Japan (關東), 6/2007, Day 4

Our final day began with a visit to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (東京都庁舎), which is only a short walk from the hotel.













Up from the observation deck, you can almost see the entire city beneath you.
















Then we hopped on the bus for a short ride to Meiji Shrine (明治神宮).

Saw this couple getting their wedding pictures taken by chance, so I joined their friends and family and snapped a few.







All sorts of lucky charms for sale. It's interesting that even in the spiritual world, things related to good health are the most expensive.





制服妹.










Typical Japanese tour groups: organized, orderly, and punctual. 




Asakusa (淺草)


 


Wow, is it lunch time already?







For this meal we had a choice of hot, cooked food or cold, raw fish. Guess which one I chose? All I can is you can't get this kind of sashimi and hand-made tofu here in the States.
 












Hard Gay impersonators?









 










Long strip of shops in front of the shrine. This should be a familiar scene for those who have seen the Japanese TV drama セーラー服と機関銃 (水手服與機關槍)



































 























 



 
 
Stumbled on this photo shoot while walking around. The model was nice enough to smile at me.




 





Mariko demonstrating how to put on a yukata (浴衣).











Imperial Palace (皇居)
 














Changing of the guards.

















That's the Tokyo Tower between her fingers.






Bronze statue of a famous samurai (I forget who).













We only spent about 1 hour in Ginza (銀座), and we didn't go to the most glamorous area either, just a few big department stores like Mitsukoshi. Plus we're there too early to see any of the neon signs...





















Our final (I mean final) stop of the trip was Daiba (台場), a man-made island in Tokyo Bay full of tourist attractions and office buildings.




A concept car on display at Toyota's exhibit hall.






You can test drive this little thing on a special track inside the exhibit hall.





Yes, the team sucks, but I couldn't pass up the chance to get one in with a full-scale display.






Saw this at the entrance of an adjacent shopping mall.


















Didn't know you have your own studio?








 
Mmm... a shabu shabu buffet!! The owner was so generous that she kept giving us more food as soon as a plate looked half empty.















The food was great, the atmosphere was good, and judging by how packed the place was, it can't be too expensive, so there's only one word to describe it -- 讚!






Rainbow Bridge leading back to the city.






Back at Narita Hilton. One last group shot with Minnie before we head over to the airport.