Photos from March 23rd
Panorama as we arrive in Tokyo harbor
Cruise terminal
Location in Tokyo – blue dot
Welcome lanterns in cruise terminal
Walking in the rain to the Hilton for our private tour
Sign along the way as we leave from the Hilton
Street view with The Tokyo Tower in the background
Shopping area with temple-like entry
Lots of umbrellas to protect from the rain – helps the cherry blossoms
Looking back to the temple with cherry blossoms on the roofs
Rain begins to stop
Jan and Kelsey as the rain lets up
Off to shop on one of the side streets
Yvonne wanted a Japanese knife in the worst way – but security wouldn’t have it
A chance to look for a kimono
Lots of choices for kimonos here
And lots more kimonos here
Anyone for a skewered cucumber?
Or how about some eel?
Jan, Kelsey, Yvonne, Dorothy and Carl (right) walking down the mall
While you eat beef, care for your pet next door!
Are these trees or short flowers?
Purple trees of flowers?
Arriving at the Imperial Palace grounds
Life sized bonsai tree
The line to view the Imperial Palace bridge
Imperial Palace (not really – but it could be)
The motley crew on the private tour – Carl, Yvonne, Kelsey, Jan, Dorothy and Dick
Does this look like fun or what!
They all waved!
Fountain by the Imperial Palace
We liked our lunch at Hard Rock
Jan liked her lemonade
And he is also from Brazil (like our waiter in the morning)
Where we had lunch today
Where to shop after lunch
More of the fun carts on the street
Busiest pedestrian intersection in the world
Yvonne walking back across the world’s busiest intersection
Panorama of the world’s busiest pedestrian intersection
Selvie in that intersection
These people are on a mission
Blue go carts traveling around Tokyo – all you need is an International Drivers License
Pan back and forth of the pedestrian intersection
More go carts ready to ride
Fish in a tank ready for eating
Is this a bargain or what?
Entering the red light district
Don’t know what it is but it had lots of colors
Walking in the red light district
Our friend – Godzilla!
Selfie with Godzilla
Most of the group with Godzilla
Lots of souvenirs here
Jan waiting to check out of Don Quijote
This one is for Ann
Selfie with Rainbow Bridge in the background
Rainbow Bridge and fountain
fountain near the Rainbow Bridge
Are we in New York or Tokyo?
Guess it is Tokyo
Sunset on Tokyo harbor
Pansy framed view
Selfie with part of the pansy frame
Lots of tulips in bloom
More colorful tulips
And even more tulips
A transformer near a shopping center
Later in the evening the back view of the transformer
Do you have steps this colorful?
MSC Magnifica at night docked at the cruise terminal
Tokyo skyline
Photos from March 24th
Ready for our Tokyo “city tour”
Driving to cross the Rainbow Bridge
Mt Fuji’s snow barely visible at right above the buildings – it is 81 miles away
Mt Fuji is the purple dot at top and we are the blue dot at bottom. Don’t know what “My guji” is!
Bullet train (white with windows behind the fence)
End of a bullet train (white point at end of white train behind fence)
Shows our position (blue dot) as we prepared to walk to the area of the Imperial Palace
People walking to Imperial Palace bridge and gate – part of the Palace in background
Selfie with Imperial Palace in background
Moat surrounding Imperial Palace
Both guards at Imperial Palace gate
One of the guards at the Imperial Palace bridge
Selfie with Imperial Palace bridge and guards in background
Bridge leading to Imperial Palace gate
Map of Imperial Palace area
Kusunoki-Masashige figure
Kusunoki-Masashige figure
Kusunoki-Masashige figure
Selfie with Kusunoki-Masashige figure
Life-size bonsai in the park of the Imperial Palace
Location of Hama-rikyu Gardens – Magnifica docked at left near Tokyoko Tunnel
Our position at Hama-rikyu Gardens
Map showing layout of the Hama-rikyu Gardens
History of the gardens
Selfie with brassica in bloom behind us
Bees gathering pollen for the hive
Field of brassica
This bee has lots of pollen on its legs
Cherry blossom
Another cherry blossom
Brown-eared bulbul
300-year-old black pine with limbs supported by poles
Bonsai trimming on a large scale
Black pine believed to be 300 years old
Our next stop – Asakusa Shrine
Selfie in front of the gate to the Asakusa Shrine
Asakusa Shrine with statues on both left (hidden) and right
Map of shrine area
Inside the shrine deciding where to go first
Area that houses the buddha (which is not available to view)
One of the temple structures in the shrine
Another selfie (there are many here) with 2 of the buildings
Many women and men were having their photos taken in traditional Japanese dress
The photographer told her to lift her leg
Here she is with the backdrop of the shrine buildings
I like the shape of the building – so lots of photos of them in today’s gallery
More women in dress for photos
A couple – perhaps for wedding announcement
I told you there would be more building photos
Selfie with buddha structure in background
People entering buddha structure
People purchased incense and burned it in this large kettle
Cross shrine view with The Tokyo Tower in background
Inside the buddha building
Selfie with The Tokyo Tower in background
View from buddha building steps
More women in traditional dress
Cherry blossoms
Closer to the cherry blossoms
More buildings – I told you there would be many!
2 women, 2 buddhas and one Tokyo Tower
One of the streets near the Asakusa Shrine
Shops within the Asakusa Shrine
Jan and Kelsey ducking in to look for kimonos
Cherry blossoms hanging from the roof
Shopping inside the Asakusa Shrine
Cherry blossoms on a tree near the gate
Another couple being photographed
Rainbow Bridge from the bus as we return to the cruise terminal
Tulips on the way to lunch
If you’re in Hawaii, they have a location on the North shore of Oahu – they closed the London location
Good burger, good fried, plenty of ketchup and an orange drink
There was a fried egg buried in Kelsey’s sandwich which she ate without knowing! (Kelsey doesn’t eat eggs)
More flowers in bloom on the way back to the ship
And more flowers – lots of pansies
And more flowers
Lots of red tulips
And purple and white
And this color