Tokyo: green spaces and built spaces

 

Five storied pegoda of Senso-ji Temple 

We have a free day today & to maximise the sightseeing we used the ever efficient Viatour app to hook us up with a local guide who turned out to be an expat Aussie named Rich. He picked us up at the hotel and we worked out what we wanted to see, gave us some excellent advice about our booking for the Skytree, which was shrouded in clouds. Apparently the booking time, uncharacteristically for Japanese, is flexible. So this allowed us to watch for a cloud free time and customise our day accordingly.

Demo-in Temple was our first visit today. I got a bit confused about which building was which but I think I’ve got the names right. Couldn’t get a good pick of the temple but I did take this one of the boys touching the lantern. We don’t know why, but everyone was doing it so … when in Rome … you know ;)

The gardens were actually the best part of this spot.

We could see the Sky Tree poking its head out of the clouds so we headed there and wow what a great  idea that was! We’d been warned about queues, clearly they’re prepared for crowds, lucky us. 

We walked right up to the counter with our pre-booked tickets, were herded right on to the extremely speedy lifts and tada! Scenery! 

This is the lower viewing floor of the third tallest building in the world. It’s called the Sky Tree for its shape. Small footprint available meant an enormous engineering task. It’s built based on the balance of a Pagoda and a tree with ‘roots’ foundations deep into the ground - fascinating. 

We went to the top veiwing floor via a glass door lift (scarier) and interesting perspective if you look up to see the tower as you go up.

On this level you walk around a bubble like ramp, really cool.

Next stop was the fish markets which are new, because the fish mongers were cranky with the tourists hanging out at their digs getting in the way of their actual work. So in typically Japanese fashion new fish markets were purpose built for tourists around the corner, built to look old/rustic for that authentic experience and the price jacked up for the heck of it. 

Because it is purpose built for people such as ourselves we quite enjoyed it, also it was our first sushi so no downside. Behind this unassuming storefront was the most delightful sushi restaurant.

And very happy diners

Even though it was now raining we decided to walk through the Shinjuku Gyoen Garden after cruising by the Imperial palace and waving hello to the Emperor & Empress, as you do. 

It was a good choice because these gardens are a peaceful haven midst this hectic city.

We found, of all things, a Starbucks, in the middle of this park and stopped to warm up and have arvo tea. This meant we were leaving the park as the very polite announcer was saying ‘time to go’ … the park closed at 4. By the time we got to Shibuya crossing it was 4:30 and already dark. I didn’t get a great photo because wow, when the people started moving - alarming!

Before the walk lights go green

After!

Before today I thought Riddley Scott’s Blade Runner aesthetic was genius imaginative, now I realise he’d just been to Tokyo at night in the rain. Don’t get me wrong Riddley Scott IS a genius, Blade Runner set the bar for a long time. Walking through that crowd I did feel like I was right there in his imagined dystopian future of 2019 lol.