Imperial Palace Gardens, Ginza shopping district

The sunny, clear skies were perfect today for touring a garden. We went to East Garden, a 52 acre garden located next to the Imperial Palace. Once a castle during the Edo period, the East Garden is enclosed (originally for protection) by a huge stone wall with two moats. Surprisingly, for both its beauty and its free admission, the garden was quiet with few tourists or locals. (the park does have entrance hours from 9-5pm though). Our favorite part was the Ninomaru section of the garden with a pond, waterfall, stepping stones, and winding paths.

From there we went to Ginza, one of Tokyo's most famous shopping districts for high-end international designer brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Armani, Rolex, etc. Everything is done at the biggest level with each store having multiple levels (at least 10 floors) and restaurants and cafes. We peeped into Mikimoto and admired the beautiful pearls and diamonds...even picked out some dream pairs of earrings. :) Since it was Sunday, several of the main streets were closed in the Ginza area, so many pedestrians were out- great people watching spot! We saw the most fashionable Tokyites strolling here- the men are just as into shopping as women!

Tomorrow is class, which we're looking forward to. We've had a very full weekend and are ready to learn more Japanese. We have different teachers throughout the week, and it depends on the teacher on how good the class goes... just like every school, there are some good teachers and some not-so-good ones. The textbook we're using is excellent as well- Genki, a comprehesive Japanese language textbook series written by American and Japanese professors and intended for English-speakers. Overall, we're happy with the program and are progressing. Being around the language all day, we are starting to pick up bits of what the Japanese are saying. (Yea!)

 

East Garden- former Imperial Palace grounds

 In front of the East Garden Gate,

on the moat bridge

 



Hi there! Japanese style garden

Stepping stones, winding paths

 Inner Citadine

 

Ginza Shopping District



Famous shops on a huge dimension

 

Seiko clock- start of Ginza shopping

Cultural Experience of old Tokyo- Tsukiji Fish Market, Hama Rikyu Garden, Sumida River boat cruise, Sensoji Temple

Today was a great exposure to vestiges of Tokyo during its Edo-era. We started with the famous and huge wholesale fish market, Tsukiji Fish market, which was great education in the hundreds of different kinds of seafood. Walking along the many stalls, we saw lots of fresh and dried seafood, seaweed, sushi, spices, and grilled shellfish. Like the many locals and tourists also shopping, we sampled temago or freshly cooked rolled eggs, which is kind of like omelettes, but sweet and with no filling of vegetables or cheese.

Next to the Tsukiji Market was the Hama Rikyu Garden, which was created more than 300 years ago with a traditional tea house and duck-hunting grounds. We listened to a high-tech audio guide smart phone that was GPS sensitive. If we took a detour from the order of sights, the audio would detect our new location and start narrating the history about our new location. After awhile though, we found we were more worried about staying on track than enjoying the garden, so we went our own pace and direction. Being in the center of the city, the garden was surrounded by skyscrapers, providing an interesting backdrop.

From the garden, we took a river boat cruise on the Sumida River north to Asakusa, one of Tokyo's oldest neighborhoods. We cruised under twenty different bridges and could even buy beer from the boat cabin if we wanted too (the Japanese love drinking beer!). At Asakusa, the narrow lanes, traditional homes, and temple gave us an idea of traditional Tokyo. There were over 125 stalls selling souvenirs, candies, sembai (rice crackers, often with seaweed and sesame seeds), and soft-serve ice cream with flavors like buckwheat, green tea, black sesame, sweet red bean, and purple potato. The Sensoji Temple gave us an idea about Buddhism, but with so many people and tourists, a religious aura was lacking.

Tsukiji Fish Market

 Kelp and packaged dried fish

 



Tiny dried shrimp- a favorite condiment!

Tsukiji Fish Market map-

much of the area is off limits to tourists

Shell fish- fresh and ready for hungry shoppers

Live Crab

 

Temago making- rolling and making layers of egg-

found often in futamaki sushi rolls (one of our favorites)

 

Hama Rikyu Garden

Hama Rikyu Garden-

tea garden in the middle of a salt water pond, sky scraper backdrop 

 

On the bridge at Hama Rikyu Garden

 

Aboard a boat cruise on the Sumida River

 

Sumida River

 

Sensoji Temple- Asakusa area

Hozoman Gate- huge lanterns

 

Can you spot Keri?

 

Sensoji Temple

 

Nakamise Dore-

busy shopping arcade leading up to Sensoji Temple

 

Weather and some culture observations

The weather has been overcast and windy, but warm with average highs of 80s and lows of 70s. There have been a few showers, but no major thunderstorms like we're used to in the South. Beautiful ginko trees line the streets and parks, providing a refreshing greenery in the urban landscape.

Several cultural observations include a verbal greeting and thank you for cafes, restaurants, and stores, no public affection, clean and conservative clothing, black suits and white button down attire for businessmen, no eating or drinking on the streets, and smoking is permitted only in caged public areas. When people do buy drinks from the many vending machines (at least one for every 20 people or 5.5 million in Japan according to Frommer's Guide Book), they quickly gulp it down and throw it away in the recyling bin before walking on. The metro is extremely quiet with no talking and certainly no gypsies playing for money. All public restrooms have buttons on the right side of the seat for a flushing noise, water spray, and seat warmer. The flush handle is at the back of the toilet seat as normal. Littering is rare and Japanese seem to learn early on about separating trash for recycling.

Ginko Leaf

Ginko Trees lining the streets

 

More ginko trees! Another park- Meiji Garden

 

Ginko trees- look how tall they are!

 

Cream cakes formed like mushrooms

(The favorite dessert is sponge cakes or roll cakes,

and the abundance and variety of mushrooms is amazing.)

Tonkatsu (Japanese version of pork cutlets,

but also of shrimp and even sushi rolls), very popular!

Gyoza specialists forming gyozas, fried or steamed pork dumplings

Typical vending machines on countless streets

(selling anything from batteries, cameras, and stamps to

eggs, sandwiches, bottled waters and juice to beer and cigarettes) 



Sights of our day

Here's a snippet of some of the sights we saw today. Each day is so full... we see so many new sights, shops, people, and buildings, that we're excited to find that we're starting to recognize streets and buildings that make orientation easier. During lunch break between classes, we like to go into one of the (many) department stores, browse a floor and then have a picnic/snack on the rooftop garden. After class, we walk back towards Roppongi Hills where our apartment is. We inevitably end up in a new neighborhood (either by accident or by intention) and see another part of Tokyo. Today we saw Tokyo Midtown, just north of Roppongi Hills, which is the city's latest renovation project. The Ritz Carlton is located there and boasts being the highest hotel in the city- the lobby starts at the 45th floor! Of course we had to check it out. :) We took the elevator up and found a contemporary (unusual for the Ritz) lobby with ceiling-to-floor length windows all along the wall. A cafe, bar, and two restaurants were there as well as the reception desk. Back down on the ground floor, we exited and enjoyed the small garden behind the hotel.

 Tokyo Midtown- Ritz Carlton, shops, restaurants, offices

 

Midtown Garden

Interesting building in Midtown Garden

 

A pond in Midtown Garden-

We see lots of these shrine-shaped designs throughout the city

 

Resting on the rooftop of another department store (Oioi)

 

Oioi department store roof top garden

 

Freshly made Miso

an important condiment to Japanese cooking

 

Rice- what a variety!

Rice means "meal" in Japanese- another vital component to Japanese cuisine

 

 

 

 

 

 



Takashimaya- another amazing department store

We're starting to get the idea that there are more first-rate and over-the-top department stores than you can imagine here, all clustered in certain neighborhoods of Tokyo (in particular, Shinjuku and Ginza). We wanted to add another post about one called Takashimaya, which is also in Shinjuku like the Isetan. Takashimaya is a huge complex with 15 floors of clothing and accessories by famous international designers like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, L'Occitane, etc., with 4 (!) of the floors dedicated to restaurants on the top, and then an excellent food department in the basement. Takashimaya seemed to sell more international goods (we even spotted a bag of Hershey's chocolate chips and a jar of peanut butter- very hard to find outside of the U.S., even in Europe) and was more like the department stores in the U.S. with areas sectioned off by designer. While there was more variety at Takashimaya, Isetan offered an elegance and more authentic Japanese experience. Isetan is always crowded with Japanese women (dressed in their best) while Takashimaya appealed to a broader crowd.

Takashimaya Shinjuku- another amazing department store

 

 

Isetan- an amazing department store

During lunch break between classes, we had fun browsing the Isetan department store just a block from the school. Dating back over 120 years, the story is legendary for its service, fashionable, contemporary styles, traditional clothing, a super kimono section, and an incredible basement food hall (our favorite!). Fresh produce can be bought, but it is mainly the prepared foods like sushi, yakitori, meat, salads, desserts, and bread that are amazing. There are also over ten restaurants and a garden roof top that provided a quiet, green oasis from the traffic below. We brought our fresh sushi rolls that was packed with an ice pack at the cash register for guaranteed freshness to the garden for a picnic. It is easily to get spoiled with such service with courteous bowing at the counter and politeness. The employees all wear white gloves and different uniforms (including caps) depending on what section they work in.

In class, we learned how to make origami and about Tanabata Festival on July 7th that involves writing a wish on a piece of paper and hanging it on a tree. Friends and family gather and share their wishes, some funny and some serious. We made wish cards in class, which was fun.

Isetan Department Store- come here to get the royal treatment!

Enjoying Isetan's garden roof top view

Skycraper backdrop from the garden roof top at Isetan

 

Genki school on third floor

Coffee and Green Tea, personalized mugs

Origami making

Hanging origami and wishes ('tanzaku') on Tanabata Festival Tree

 

First Day of Class

Today we started our 4-week Japanese language study at Genki JACs located in the busy shopping district and huge transportation hub at Shinjuki Station. We've never seen a station so busy even it was mild and pre-rush hour according to the local who helped us find the right platform out of 60. The school will be great- the staff and teachers are all Japanese women, experienced, and very nice. Our days will be full with 5-6 hours of class time, starting from 9:30-3:30 or 4:30 pm, with foundation classes and an additional hour of conversation that we enrolled in as well. We're in the largest class of 7, including us, with students from all over- Australia, Sweden, Czech Republic, 2 from Switzerland (not together though), and an American, a guy from Colorado Springs, and us. The students are our age or older and seem to be studying for work or for advanced schooling. It's fun and interesting to meet people from around the world. They all have different English accents. We're sad though to give up some of our free time to tour Tokyo... we didn't have much time to explore the city with class and transportation time to get to and from places...

The school occupies a section of a third floor in a building off of the busy streets and tucked into a quiet area by Hanazano Shrine.

School courtyard

 

 Hanazono Shrine- adjacent to school

Genki JACs entrance door on third floor

 

 

Shinjuku skyscrapers and transportation hub

 

Shinjuku Station- world's busiest transportation center-

look at all those platforms! and this is just the metro!