Family Trip to Tokyo
This post is rather delayed. We will be sure to keep up on these as we go! Last Sunday was the last day in Utsunomiya for Dom and Alex. We all went to Tokyo for the day and crammed in as much as possible with 2 kids in tow. We got all over the city actually. The kids enjoyed the bullet train and the metro trains we had to take around the city. They were not very happy about all the walking that was involved, but were happy to run around and play when it was appropriate.
Our first stop was in Shibuya where the largest crosswalk in Japan exists. It is the busiest crosswalk with people crossing from all different directions, zig-zagging this way and that way trying not to bump into one another. After the people cross, vehicle traffic has their turn and the mayhem starts again. Shibuya looks like Japan’s equivalent to NYC’s Times Square. After crossing we made our way down one of the side streets for some food. We found Wendy’s! The kids were happy. Taco Bell was close by and was a close second. Maybe next time.
Our next stop was a stroll through Yoyogi Park; Tokyo’s equivalent of Central Park in NYC. We found a large area within the park where lots of people in Japan come and have picnics during cherry blossom season. This time of year the cherry blossoms are bare and kind of ugly looking. Maybe that adds to their appeal in the spring when they are in full bloom. There were still lots of people having picnics in this area. Lots of them were already dressed up for Halloween and having small parties in the park.
Next to Yoyogi Park is Meiji Jingu Shrine. This area of Tokyo was very large and offered so much of Japan’s history and natural beauty in one place. Along the path to the shrine were large, empty barrels of Sake that people of Japan had donated to the shrine in recent years. We went through two “gates” to get to the shrine. Yuhei suggested we smell the second one. He said it smells like traditional Japanese shrines and the smell from the gates almost never goes away. Once we arrived at the shrine, Yuhei showed us the proper way to cleanse ourselves before stepping foot in the shrine. We all took turns cleansing ourselves; even the kids took a turn. The shrine itself was beautifully decorated. The trees around the shrine were perfectly shaped to match the neatness of the place. When we were there we witnessed two weddings. We couldn’t enter the actual shrine area. There was a platform and a wooden railing where you could stand and offer a prayer and show your respect. Yuhei showed us the proper way to do it. It was wonderful having Yuhei as our guide throughout this trip. We learned so much more from him than if we just went on our own.
Our next stop was the Emperor’s Castle. The grounds surrounding the castle were beautiful and most of it was open to the public. There was also a large moat around the grounds with tall stone walls. You could only see a small portion of the castle, but the view was well worth the walk. Earlier that week, the new Emperor of Japan was officially enthroned. I can only imagine what that area looked like during that time packed with so many people. With the new Emperor being enthroned, a new era started called Reiwa. The era preceding this one with the old Emperor was called Heisei, which lasted about 31 years.
Our final stop in Tokyo was Asakusa. Here we could see Tokyo SkyTree, Kaminari Gate, a large, outdoor shopping area, and, the best of all, Ichiran Ramen! Heather and the kids and Dom and Alex finally got to have Ichiran ramen in Tokyo. They all thoroughly enjoyed it! The kids kept asking for more and Dom and Alex came back to Ichiran the next day before they had to catch their flights.
After our fun filled day, it was time to say goodbye to Dom, Alex, and Yuhei. All of which were a monumental help and comfort in our big move to a new country across the world. Our move would not have been as smooth without them, and we are forever grateful for their support and friendship. We could not thank them enough if we tried. After our goodbyes, it was time for the Brewers to start their lives in Japan!
We also found some really weird stuff in Tokyo. Look in the “Weird Stuff” tab in our blog to see what we found!
