Japan: East Tokyo

The Asakusa district served as our base during our previous visit to Tokyo in 2006. The Sensōji Buddhist Temple and its surrounding areas have undergone significant changes since then; rather Disney-esque now. During our recent visit, we found ourselves there on a Sunday, coinciding with the first day of the Hagoita-Ichi Festival. Approximately 50 stalls lined the streets, offering good luck charms in the form of hagoita, which are decorated bats used in a game similar to badminton.

While a few individuals in traditional Japanese attire were seen shopping for hagoita, the more prevalent sight was that of young tourists donning kimonos and engaging in photo shoots. Interestingly, kimonos, which originally originated from China, only became the quintessential Japanese attire during the Meiji Restoration in the mid-19th century. This transformation occurred as Japan grappled with the challenge of establishing a national identity in the face of Western invasion.

Furthermore, a noteworthy addition since our last visit is the Tokyo Skytree, which claimed the title of the world's tallest tower in 2011.

Hagoita-Ichi Festival at Sensōji Buddhist Temple






The Sensōji Temple Front Gate and Guardians.




The Market Stalls leading to the Main Temple building.




Hagoita Bats for sale.




At the Inner Gate.


And the lights come up as the sun sets.






Tokyo Skytree "reached its full height of 634 meters (2,080 ft) in March 2011" (wikipedia).

Japan: South Tokyo

The Yurikamome Line is a modern light rail that travels over the Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo Bay, connecting the man-made island of Odaiba to Tokyo. The elevated tracks offer excellent views in all directions. Tip for fellow travelers: the cars tend to be crowded with joyriders. A better idea would have been to ride from Toyosu to Shinbashi for a less crowded experience.)

One evening, we visited Roppongi Hills (and nearby areas) to enjoy the holiday illuminations. Keyakizaka Street is lined with trees lit with blue lights, and Tokyo Tower stands in the distance. A particular crosswalk makes for a perfect photo. I was especially captivated by the brilliantly bright, jewel-like lights on the trees in the courtyard. Where can one acquire some of those LEDs?!

Joy riding on the Yurikamome Line with the Rainbow Bridge in the distance.


Crossing the Rainbow Bridge.




Odaiba Skyline


We move to the front of the first car to get a better view of Odaiba.




Short video taken from the front of the first car.


Ourselfies at Roppongi.


Roppongi Hills Illumination Crosswalk view to Clocktower.


Roppongi Hills Holiday Illumination (with Giant Spider at Right - 1st below)










Tokyo Midtown Holiday Illumination - A Short Walk from Roppongi.

Japan: Far West Tokyo

We made a special trip to the Ghibli Museum, a theme park of sorts for Hayao Miyazaki anime movie enthusiasts. Having watched more than half of his films, we felt compelled to check it off our list. Photography was not allowed inside. It felt a bit like a continuation of our surrealist tour that began with the Dali Theater in July 2022. (Tip for fellow travelers: tickets go on sale at 10 am on the 10th of the month for the entire following month. Queues start before 10.)

The day before we left Tokyo, we finally had a free day and the weather was great . Even though it was Sunday, we took the suburban train to Mount Takao and walked up to the summit at 599 meters on Trail 1. On the way down, we took Trail 3, then connected to Trail 6.

On that Sunday, many people, mostly Japanese, were on an outing. From the top, there was a view of Mount Fuji (60 km away). Before this trip, we had only seen Mount Fuji for 5 minutes from Hakone (40 kms away), and the top of it in the clouds from an airplane, despite spending over two months in Japan. This time, we were finally able to see Mount Fuji from various places around Tokyo. Suddenly, Japanese people's reverence for Mount Fuji, which had previously confounded me, made sense

View of Mount Fuji from the Train on our way to the Ghibli Museum


Ghibli Museum




A Fleeting view of Mount Fuji from the Train on our way to Takaosan (Mount Takao)


Ascending the paved and popular Trail #1 to Takaosan (Mount Takao).




View to Shinjuku (back left) while scending Takaosan (Mount Takao)


Fall Colors.


We pass through Takaosan Yakuōin Yukiji Buddhist Temple about halfway up.










Soon we are at the summit - 599 meters above sea level - and take a rest to soak in the view of Mount Fuji, 60 kms in the distance, and eat our lunch.






The descent on "wild" Trail #3 is uneventful.