Tokyo— For many tourists, a trip to the Japanese capital is incomplete unless certain activities are ticked off one’s mental list. Selfies with the statue of Hachiko at Shibuya Crossing, breakfast of Kaisen Don (seafood over rice) at Tsukiji Market, robot sightings in the…
Tokyo— For many tourists, a trip to the Japanese capital is incomplete unless certain activities are ticked off one’s mental list. Selfies with the statue of Hachiko at Shibuya Crossing, breakfast of Kaisen Don (seafood over rice) at Tsukiji Market, robot sightings in the electronics shops in Akihabara, and window shopping in Ginza.
All these sights are often crowded affairs. If you choose to rest your eyes on some greenery, there are gardens where you can “recharge” for free or for a minimal fee.
We missed the 2017 Sakura (cherry blossom) Festival by a few days, but were fortunate to experience the Tsutsuji Matsuri (azalea festival) at the Nezu Shrine. The shrine is one of Tokyo’s oldest—believed to have been established over 1,000 years ago by Prince Yamato Takeru-No Mikoto. It is accessible by taking the Chiyoda line of the efficient Tokyo Metro.
People go to the shrine year-round but the numbers increase from early April to early May, when residents and tourists flock to the annual azalea festival.