CHIDORIGAFUCHI PARK, Asakusa Kannon Temple and Sky Tree

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02.04.2018



Today after a good breakfast we started our tour. There were lot of items for breakfast. But as we do not know much about it, we ate what was familiar to us. It was told that Japanese eat raw fish. That is why they get e vitamin and have a good complexion. Today we were to enjoy city orientation tour of Tokyo which included Rainbow Bridge , Visit Venus Fort, Pallat Town, Toyota Museum and a visit to the Asakusa Kanon Temple. Last was Sky Tree visit. From the bus we were shown Rainbow Bridge and bus rode on it.. Tokyo’s Rainbow Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning Tokyo Bay to connect Shibaura Wharf and the Odaiba waterfront area, is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, particularly at night. The bridge was completed in 1993 and was painted all in white to help it better blend in with the Tokyo skyline. During the day, solar panels on the bridge collect and store energy to power a series of colorful lights that turn on after sundown and give the bridge its name. It is every Japanese couple's dream to walk on the bridge at night.

We were then taken to Chidorigafuchi Park. A can't-miss spot during cherry blossom season, with flowers reflected in the water of the moat and a tunnel of cherry blossoms over the walking path. Chidorigafuchi is a moat located in the northwest of the Imperial Palace, and it is said the name comes from the moat’s shape, which resembles plovers (chidori in Japanese). The moat is an historic site, and was constructed in the early Edo Period according to the expansion work of the castle, by damming the river. We enjoyed the bloom. We observed various types of flower blossoms. Single layer , double layer flowers. Some had five layers. The view was enchanting. There is Indian embassy near pathway. Chidorigafuchi Cemetery is a spot in which 352,297 unidentified war dead from WW II are interred. These include civilian casualties from the air raids on Japan and atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Then we were taken to Venus Fort. Pallat Town and Museum.The man-made island of Odaiba in Tokyo Bay is a great place for shopping. It has several large shopping centers which all offer something unique. Venus Fort is in Pallat town. Venus Fort, with its artificial sky and Venetian themed interior, is Odaiba’s most unusual shopping center, and one of Japan’s quirkiest malls. Each building has its own charm and style with highlights including the Tokyo Dig Sight building, Fuji TV with nice views, Toyota showcase, huge ferries wheel and the Venus Port shopping mall. Most obvious is the giant ferris wheel (115 metres). Then there is the largest Toyota showroom in the world named "Toyota Mega Web" where the latest Toyota and Lexus models can be seen. Unlike a regular car dealership this one doesn't sell cars, but it does have a cafe, a cinema, driving simulators, an indoor kiddy ride and its own outdoor test track. The adjacent mall also has a small car museum, with mainly European cars on display. We enjoyed ride in stimulator. A expected new model of car was also featured there.

We went to see Asakusa Kannon Temple. Also called Sensō-ji is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo's oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect of Buddhism, it became independent after World War II. Adjacent to the temple is a five-story pagoda, Shinto shrine, the Asakusa Shrine, as well as many shops with traditional goods in the Nakamise-dōri.

The legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built nearby for the goddess of Kannon. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo's oldest temple. For a suggested donation of 100 yen, visitors may consult the oracle and divine answers to their questions. Querents shake labelled sticks from enclosed metal containers and read the corresponding answers they retrieve from one of 100 possible drawers. Within the temple is a quiet contemplative garden kept in the distinctive Japanese style.

When approaching the temple, visitors first enter through the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), the outer gate of Sensoji Temple and the symbol of Asakusa and the entire city of Tokyo. This imposing Buddhist structure features a massive paper lantern dramatically painted in vivid red-and-black tones to suggest thunderclouds and lightning.

A shopping street of over 200 meters, called Nakamise, leads from the outer gate to the temple's second gate, the Hozomon. Alongside typical Japanese souvenirs such as yukata and folding fans, various traditional local snacks from the Asakusa area are sold along the Nakamise. The shopping street has a history of several centuries.This Nakamise-dori with its shops, followed by the Hōzōmon or "Treasure House Gate" which provides the entrance to the inner complex.

We tasted various Japanese cuisines on the street. Took photographs and gathered to a given point.Japanese people do not eat outside. They will eat at stall or take parcel. But won' t walk while eating. They don' t like to hang out at night. They will head towards their homes. They like to travel by rail/ metro. They do not like to take selfies in temples. You can take photos of god but putting back to god they do not like.

Our next stop was Tokyo Skytree. It is a broadcasting, restaurant, and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It became the tallest structure in Japan in 2010 and reached its full height of 634.0 metres (2,080 ft) in March 2011, making it the tallest tower in the world, displacing the Canton Tower, and the second tallest structure in the world after the Burj Khalifa (829.8 m/2,722 ft).The tower is the primary television and radio broadcast site for the Kantō region; the older Tokyo Tower no longer gives complete digital terrestrial television broadcasting coverage because it is surrounded by high-rise buildings. We took photos. Had cofee and used second highest toilet.

After dinner, we came to hotel. Today we took a survey of the onsen. But could not dare to go there.

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