From Shinto shrine to sushi-making in Ginza

The Meiji Shrine in Shiibuya was only a short ride from our hotel in Shinjuku.

Unlike yesterday, the sky was blue and the sun was shining brightly.

It was a delight to gently strolled through the dappled woodland leading to the Shinto shine.

We saw the impressive, towering torii gate, the tradional Shinto gateway indicating that as we move towards the shine we are passing from the mundane and worldly into the realm of the sacred and the ethereal.

Before going into the inner courtyard, we first observed the required cleansing by washing our hands, first the left, then the right, and then the dipper (ladle) itself before returning it to its position at the font.

Inside the courtyard, we were surprised to find fabulous displays celebrating the bounty of fall harvest. These were creative displays of the quality to often see at Chelsea Flower Show where produce is flawlessly exhibit and each item is without blemish.

As well as assorted vegetables, there were also excellent displays of chrysanthemum. The courtyards was also being used as the location for some weddings.

From the Meiji shine, we went to one of Tokyo’s other key tourist sights, the Imperial Palace, but we were mostly impressed by the beautifully pruned pine trees in the surrounding acres of gardens leading to the place which was – and apparently still is – the residence of the emperor.

From here, we moved into the Ginza district to do a sushi-making class, which was a lot of fun, thanks to the entertaining chef who was very kind and tolerant with our efforts.

The rest of our day in Tokyo was spent shopping and preparing for the start of our trip to Takayama and Kanazawa and beyond.

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