The home of Nissan

Only a half hour train ride away from downtown Tokyo was Yokohama. It was a huge change from being in the midst of tourists, and as I left the train station and headed towards a park I’d earmarked, I stumbled upon my first eye catching sight.

Cruising on the Sumida

A cruise along the Sumida River seemed like an easy way to see more of Tokyo. I boarded a ferry at Asakura Pier and glided beneath countless bridges. While the trip was relaxing, there wasn’t much that drew my attention until we reached Hama Rikyu Garden.

By the Sumida River

I stood in Sumida Park by the water’s edge and stared across the Sumida River, but wasn’t quite sure what I was looking at. Was it a building?

A way out

Like many temples, businesses hugged the outskirts of Senso-ji’s temple grounds. In one direction was an arcade where I spotted small containers of sake, but I headed towards the main gate.

Senso-ji Temple

While Senso-ji was the oldest temple site in Tokyo, it was rebuilt a number of times. The present reincarnation was modelled on the 1692 version.

Yanaka Ginza

These markets on the northern edge of Tokyo’s Yanaka District were small, but I was tempted to wander through. Some items on sale I hadn’t seen anywhere else.

District of a thousand temples

I strolled the streets of Tokyo’s Yanaka District where it felt like there were temples on every corner. In fact, there were sixty — still a surprising number for this small district.