Our port for today was Yokohama and our goal was to visit Tokyo. We had another Japan Guide Agency tour lined up, but as with Osaka for Kyoto, we had to get ourselves from Yokohama to meet our guide in Tokyo. Originally, we had planned to cab to the Yokohama Station to take the train, but opted at the last minute to hail two cabs to take the 6 of us all the way into Tokyo, a 48 mile trip. It was likely a bit more expensive, but an easier option for our group.

We met our guide, Noripy, at the Hamarikyu Gardens, and enjoyed walking the grounds. Originally the land was used by generations of shogun as a secondary residence, and from the time of Tokugawa Ienari through Tokugawa Ieyoshi, it was a place where the shogun could indulge in falconry. A landscaped garden of 62 acres includes a Shioiri-no-ike (Tidal Pond), and the garden is surrounded by a seawater moat filled by Tokyo Bay. As the tide rises and falls, so does the level of water in the pond. At the center of the pond is a teahouse, reached by two bridges, where we enjoyed matcha and Japanese sweets, in a tea-ceremony style.

Tokyo Tower was our next stop and we were glad the day’s weather cooperated. At 1,092 feet, it was the tallest tower in Japan until the construction of Tokyo Skytree in 2012. It is a lattice tower inspired by the Eiffel Tower, and is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations. We went up the tower and were able to get a commanding view of the city of 38M persons. We enjoyed some ramen noodles for lunch.

Next, we went to the outer gate of the Imperial Palace. As this is the home of the current reigning King and his family, we were not able to go into the palace. In fact, there is only one day a year when Japanese residents can enter the palace and pay their respects to the king. Noripy said that there is always a line of thousands of people to visit the palace and it’s a big deal.

We moved into the Asakusa area of Tokyo, a more historical area, to visit the oldest temple in Tokyo, Senso-ji Temple. Also known as Asakusa Kannon, it is a Buddhist temple dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. The original 645AD temple was destroyed during a 10 March 1945 firebombing air raid on Tokyo during World War II. The main hall was rebuilt in the 1950s.

Senso-ji Temple is the most widely visited religious site in the world with over 30 million visitors annually. You enter from a main gate, the Thunder Gate, which is an imposing structure. The original gate burned to the ground in 1757 AD and again in 1865 AD. Ninety-five years after the last fire, Kōnosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial Company (now Panasonic), was asked to rebuild the gate. With monetary donations from Matsushita, the gate was rebuilt in 1960.

Walking up to the shrine is an experience in and of itself, with stalls selling souvenirs, religious tokens and all amounts of other treasures. There were thousands of people there, all moving to the same location. Incense was burning and prayers were being said. It was a bit overwhelming but we are so grateful that we experienced it.

Noripy was a skilled guide and an absolute delight. Her English was very good and she has a real passion for Tokyo. At the end of our tour, we were dropped off at our next experience, a Traditional Geisha Experience Show & Japanese Dinner, booked through Get Your Guide. Noripy arranged transportation back to the ship, which was a big help. We arrived a little early so walked around the neighboring streets and had a local beer.

The dinner started at 5pm and when we arrived, the appetizer of various sushi and sashimi was already served. The second course was soba noodles and the third course was shrimp and vegetable tempera. We enjoyed some sake while the two geishas performed some traditional dances. There were also some games and songs for everyone to participate in. It was a very unique experience and we enjoyed it very much. Afterwards, our hired taxi was waiting for us outside and we made it back to the ship by 7:30pm, long before our 10:30p all aboard.

Tomorrow: Sea Day

Highly Recommended: Noripy@noripytours.llc or on What’s App 080 7165 4565.
For more information: noripytours.llc.

Recommended: Traditional Geisha Experience Show & Japanese Dinner, Getyourguide.com.