North Pacific Passage to Japan

Our first day in Tokyo we spent on a tour of the city on a bus ending up at the Imperial Palace. Our second day we did another tour, going to the Meiji Shrine, having a traditional Japanese lunch at a large event venue, followed by another trip to the Imperial Palace then Asakusa Shrine. We finally ended up at our hotel, the ANA Intercontinental in Akasaka, near Roppongi.

Imperial Palace

We visited the Imperial Palace twice, once with the included tour from the ship and the next day on the included tour with our two-day extension.  Entry into the inner palace grounds isn’t allowed, so we could only view the outer gates and East Garden. The palace is the former Edo Castle that was vacated by the last shogun in 1868 at the time of the Meiji Restoration. It has been the residence of the emperors since that time. 

Meiji Shrine

The Meiji Shrine was built in 1920 and is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Emperor Meiji was the first emperor of modern Japan. He ascended to the throne in 1867 at the time of the Meiji Restoration when Japan's feudal era came to an end and the emperor was restored to power. During the Meiji Period, Japan modernized, joining the world's major powers by the time Emperor Meiji passed away in 1912.

The small limousine in front of the shrine is assumed to belong to the Imperial family because of the chrysanthemum emblem, the symbol of the Japanese monarchy (the “Chrysanthemum Throne”)

After a walking tour at the shrine, we went to the nearby Meiji Kinenkan, a very large event venue operated by the shrine for a traditional Japanese lunch.

Asakusa Temple (Senso-ji)

Senso-ji is the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo and also called Asakusa Kannon because it houses the Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, one of the most beloved and widely venerated deities in Japanese Buddhism. The temple is an important center of worship and draws 30 million visitors every year. There were a lot of people there when we visited, and among them were many girls in formal kimono attire. We thought they were part of some celebration, but were told by native Japanese that these are Korean or Chinese girls playing dress-up.

Nearby is the Tokyo Skytree, a huge tower 2080 feet tall, the tallest such structure in the world, according to its website. We did not have time to visit it, however. Also nearby is the Asahi Beer Hall, with it’s distinctive gold sculpture that the locals refer to as the golden turd.