After the previous day, with its extraordinary weather and hazardous conditions, the first full day of Destination Japan tour activities opened to a promisingly blue sky. The air was clear and crisp, and the sun was out. Mother nature couldn't have had more perfect timing since today we were set to sightsee through the city of Tokyo! The icy roads and snow on the buildings and in trees had mostly melted away by the time we set out.
We started out with a jaunt over to the Tokyo Tower - the same Tokyo Tower you see destroyed in Godzilla movies, and set as the scene for the climactic ending of many an anime series. I was excited because I knew with the awesome weather that day our view from the observatory would be really good, and I was right... We could even see Mt. Fuji - a sign of good luck!
Something interesting we spotted along the way was a view of Mt. Fuji for the blind, written in braille on the railing near where we were standing.
A popular attraction of Japan is the purikura photo booths. One participant was taking pictures on his own and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to join in and take some together. For whatever reason, the camera couldn't pick up my jacket - INVISIBLE TOUR GUIDE!
We hopped back onto the bus and made our way out to the Meiji Shrine. I've been there many times, and this is a regular spot for tours of Tokyo, but it's not without reason. Meiji Shrine is one of the most peaceful sights in the whole city. Surrounded my a thick forest of towering evergreen trees, the buzz and bustle of the busy city is muted so much you can close your eyes and imagine old Japan. With the rays of the sun reflecting off of the little snow left on grounds and rooftops of the shrine area, the place simply glowed. The placed looked so good that I just went nuts with the camera. Check out some of the great shots below (this isn't even all of them):
Next it was time to check out the Imperial Castle. We transferred over there on the tour bus and go a good look at one of the castle buildings over the moat. Unfortunately, the actual grounds aren't open to the public, but it was a great time to look at the contrast of old vs. new with the Imperial Castle to one side, and the tall city buildings to the other.
The morning sightseeing tour finished by dropping us off in the posh shopping area known as Ginza, but Destination Japan wasn't finished! The group wanted to explore more, and there was a voice (that of the illustrious "D"!) that expressed a desire to check out the sumo town of Ryogoku! Well, being the free-form style of tour that Destination Japan is, we altered course and made our way over there. Sumo tournaments are held three times a year in Tokyo, but not in February. The quaint sumo museum was open, however, so we checked out the long history of sumo champions and then when to the fountain to purify ourselves (!!) in front of the offerings left by other sumo dudes.
A short bit of extra wandering yielded a random (and most awesome) temple hidden between modern Tokyo buildings. Then, giving in to the desire to rest in our comfortable rooms at the Hilton Tokyo Hotel, the group called it a day. Tomorrow was a full day of Tokyo shopping in Akihabara, Harajuku, and Shibuya, and we needed to be ready!
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| Day 3
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| Sightseeing in Tokyo
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