeared and even huge cauldron-like structures all looking lovely but I again had no idea of their significance or use.

Fortune telling at the temple.

I’ve never been a believer in the fortune telling process and am quite a sceptic when it comes to this type of superstition. However, I noticed lots of people queueing in front of a small temple and table area with a wall of drawers next to it.

I watched and saw how people paid a banknote into an honesty box and then went forward in their turn to the table. They picked up a big cylindrical tube, made some kind of inward wish, shook, and then tipped it upside down. From a small hole in the tube, a stick fell out. They then looked at the number on the stick and went to the corresponding wall of drawers and opened the drawer with that number on. Form the drawer they took a sheet of paper and read it…. Interesting.

I looked up and saw the instructions in English as well as Japanese and so thought this might be fun.

I did exactly as I was supposed to and eventually got my piece of paper from the drawer and excitedly read my fortune.

You can see my fortune in the pics written in Japanese and English on the reverse. So, I was number 88. You either get a good fortune or a bad fortune paper … mine was bad fortune. My heart sank as I read the list of all the bad things that were going to happen to me and a few hit hard.

You can read them all in the pic but the hardest ones for me was the first one and the sixth “Your wishes will not come true” and” Its bad to make a trip”. The rest were bad enough but these two were what I was doing now so ……

If you get a bad one you are supposed to tie it to the display rack in the hope that the wind will blow away the contents … I did just that! Hopefully they will not come true.

The weirdest thing however, was watching the same person do this whole ritual several times. Is there any point, if you get bad fortune, to do it again? Does eventually getting a good fortune result negate all the bad fortune ones? I saw one woman do this three times!

Senso-Ji Procession

Whilst I was wandering, I became aware of a drumming noise that was approaching from behind me. Immediately people started filing to the sides of the walkway as if making way for something to pass.

Intrigued I did the same, having no idea about what was about to happen. A few policemen came walking ahead down the walkway, ensuring everyone had moved politely to the sides.

A troupe of kiddies dressed in traditional kimonos appeared with what seemed teachers and there were being organised into lines to proceed to one of the hall buildings with offerings in their hands. Clearly a religious ceremony was being enacted and we watched as they performed their duties.

People dressed in traditional robes proceeded by banners with writing on them, then followed down the route. A man carrying a huge decorated umbrella and wearing white and gold robes then passed by.

Then women dressed as cranes – long white necks attached to their heads and arms attached to wings appeared in line marching down to a small square ahead. Then a cart with men dressed in traditional costumes beating drums was pushed down the walkway.

This was such a sight and I was in the right place at the right time for it.

I watched amazed as this ceremony of circling and flying crane birds performed their ritual dance to the drumbeats and everyone watched. Then they were gone. Marching away ahead into the distance leaving us behind. What a terrific performance! What was it about I have no idea but I certainly felt honoured to have watched it.

Leaving Senso-Ji 

I was getting hungry at this point and wanted to find somewhere to eat quickly. I noticed there was a kind of food festival along one side of the outer area of the temple grounds. It had about 10 stalls selling food of differing types – all Japanese.

There were noodles stalls, sweet stalls and others selling bento boxes of food. Other had foods that I didn;t recognise but they were popular with the Japanese buying from them.

I fancied the end stall as it had something fried. I had no idea what the signage on it said as it was in Japanese so judged by the images of chickens that they were selling fried chicken. I approached and with sign language indicating one and pointing, selected a cone of stuff. It turned out to be a type of spicy fried chicken and was delicious. I liked it so much I went back for a second and got a soft drink as well. I sat down at the nearby Koi Pond and watched the swimming fish as I munched through my second serving.

If you needed a ride around the site, and maybe further, there were rickshaw drivers stationed nearby. They seemed fairly busy and it was surprisingly the Japanese tourists who were using them.

Outside, I wandered along a paralel street to get to a nearby Metro station, to take it to my next destination. Again, I was intrigued by the shops along the route.

Clearly, they were modern but had been built with traditional facings to capture the wooden ancient style of its temple surroundings.

Tokyo Skytree

This building opened in 2012 and is the primary broadcasting tower for this area of Japan. It has an observation deck at the top and at 634 metres is the tallest structure in Japan and at 634 metres, the second tallest in the world to date.

The base starts as a huge concrete tripod and merges together further up to form a cylindrical tower. It is encased in what I can only describe as concrete meshwork.

There are two observation decks, the higher one being 450 metres up from the base – and that was where I was headed.

Tickets are available daily in the huge foyer and there is usually a small queue for the lifts that take you up, ears popping on the way!

I knew that Tokyo was in an earthquake zone and my trepidation at ascending such a tall structure and an earthquake hitting us was at the front of my mind. I was assured from my reading though that its design is one of the most earthquake resistant methods around and even a strong earthquake would not topple it.

With that reassuring me I took the lift to the top viewing deck.

The views from the top are stupendous. You see the whole of Tokyo spread out below you and right out to the suburbs. You realise that only the central mass of the city is high rise and the suburbs really quite low-rise. That accounts for the sprawling mass of the city itself, one of the biggest in the world.

You can get a real perspective of the layout of the city and its relationship to the bay.

The Sumida River winds its way through the city crossed by many bridges and I never got a feel for the river at ground level. Here, I saw its path but with so little boat traffic on it

I could see the distant mountains out of the city and as the sun was setting, I noticed   people gravitating to one side of the tower’s windows. Soon everyone was over there and I followed knowing that there was about to be something special happening soon. Then gasps and oohhs as I saw the sun setting over the mountain.

I then realised that everyone wanted to see it, as the sun, from our position, sets over the sacred Mount Fuji in the distance. I managed to get a few shots of it but with bright sun and dark shadows they were a bit blurry so here is the best one.

A truly special event that again, I was unwittingly in the right place at the right time … Tokyo will be memorable for those events.

The evening had now set in and as the darkness arrived there was little left to see so I made my way down to set off back to the hotel.

At the base of the tower is a large shopping complex and I took a while to wander the area seeing what was there. There was a large Hello Kitty store here – yep, these shops are everywhere in Japan, such is their popularity. There was yet another store selling only chopsticks.

I picked up a few snacks from one store ready for the evening, still feeling quite full from my late meal of chicken from the temple area.

Day two was now complete and I was ready for a shower and my bed.

Day three in Tokyo

This was to be my last sightseeing day in Tokyo and I knew it was going to be a long day due to two enormous sites that I wanted to explore.

They were luckily near to each other so going between them should be easy.

As usual, I walked the 10 mins to the train station, looked up at the board for my Tokyo station train and easily boarded. Trains run precisely on time so you can estimate arrival times very easily.

A change of train to the Metro and I was at my first visit of the day

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden Tokyo

This is a huge park, (its circumference is 3.5 km), so do give yourself plenty of time if you want to fully explore it, as I did. It has three gardens as such, a French, an English and a Japanese one that blend together. For me by far the more picturesque was the Japanese gardens.

The word Gyoen in its title (its situated in Shinjuku hence why that part is easily explained) means Imperial Garden. Imperial because of its history. Originally the land was given by the local Shogun (feudal warlord) to one of his wealthy magnates/lords in 1772. When the Shogun dynasty fell in 1879 the Meiji Japanese Emperor took it over. With the fall of the absolute Imperial dynasty it was taken over by the Government in 1947 and has stayed there ever since.

Tokyo (and indeed Japan), is renown for its splendid and contemplative gardens, so on this trip I wanted to concentrate on what are unique Japanese features and attractions. I had made up my mind to avoid the Museums which I ALWAYS visit and indulge in something different.

I don’t often take in parks and gardens as they are very time consuming to wander, physically tiring and whilst enjoyable, I don’t often find them outstanding features of a cityscape. They don’t usually merit more attention than famous buildings and institutions, with a few exceptions.

Here, that is different. The Museums were rated as ok but Japan is not noted for its buildings housing major pieces of artwork (Japanese artwork excepted) or world- famous statues and sculptures.

There will be a lot of pics here to take in rather than text as how do you describe parks? Pics describe it much better as the visual speaks volumes.

Greenhouse section

The greenhouse section is fabulous – the building itself is quite a sight. It reminded of the size and content of the one in the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore that I had seen the year before, although very different in shape.

Here the flora that need the heat and humidity are kept and the range of variety is huge. A massive pond sits at its centre and even extends surreally to the outside. Large plant pads float on its waters and trees heavy with yellow blooms overhung the water’s edge.

Huge, green, multi-variegated leafed plants nestled round the edges and in borders, all perfectly manicured.

A rocky mountainside panorama had been constructed with its own waterfall and heavy leafed ferns and tropical plants nestled on its craggy surface.

Nearby a multitude of cacti and palms were shooting up from their rocky positions. The whole interior was warm and slightly muggy, just what these plants needed to flourish. A walk around here was intriguing to see species in their natural environment but within a massive man-made structure.

Don’t miss this display as its on a par with any of the similar ones I’ve seen worldwide.

Rose Garden

The rose garden was, I believe, part of the French formal garden. Not of great interest to me as I see these in my own gardens back home, but interesting to see how the Japanese think of them as quintessentially European.

Taiwan Pavilion

Wander further and you come to the Taiwan Pavilion area. This structure was built in 1927 to honour the then Emperor’s wedding and is one of the few Chinese inspired buildings in Tokyo.

It is bare inside and you can enter it to take in the views across the lake from its terraces.

The lake harbours overhanging trees and gives a view across to the modern skyline of Tokyo just above the tree level

If it’s a hot day, then the shade inside is very enticing – it was hot and I enjoyed the respite.

It is one of the most photographed parts of the park – who wouldn’t resist a pic of its curved roof edges and terracotta coloured tile roof through the trees overlooking the lake – and I didn’t resist.

Lakes and bridges galore

Walk further and you encounter numerous lakes, waterside trees and stunning photo opportunities.

I can’t remember how many pics I took here but it did run into the hundreds – of which, I am only showing a few here.

Various buildings appear now and again, some are refreshment cafes disguised as tea houses but there is one that is a Starbucks – they get everywhere.

Yet more trees and lakes abound. Remember that the park has over 20,000 tress and 1500 cherry blossom trees that attracts thousands of visitors for its blooming season.

The English, or Landscape Garden was really just huge lawns and very oak and elm looking trees with a small fenced pond. Ok, in itself but I was expecting something not quite so generic.

The long avenues of tall yellow-brown leaved trees was a definite nod to formal European gardens but again, something I was much more used to in … well, Europe.

Ceremonial lanterns beside lakes gave yet more picturesque photo opportunities, along with low arched wooden bridges over lake tributaries.

The huge pine tree that resembled mini bonsai trees definitely gave several areas a Japanese feel for me.

There is one building that was an Imperial Rest House from when the Emperor walked these gardens.

Kiddies are welcome to run around and enjoy the open spaces and many people were resting on the lawns and under shady trees to get the most out of the park. No “keep off the grass” signs here!

Again, the gardens are extensive and I would give yourself 3 hours to get around it all and fit in a pitstop at one of the cafes – the views from their terraces are fabulous. There are several entrances and each is near a different Metro station so ensure you know where you are getting off in relation to an entrance.

Flower displays

Near one of the exits/entrances to the gardens, were some attractive floral displays.

I was unsure if these are here permanently as several other had talked about them in their posts or if a local flower competition was going on.

They were definitely creative and huge but had to be in prescribed shapes. It seemed like the one that got the most perfect shape needed would win. Whatever was happening it was a welcome surprise to see.

My next place to visit was in the area but I decided to take the Metro a few stops to get to it quickly.

Meiji Jingu Sninto Temple Tokyo

This is a shrine dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and his consort Empress Shoken. The Emperor died in 1912 (his wife two years later), and so revered were they by the Japanese people, that voluntary donations and work was collected to build this shrine in their memory and honour. It was opened in 1920.

!00,000 trees were planted with a view to them being self-generating for the future.

Situated almost in the centre of this megacity, the forest is beautifully silent with no noise or indication of where you are. It is like they are the green lungs of the city.

Like most of Tokyo, the shrine was burned to the ground in the fire storm bombings of WW2, but the site was fully restored in 1958. Luckily the forest survived enough to regenerate itself.

There are several entrances but I entered from a nearby Metro station. The streets from the Metro to the entrance are filled with normal traffic and 4 to 5 storey residential and offices buildings. You then see the sign for the shrine, turn into it and you are immediately transported to a silent forest. Luckily there are noticeboards at the entrances in case you want a bit of info before the long trek.

The roads are long, wide but pretty straight through the forest. You enter through a Tori (ceremonial gateway) and pass decorative lanterns on the way.

Trees tower above you and there is the constant chattering of birds in the branches

You know you have arrived, after a somewhat 20 mins walk, when the purification stall comes into sight, complete with water and ladles.

Entry through the opening leads you directly into a massive open courtyard. Surrounding it on all sides are brown, pagoda-roofed, connected buildings. They are imposing and one ediface is over three storeys high.

One of the buildings contains an open hall and it is here that a moving queue had formed of worshippers. They approached, bowed with clasped hands and said a few words to themselves. Several stayed longer to bow and recite 3 or 4 times.

There were further courtyards and outbuildings but unfortunately not knowing much about the Shinto religion, their purpose was lost on me.

The Shrine conducts wedding ceremonies, which are very public as they have to be performed while the site is being visited by worshippers and tourists alike.

No-one seemed fazed by this at all and I saw one wedding ceremony being led out of one grand building into another. The public stood watching and taking photos as the precession wound its way through the courtyard. Many guests were in traditional costumes, they were so colourful and intricate that I had to take a few pics also.

The bride and groom were happy to pose in public view and they certainly seemed to be enjoying the event.

Again, there was a fortune teller system in place here. The same as the one the day before in Senso-Ji Temple, so I decided to tempt fate again.

This time when you get the stick with the number you have to remember it and tell it to the people behind a large counter – luckily the guy spoke English.

According to your number, they give you a poem that was actually composed by the Emperor or Empress with an explanation of how this short poem was created. The poem is also a kind of proverb to tell you something about you or your future.

You can see the actual translation of the poem in the pic but essentially it was telling me in a more familiar English version of the poem that “Where there’s a will there’s a way”.

Ok, maybe this counteracts the bad fortune tale I got yesterday!

The grounds are large so wander the precincts and pop into the various halls and rooms. I can’t tell you more but the site is impressive.

On the way I saw another wedding procession. This time a different bride and groom were leaving their ceremony, presumably officially married now.

What was unusual was that there was a London taxi waiting for them. Common enough for me to see  …. but in a Japanese Shinto shrine as part of a wedding ceremony?

I heard two people talking in English next to me who were taking pics also and they clearly knew both of them. I just had to ask why the London taxi and they replied that the groom lived and worked in London for a while and he loved the taxis there, so this was his personalisation of the ceremony …. Fair enough.

Shibuya Crossing Tokyo

It was quite late by the time I got to this and darkness had already fallen but I just had to see it.

The area is a major shopping district and at night the neon advertising lights illuminate the area. Yep, a bit over the top in the sense of commercialism for me but it’s just something Tokyo is famous for.

Do you remember seeing the short film clip that everyone talks about, when at a junction with a huge zebra crossing, the traffic stops and hundred of people swarm across the road.

Well, here it is, in the Shibuya area of the city.

The pics don’t show it well as it was dark, but you get the idea of the hundreds of people waiting to cross the road when the traffic stops.

The side streets are full of crowds shopping and passing by and this gives you a feel for the millions who are crammed into this city.

As always, somewhere in every city round the world there is a “British Pub” and here’s Tokyo’s own – and no I did not go in to check it out!

Japanese toilets

This may be a taboo subject but I’m going to address it here ….. Japanese toilets!

They are amazing!

Wherever you go there are these automated wonders that perform much more than the expected basics. All public toilets are the same, as were all in my hotel rooms.

They have controls to perform amazing functions. They are so inovative that there are instructions on the wall to guide you. A button to pre-warm the seat, but also with functions like. squirting water up your ….. you know …. to wash yourself after your ablutions. You can set the temperature of that water, have a long shoot of water or a short one and even the pressure …. Incredible ….

Then it blows a comforting warm air blast on your nether regions to dry you off. A programmable toilet and they are the norm ….. I want one!

The ones at Haneda airport were the most complicated, with different coloured buttons for the functions and even an instruction panel that advised you, should you encounter difficulties in this, to “call the disaster prevention centre” … whoa , that must be an embarrassing phone call.

My thoughts on Tokyo

Loved this city. It was so different to the normal that you get everywhere else. The people here, as in all of Japan so I found out, are incredibly polite and super professional. They constantly bow in respect, even the receptionists when they see you get out of the lift.

They advise with a smile and clearly want to help. There is no violence or aggression anywhere that I saw. I felt super safe everywhere, even though the language is an enormous barrier for me.

The streets are meticulously clean and organised and the stores always expertly merchandised and staff attentive.  I adored their way of life in being orderly, respectful and humble. I guess they have to be when they are virtually living on top of each other in this megacity.

Transport and business is super-efficient, modern and organised. The fact that you are not supposed to use your phone on the Metro in respect for others, and it is vehemently adhered to, amazes me for self-control.

I have more to see of Japan on this trip and this introduction so far has left me eager to experience the country in abundance.

Nov 2017