DAY ONE (TOKYO)

Our first day of travels in Tokyo took us on an unexpected 8-mile hike (mostly on hills) in 4 hours! We began our walk from the Hotel New Otani and had coffee at Starbucks near the Akasaka Station. From there were walked just a few blocks to the Hei (Shinto) Shrine.

As we were rather uneducated about Shinto religion we did not understand what we saw. We ascented a long flight of stairs to the shrine grounds. We looked around at the shrine area, which resembled a courtyard, with the largest building being the main shrine. While we took pictures, we noticed a man nearby painting a picture of the shrine in the impressionist (Monet) style.

Walking into Shrine grounds gives an almost immediate sence of serenity. (Perhaps we were simply tired from climbing a mountain of stairs!) There were a few worshippers there dressed in "Sunday-best" style, and a few women in kimonos. There were also some young women wearing white blouses and red skirts. We found out later from reading our travel guide that they are called "shrine maidens." A ritual must have recently been completed just before we arrived, as they were removing caged roosters from the "courtyard" area. The place seemed bustling with activity.

Japan is a county of complexities. Japanese appear reserved and polite until after working hours are over and they imbibe in a beer or some sake (or both!). They work very hard, but are experts at the art of relaxation. Also, the country is rather ancient, yet they are on the breaking edge of technology. I thought this next photo captured this very well.

From there we walked towards the Imperial Palace, which is on the edge of Central Tokyo, via the Diet Building. The Diet Building houses representatives of both houses in the Japanese government (House of Representatives and House of Councillors). On our way we detoured by about a mile towards the nearby American Embassy. (It was my first time seeing one.) We walked around the block trying to get the best angle for the photograph.

We unfortunately lost our bearings a little while heading back towards the Imperial Palace grounds. Navigation is a little difficult when most maps on the street are posted in Japanese strokes (Kanji), and your own map doesn't include your destination! Also, we discovered that Japanese police typically don't speak any English, and our Japanese is questionable at best. However, we eventually found our way to the Imperial Palace. The effort was well worth it! The view overlooking the moat, the bridge, and the palace is breathtaking, as I'm sure you will agree from the next photograph.

After this, we admitted that we were both exhausted from walking, heat-tired, and hungry. We took a taxi back to the hotel for lunch.

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DAY TWO (TOKYO)

After coffee at Tully's on Monday morning, we decided to brave the subway system. Luckily, we discovered that fare passes could be bought from machines in English. We rode the Ginza Line from Akasaka to Meiji-jingu station. We were sore from the day before, but were happy that we had done more advance planning this time!

The Shinto shrine, Meiji-jingu, is just around the corner from the station in Harajuku and quite close to lively Yoyogi-koen (park). This time, we had researched more about rituals at Shinto shrines, and knew more about how to pay our respects. Meiji-jingu has three main sections: the shrine, the garden, and the museum. We visited the shrine itself first.

Upon entering the area, we washed at the trough. You dip the ladle and wash one hand, then the other. Then you cup one hand and pour water in it to rinse your mouth. It is proper to spit water on the ground and not in the trough!

After this, we continued up the steps to the shrine to take photographs from inside. We stopped at the cypress money boxes, clapped twice, and prayed. (I quietly said an "Our Father." Thank goodness Christians can pray anywhere.) We backed away from the boxes and left the shrine for the gardens.

The lillies are in full bloom in June, and the walking paths are well-kept. There is a tea house available for those who would like to do a tea ceremony. (We didn't, but we took a picture.) Admission to the garden is 500 Yen.

The lilly pond was my favorite part of the Meiji Shrine garden! The water was mostly covered in lilly pads, which were blooming white flowers. Also, we spotted several coi and a few turtles. (I learned the Japanese word for "turtle.") This next photo is my favorite. I was trying to decide which direction to angle the shoot, when I noticed the tree to frame it. Then, right as I was about to push the button, a woman came over to sit on a nearby bench.

After we left the area by the pond, we walked some of the trails. We noticed several crows flying overhead. One of them swooped down at struck Joe's head! It must have been protecting it's territory. We left the garden shortly thereafter and headed for Yoyogi-koen.

Yoyogi-koen park was uncharacteristically cluttered for Japan. Although the landscaping was nice (there were flowers planted along walking paths), there was quite a bit of litter on the ground. Also, I saw a few people eating while walking (a no-no in Japan unless it's an ice cream cone). We ate an ice-cream from a nearby stand and left to get back on the subway for the hotel and lunch.