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| Tokyo |
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| Downtown Tokyo...one of the busiest streets in the city. Off to the right...(not visible in this picture) is Edo Castle. It was a lot wamer in Tokyo than it was in Korea when I got back. October is a good time to go to Japan I think...I just had bad a bit of luck in Kyoto. There was an earthquake while I was in Kyoto too...the first one I ever felt. |
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| This is Edo Castle...the Emperor of Japan still lives in part of it (the Imperial Palace) so no one is allowed in that part. Another part of it contains a nice park with lots of trees (and places to buy ice cream and cold drinks). They give you a little plastic "ticket" when you go in that you give back when you leave...if anyone knows the purpose of that please tell me. I almost told them I didn't have it when I left just to see what would happen... |
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| Hozmid-mon from Asakusa Shrine. It is early morning so there aren't too many people there...it seemed like most were Japanese on their way to work taking some kind of short cut. There were some worshippers though and you could smell the nice incense everywhere... There are also lots of places (on the other side of the gate) where you can buy souvenirs for everyone who couldn't come to Japan with you. |
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| The Meiji Shrine...rebuilt after the first one was destroyed during WW2. According to the plaque by the entrance it was built entirely by volunteer labor and with donated materials. The park around the Shrine is also very nice with some paths for walking around. It is also quiet which is really nice since it is right in the middle of Tokyo... |
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| A Japanese woman getting her wedding pictures taken in traditional clothes at the Meiji Shrine. I noticed that neither she nor the groom smiled for any of the pictures...most Westerners wait until after the wedding to start frowning. (Notice all the other people in the foreground taking pictures...). |