Last day in Tokyo

We leave Tokyo tomorrow morning so after today we will not be back until after the tour ends.

We witnessed the serenity of Ueno Park, the city’s largest green space and home to numerous temples and museums. Picnics here are called banquets and you reserve your spot with large tarps.

There’s even a zoo here which Sharon went to see the baby Pandas. I went to the museum for the Samurai swords and artifacts.

More than 800 cherry blossom trees line the wide central path. The first cherry trees were planted here by legendary shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, whose reign began the Edo Period (1603-1868). It’s said to be one of the oldest Hanami.

Hanami, usually with a picnic, is a chance to celebrate the arrival of spring but today there were mostly university students celebrating their acceptances.

We stopped next at Yoyogi Park. It has around 600 cherry trees, it’s another lively spot for hanami parties. We did some great selfie group shots in the forest and of course saw more sakura.

Next stop nearby Meiji Shrine
(Meiji Jingu), located within a 170-acre forest in the centre of Tokyo. The shrine commemorates Emperor Meiji, who presided over Japan’s industrial revolution in the second half of the 19th century. It was built in 1920 and was rebuilt in 1958 after it was damaged in WW2.

The current emperor of Japan is the 126th. Born in 1960 he took over in 2019. What a responsibility.Read more