Japanese Vacation, Part 1

I took a couple days off from work, figuring it might be my only chance to do so until December. So, armed with only a book, a 160-gigabyte iPod and an extra pair of socks, I took off for nowhere in particular. I started off in southern Tokyo, in a neighborhood called Shiodome. There's a park there called Hama Rikyu Garden. I'm sure there's parks all over Tokyo, but I was surprised how big and green this place was, right in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world. It's no Central Park, and Tokyo may have its own version, but this place was pretty cool. Fields, flowers, creeks and bridges right in the shadow of all these skyscrapers of glass and steel.

From the park I took a $5 boat ride up the Sumida River, through Tokyo to the neighborhood of Asakusa. Seeing the city from the water was a different perspective. I got crapped on by a seagull, but it didn't ruin my day.

I got off the boat in northeast Tokyo in Asakusa, known as one of the more traditional, older parts of the city. This week happens to be right in the middle of the cherry blossom season, so when I got off the boat (it was about 5 p.m. on a Friday) there was already a party going on. Food, beer and hundreds of people relaxing by the river under the cherry blossoms. That was fun, and I'll write more on hanami and sakura later. So after drinking a beer, I walked a couple blocks inland to Kaminarimon Gate.

This is the gate. It's a pretty prominent part of the town, and it's easy to find. Kind of hard to miss. The lantern there in the center weighs 220 pounds. The gate leads into what's called Nakamise Dori, or "inside shops." There's a walkway there, with a bunch of little stores, and leads to the Sensoji Temple, maybe a quarter-mile inside.

 

Sensoji is Tokyo's oldest temple (founded in the 7th century) and is dedicated to Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy. The temple was under restoration and covered, but that didn't stop hundreds of people from visiting. This photo is a five-story pagoda adjacent to the temple. 

That's when it started to get dark, so I don't have any more pictures of Tokyo. But that was just the beginning of my 3-day vacation. Next, I'll tell you about Nikko.