Japan 2022 Day 11

Day 11: Tokyo

Post script to yesterdays blog…..Sammy, the bus we were referring to was our coach, not a normal public transport bus.

The day started with a visit to Kappa bashai street, a street where you can buy anything kitchen related, from knives and bowls to the plastic food which Japanese restaurants display as their offering. The brush shop had more variety of brushes than i have ever seen.

Then a visit to the Asakusa shrine. This was the first time in our trip that we noticed many foreign tourists.

Around the shrine there are young ladies dressed as geisha girls to provide photo opportunities for tourists.

It was time to take on the Tokyo rail system. Fortunately Phil speaks Japanese (Satoko had to do some work so left us in Phil’s good hands).

Buying the ticket is easy; working out what line to use is more complicated but helped by a great colour coding system. The hardest part is knowing which exit to take out of the station.

We went to Shibuyu station to see the ”scramble” pedestrian crossing, which is the worlds busiest pedestrian crossing….as many as 3000 people cross at a time.

We also found (again) the statue of Hachiko, the faithful dog who sat at the station waiting for his master to return from work ( watch the film of the same name with Richard Gere. You will need a box of tissues). And a 3D dog

Back on the train to travel to Shinjuku station to see the giant 3D cat on a billboard at the top of a building.

Farewell dinner for our group on the 17th level of the Imperial hotel which has stunning views of Tokyo.