Tokyo November 24

Tokyo November 24-28, 2004

Tokyo is such a modern city - Lots of tall buildings, concrete, lights, people in a hurry with their cell phones, and shopping bags, bicycles, buses, trains, shops from around the world, and in late November, Christmas decorations everywhere.

We spent an evening in Shinjuku, an area known for its tall buildings and bright lights. It was like Piccadilly circus on every street corner.

The Christmas decorations here were all blue.

This shopping area was near our hotel in Kichijoji, northwest of central Tokyo.

And this Buddhist temple was right next to the shopping area--an oasis in the middle of a busy shopping district.

Below is a Shinto shrine tucked behind some trees and a gate.

If you didn't know this was Tokyo, how long would it take you to figure out what country it is? That's a toy store behind the inflated Christmas tree.

The Meijijingu - a Shinto shrine is in the middle of a huge park and honors the Meiji emperor and empress. Here's one of the Torii - gates leading to the shrine.

I think this young couple, both dressed in kimonos were having wedding pictures taken. Here they are either taking a photo of themselves or looking at one they just took with a cell phone. Everyone in Japan has a cell phone and most of those phones have cameras.

This park was just a few blocks from our hotel.

This one was taken from the other side of the little lake.

Our host invited us to his home for dinner, which was prepared by his wife and daughter, on the right. The couple on the left were from Germany, but are currently living in Japan. We felt truly honored by this invitation into a traditional Japanese house.