Ginza & Meiji Shrine

Today we went to Ginza, which is kind of like the Rodeo Drive of Tokyo. We stopped into the Mikimoto store and showroom as well as the Nissan showroom. They had a Fairlady Z on display so we climbed inside. A small car but quite nice.

From there we returned to Harajuku, walked around a bit then stopped at a ramen-ya for lunch.

Afterwards we walked across the bridge (where the crazy kids display their fashions on Sunday evenings) to the Meiji Shrine. The walk to the main shrine is absolutely serene and gorgeous. You are in the middle of Tokyo, in Harajuku no less, but they have managed to complete shut you off from all signs of modernity around you.

Tall trees surround you on all sides. They have a nice stream running under a bridge at one point. And there are hundreds of birds. You feel completely engulfed in nature.

The shrine itself is not that old (built in the early 1900s) but quite beautiful. It is one of the most popular and historically important shrines in Japan.

After leaving the shrine we returned to Roppongi and checked into our new hotel, just up the street from where we stayed originally. As usual, we decided to stay in Tokyo an extra day but the hotel we had stayed in was completely booked due to the Tokyo Film Festival.

After settling in and resting a bit the three of us caught a taxi to meet the Sahu family for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. They left early so that they could prepare for a trip the next morning and we walked to a bar in Roppongi Hills. We made it to a nice jazz bar and I was content to sit there, sip a glass of wine and listen to the band. But we decided to try another bar on a different floor.

After sitting and chatting for a while we walked back to the hotel where Ross booked an additional night. Misato and I are returning to Kansei tomorrow evening for other engagements but Ross is hoping to trek up north to Sapporo or some similar adventure. Should be fun!