Tokyo

We had a great flight from SFO to Tokyo. Our flight path took us almost directly over Chico, north over Astoria Oregon, just west of Seattle and almost to Anchorage before heading southwest across the Aleutians and south toward Japan. Flying over the Bering Sea was beautiful. The sky was clear, and we had a fantastic view of the polar ice cap, which seemed to go on forever. We arrived in Tokyo about 4:45pm, cleared customs, and were on the bus into town by 5:45, arriving at our hotel about 7:30.

Tokyo is amazing! Extremely modern and hi-tech, and so efficient. We're staying in the Ginza district, which is the main business and financial district of the city. However just off the main streets, the side streets are where you'll find small family businesses and restaurants, catering to those who work in the area.

The weather was nice this morning, so we decided to walk to the Imperial Palace. The landscaped grounds are amazing and so well maintained. We saw workers high up in pine trees, trimming the branches to maintain the bonzai effect of the trees. We spent most of the morning on the Palace grounds, visiting the museum, and walking through the gardens.

After leaving the Palace grounds we had lunch at a very small restaurant on a narrow side street paralleling the elevated train line. Seating was very limited, and the height of the chairs reminded me of sitting in one of the kids' classroom desks on back-to-school night. The restaurant was packed with locals, there for a quick (and I mean quick) lunch, before returning to work. This was not a place where you were expected to linger over lunch, however we were not hurried, and the food was excellent. Definitely a good choice.

Tomorrow we're scheduled for an all day tour to Nikko. We leave the hotel at 8:30 in the morning, and aren't expected to be back before about 8:00 in the evening. Nikko was the home of the real life Shogun upon whom James Clavell's novel was based. We're looking forward to another great day. All for now. DK