To make the most of our limited time in Tokyo, we did the Tokyo Grand Full Day Tour offered by Japan Gray Line . It was a fantastic way to learn about Tokyo & some of Japan’s history. We were picked up at our hotel at 7:50 am & dropped off at 6:45 pm so was a long & eventful day. Here are some of the morning highlights.
The Shinto religion is one of Japan’s major religions along with Buddhism. We spent time at the Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine which is dedicated to Emperor Meiji, the first emperor of modern Japan. Two traditional Japanese weddings were taking place while we walked the grounds and we were able to snap a few photos of each. The first wedding appears to be much more traditional and the wedding dress is simply spectacular. The bride was wearing a white wedding kimono called “uchikake” with a white headdress.
The bride in the second wedding looks less traditional and the wedding procession was unique for us to observe. We found both of these Japanese weddings fascinating.
The grounds of the Meiji Shrine contain many gates and buildings. The buildings are surrounded by over 100,000 planted trees making this a very picturesque site.
We then went to the East Garden of the Imperial Palace, the home of the Emperor & Empress of Japan. Unfortunately, they were unavailable to have tea with us – perhaps next time! It is a 250 acre fortress surrounded by a moat. To get into the garden, you to through two gates and then past the old samurai warrior guard hut.
Here are a few photos of the extensive gardens:
We were treated with a traditional Japanese lunch. Although we were unsure of what some things were it was all very tasty. Here is Tricia waiting patiently for me to finish taking pictures so she can dig in with her newly acquired chopstick skills.
Our next post will cover what we saw and experienced in the afternoon.
OUT THE DOOR TO EXPLORE 