Originally written December 2018
It’s Japan, so understandably many of its popular attractions include shrines for Shintoism and temples for Buddhism.
Today we visited Meiji Shrine and Senso-ji Temple, and both were surprisingly crowded compared with the shrines and temples we visited in Nagano.
But that actually made them quite entertaining.
At Meiji Shrine, we were lucky enough to see a traditional wedding.
At Senso-ji, there were young women walking around wearing beautiful traditional Japanese clothing.
Naturally, I wanted a photo with one of them. 
So, using my almost non-existent Nihongo, I approached one young lady and asked if I could have my photo taken with her.
It turned out she wasn’t Japanese at all.
She was a Chinese tourist. 
She and her friends had rented the traditional costumes for fun and for photos.
So much for my Japanese-language skills.
Our tour also included a cruise around Tokyo Bay, which gave us a completely different view of the city.
From the water we could see Rainbow Bridge, the skyscrapers along Tokyo Bay and the construction of the athletes’ village for the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games.
Towards the end of the tour, our guide took us to Tokyo’s Statue of Liberty.
She told us that it was a replica connected to the one in New York and that both originated from France.
Whether or not I understood every detail correctly, I have to admit that seeing the Statue of Liberty in Tokyo was not something I expected.
We also drove past the Diet Building, Japan’s parliament.
Unfortunately, my photographer was a little too slow.
By the time Graeme was ready to take the photo, we had practically driven past it.
We visited the Imperial Palace Double Bridge as well.
The tour was supposed to include the East Gardens, but because it was Friday, they were closed.
I only managed one selfie there because it was absolutely freezing.
In fact, I ended up lending my beanie and gloves to a young Australian woman from Brisbane who apparently thought a jumper would be enough to survive a Tokyo winter.
Queenslanders.
By the time the tour finished, it was already dark.
That meant we got to see Rainbow Bridge illuminated in rainbow colours and the trees along the main streets of downtown Tokyo glowing with lights.
It was a beautiful way to finish the day.
And I have to say…
the Japanese never disappoint.
This was a very flash one-day tour, including a Western-style lunch in a high-end restaurant.
Graeme even said it was better organised than some of the guided tours we’ve done in Australia.
Considering how impressed he has been with how organised everything in Japan seems to be, I think Japan has officially won him over.
Stories Along the Way 