JohnRain

The next morning Mrs JohnRain woke up to a Happy Birthday song I played on my iPad, with me lip-syncing it at first and then going all-in and singing it Karaoke-style (this was Tokyo after all), as I have no natural stop mechanism when it comes to making a fool out of myself. My mediocre performance was quickly forgotten when she walked into the living room and discovered her birthday display. Can you spot the gift? Hint: it wasn't the book (which was part of the room decor and coincidentally about the same brand as the gift itself).




After breakfast we were ready for our first full day in Tokyo and headed to lovely Shinjuku Gyoen Park to enjoy Sakura. Unfortunately it was overcast, so no blue skies for the photos but at least a very nice 23 degrees celsius.




























Can you spot the intruder(s)?







Next stop: the Imperial Palace.










And its famous East Gardens






















Preparing the perfect shot




After so much walking we felt hungry and went to nearby Palace Hotel for afternoon tea, which was pretty disappointing as the below picture shows.




Back to the Ritz-Carlton to dress for the evening and then to the Shangri-La for a wonderful birthday dinner at Nadaman, where we both chose the Sakura menu.

























Wall art outside Nadaman




A pretty impressive chandelier, considering the fact that it hung in an elevator at Shangri-La.




And back to the Ritz where another lovely display of sweets waited for us.



Conclusion: Mission Birthday accomplished

Up Next: the Meiji Shrine & Omotesando

jubbing

That is a brill cam!

JohnRain

It is indeed!

Update: the next installment will be online later today

JohnRain

The next morning began with a few laps in the great hotel pool on the 46th floor.




Then to the Club Lounge for some breakfast at my favourite spot in the hotel, this secluded table in a corner room on the far end of the lounge.




Good morning Mount Fuji!




Some more views from the lounge.










Back to more important things: the egg station.




The main section of the buffet with a selection of salads, cheese and cold cuts.




And to finish something for my sweet tooth.




After breakfast we decided to visit the Meiji Shrine. With a nonchalance that will never cease to amaze me, Mrs JohnRain headed towards the Rolls again but no, this time we took an Uber. You know you're in trouble when you have to justify why you're "only" booking an Uber (black). I'm kidding.




The walk to the Meiji Shrine takes you through a big forest and past these beautifully decorated sake barrels. I read in my guide that "Sake traditionally has been a connection between the gods and people in Japan." I experienced this myself during my stay.







Display of wine barrels offered as gifts from wineries in Burgundy, as the Meiji Emperor was the first to open his country to western values and was very fond of French wine. Can't blame him.




A Torii gate along the forrested approach to the Meiji Shrine.




Impressions from Meiji Shrine.







The Wishing Tree.




A dispay of Kiganbun, or letters to deities.













The Real Housewives of Beautiful kimonos.




The contrast between peaceful Meiji Shrine and bustling Omotesando (also called the Champs-Elysées of Tokyo) is quite striking, as you only have to cross this bridge to get from one to the other.




And back to quirky Tokyo: the cat café.




Can you spot them?




Impressions from Omotesando, where some architects clearly got carte blanche.




























The best way to walk to school.




Bamboo display in front of Nezu Museum, where our stroll ended.




In the evening we had dinner at the Andaz Tavern, the only non-japanese meal during our stay.
The place was pretty empty.




The view from our table.




Disclaimer: the pictures go from sharp to blurry, as I may or may not have had a bit of sake.

Some lobster to start.




Followed by a stew.




And a Tarte Tatin.




Yes, I also had tea.




Sakura display at the entrance.




And back home to the Ritz where we found a delicious dessert in our room.



Conclusion: Sake really does connect you with the Gods, but it doesn't help you in winning an argument about Uber vs a Phantom.

Up Next: Downtown Tokyo, Senso-ji temple, Tokyo Zoo & dinner at Kyubey

TOMFORD

OMG the food. So much food.

LM225

Absolutely stunning photos. Following along with wide eyes and hunger pains

Will be curious how you found the Happo-En garden, as I've booked a tea ceremony there for us on our visit next month.

offerendum

I´m still waiting Now you must deliver.....

JohnRain

Haha, you ain't seen nothing yet, TOMFORD...


Thanks so much LM225! Happo-En is absolutely lovely (I didn't book a tea ceremony but I visited the little pavillion where it takes place.) You'll love it.


LOL offerendum, I wasn't planning on posting this yet as it was shot on the way back, but since you insist...
The shoes really are nothing special (I chose comfort over style) but I got a few comments from a crew member about the color combination. I'll make sure to include a few extravagant shoe-shots in my next TR, coming up in early June...



Update: the next installment will be online later today

JohnRain

Another gorgeous morning in Tokyo and with a view like this, it's not easy to motivate yourself to get out of bed (but the thought of delicious French Toast for breakfast helps). I spent quite some time every day just standing by the window and watching the sprawling city. The Ritz-Carlton is housed in the city's highest building and views of ships in Tokyo Bay and even the busy runway of Haneda airport at a distance fascinated the child in me.




After breakfast we waited a few minutes for the hop-on hop-off bus which conveniently stops right in front of the hotel.










First Stop: Tokyo Tower







Old meets new.




On to the Rainbow Bridge.




Marunouchi, which feels like 5th Ave in New York minus the noise.







Tokyo Station.







Architect Health Warning: drug abuse is dangerous and may cause permanent damage to your brain.




Skytree.




Senso-ji Temple.




























From Senso-ji Temple we took the metro to Ueno Zoo, where I absolutely wanted to see the panda. On the way to the panda we walked by a Thai Pavilion.




And here we go: ladies & gentlemen, meet the panda




No, I mean the panda




I said panda!



The damn thing had probably heard I had traveled over 9000 kilometers to see it and decided to go on strike. I watched it for a full 15 minutes but it only showed me its bottom and wouldn't move. I decided not to post a picture as it would probably have been censored by the mods.


To compensate for the spoiled panda watching, we went to a department store and indulged in some food watching.







In the evening we had dinner at Kyubey, the seventh best restaurant in the world (and the second best in Japan) according to La Liste (http://www.laliste.com/country/world/laliste/view). It was a memorable experience as we just sat there for two hours eating one piece of sushi after another and having a good time with the chef as he had a great sense of humour. For example, he showed us some big (live) shrimp and asked us whether we wanted to have them raw or boiled. We went for the latter and when he came back a few minutes later to present us with the shrimp whose natural grey color had now turned orange, he loosened his strict posture and screamed "summertime!"...




Nothing beats a night cap in the RC Club Lounge to conclude an intense day.



Conclusion: pandas are even lazier than I thought.

Up Next: lunch at Narisawa, tea at the Aman and dinner at Sushi Iwa

TOMFORD

@JOHNRAIN for our joint trip / TR we will see who can eat the most in one sitting.

JohnRain

Deal TOMFORD, as long as beer counts as food (in Bavaria it does). It's not for nothing that it's called "liquid bread"...

grandgourmand

Wow great pics. Food shots certainly didn't disappoint.

Looking forward to Sushi Iwa (forget which one you're going to...can't scroll back now).

arlflyer

Great TR so far! Ate at Kyubey, albeit the Shinjuku location, a couple years ago. Did not realize the whole enterprise was so highly rated - I think we were directed there by a concierge, since we were at their mercy when it came to making phone reservations...

Madone59

That is a heck of a camera for the size! Great shots of Japan.

JohnRain

Thanks a lot, grandgourmand. I decided not to take many sushi pics at either Kyubey or Sushi Iwa as they serve sushi piece by piece, thus not making for very interesting shots. On the other hand, Narisawa was a visual (and gustative) feast.


Thanks a lot arlflyer! You were lucky to get a short-term reservation at Kyubey, as nowadays they're fully booked up to three months in advance. I loved the place so much that I'll definitely return. We were fortunate enough to be there while Yousuke Imada, Kyubey's founder and owner was around.


Thanks a lot Madone59! It is a great camera indeed, also because it's so small that you don't have to think twice whether to take it with you or not.

Update: the next installment will be online tomorrow