Tokyo to Manila

After holing up in Tokyo for 8 nights, we finally headed to our first destination of this trip, the Philippines. However, since it's still the tail end of the New Year travel season, we had an overnight stopover in Guangzhou, China in order to get a good airfare. All we had time in Guangzhou was going down to the pedestrian area of Beijing Road in the evening. Having been rather unimpressed by our 2007 visit, we rather enjoyed this time - weather was comfortable. Beijing Road was lively but not too crowded. Unfortunately, I was not taking photos and John got separated from his phone (more on this later) before the photos were uploaded.

Notes to travelers: we used the new 20-240 hour free transit visa for the first time; a short form, short wait, a small stamp in the passport, and then we're in. Online payment, Alipay and WeChatpay, continued to work this time. We didn't have to withdraw any cash from the ATM. ProtonVPN still worked its magic against the Great Firewall.

Taking off from Tokyo Haneda.

Tokyo: Evening Lights

Last year, we rather enjoyed having little walks and looking at some lights. We returned to some sites and visited a few new places. I came across a rather useful website. In the future we'll try for more.

Roppongi Hills Holiday Illumination














Holiday Lights at Tokyo Dome City. Video first below.






Mannequins on Omote-Sando Avenue.




And more Omote-Sando Avenue.




Bonus nightime Street Kart video and pic as seen near our hotel.




The main street in the Ginza district is pedestrian-only on Sundays. Woohoo! We strolled around, then took the elevator to the rooftop of the GINZA SIX "luxury shopping complex".

Tokyo: Other New Year Observances

Doorway decorations: at entry ways of many establishments and homes, there were greenery decorations, very Japanese looking. I'm inspired. Next winter I'll try them at home.













Eating soba: on New Year's Eve afternoon, we happened to walk by two of Tokyo's oldest soba noodle joints. Lines were going around the block. The photos below are of the same line for one of the soba restaurants, wrapped around the block.





Lion dance: originated in China over two thousand years ago. We have not seen this variation. Though at a glance it seems subpar, it is actually rather engaging between the lion and the audience. View the embedded video below, or click here.



Temple visits: Japanese are rather enthusiastic about visiting temples. Every one of them, big or small, was having good business. We went by Meiji Jingu (photos below) on the 4th? The crowds were unbelievable, we gave up. This religion "gene" seems to be still going strong in Japan. which I had previously assumed would have been diminished by education and development......The last photo below is from our 2007 visit to Tokyo. That's Sun-Ling walking away at right.

Tokyo: Second Day of the New Year

Another tradition in Tokyo is the royal family's New Year greeting that takes place 5 times during the day at the Imperial Palace on January 2nd. We braved the long queue, not so much to see the royal family, but to see the crowds. Over the New Year there were orderly queues in all parts of Tokyo; at temples, restaurants, and stores. This was the only one we bothered with. It actually wasn't bad. We spent a total of 20? minutes standing around, and again as much time traversing the palace grounds to exit.

The Imperial Palace grounds were about a 20 minute walk from our hotel. We were offered Japanese flags at the entrance but declined. Then walked as far as the #3 holding area (see video 3rd below) where we waited in brilliant sunshine for 15 minutes or so.






Then we were allowed to proceed up to the grounds in front of the Imperial Palace. On the walk up we had a view back to #3 holding area.






And we waited in place for only a few minutes before the Royal Family came out on to the enclosed balcony for the first greeting of the day, and a short speech was made. There was a palpable feeling of excitement when the family came out, but little or no cheering, just an outbreak of very vigorous flag waving. See my very short video 2nd below








And it was a nice exit walk from the grounds through the East Garden.

Tokyo: First Day of the New Year

In addition to visiting major temples and shrines in the new year, people also make pilgrimages to multiple temples and shrines in a neighborhood that specialized in one of the Seven Lucky Gods, six of who came all the way from India (Buddhism) and China (Taoism). Before Shinto was created as a state religion in 1868 during Meiji Restoration, deities of all origins were worshipped together.

On New Year's Day we made a pilgrim circuit in Nihombashi, since everything is closed on New Year's Day in Tokyo, on the level of Thanksgiving and Christmas at home. Some businesses close for multiple days. This one restaurant I had my eye on is closed for three weeks!

A few days later we had a walk in Yanaka, an older part of Tokyo. One could have easily checked off 70 temples.

There was a queue for the first shrine, the Koami Shrine, on the Nihombashi circuit. Actually there was more than one queue. First below, see a guy holding a "this is the end of the line" sign. Second below, see the head of the line at the Koami Shrine, and the couple at lower right reading a piece of paper telling their fortune for the upcoming year.




Suitengu Shrine


The last of the seven shrines of Nihombashi is the Suginomori Shrine.


After a long day of visiting shrines, we stopped at our fav ramen resto, Hidakaya, for two bowls of noodles with vegetables, and an order of veggie gyoza (potstickers). Yummy!




Our Yanaka walk on Jan 04 was lots of fun. The first temple we visited already had Year of the Snake banners up.




We walked down the Fujimi-zaka Slope, a street that used to have a view of Mt Fuji until it was blocked by tall new buildings. This is a dubious claim to fame IMO.




Time for a lunch break, so we crossed the RR tracks (with a brief stop for some trainspotting) and headed for our fav tempura resto, Tenya Tempura Tendon, for tempura rice bowls, and noodle soups.








Buddha Image at Tennōji Temple.


Temple Gate.


Yanaka Pedestrian Street


And we finished up the walk at the Nezu Shrine and its very modest Torii Gates.