Tokyo Trip - Part III

This morning, we got a late start because we were out late last night. I decided to join Matt and LD for lunch, then explore Tokyo on my own. For lunch, we drove over to the Tokyo American Club, which is a private club that Matt and LD belong to. In order to join, you must be invited. Similar a country club, they have a restaurant, fitness center, social events, etc. The menu at the club had both Eastern and Western items. I felt deprived of vegetables so I opted for a veggie sandwich, which interesting. Instead of bread, the veggies were held together by tofu. It sounds odd, but it was pretty good. 


After lunch, I took the train up to Marunouchi (丸の内), which is a commercial district located in the heart of Tokyo. It is a center of Japan's financial industry because country's three largest banks are headquartered there. More importantly, it is also where the Imperial Palace is located, the main residence of the Emperor of Japan.

Imperial Palace Main Gate

The Imperial Palace

self pic in front of Imperial Palace

Moat around Imperial Palace

Park in front of Imperial Palace, with skyline in background

After walking around the Imperial Palace grounds some more (you can't actually go inside), I headed east, past Tokyo Station and by the Marunouchi Building (pic below). I continued to head south towards Ginza, a well-known upscale area of Tokyo. It is recognized as one of the most luxurious shopping districts in the world and has highest concentration of western shops in Tokyo, including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Harry Winston, etc. It is also also where the Kabuki-za Theater is located. Unfortunately, it is closed for renovations until 2013. 

Marunouchi Building

Tables set up in the middle of a closed-off street (in Ginza)

After Ginza, I got lost for about an hour, but finally found my way to the subway line and headed up to Akusaka. I really wanted to visit the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant. To get to the temple, you have walk through a large market, with stalls selling souvenirs and trinkets as well as restaurants serving traditional Japanese dishes. Normally, the temple is crowded with people, but the crowds were light today. As I was taking pictures, the sun began to set, which resulted in some really beautiful photos. 

Gate to the temple grounds

Thunder Gate

Sensoji Temple

The Pagoda

Temple Garden

Justin