Entering Japan

The first thing you will notice is that the entry visa added to your passport is not a stamp but a sticker. The sticker shows Mount Fuji and the Sakura (cherry blossom) flower. Both these have an iconic status in Japan. I landed at Haneda Airport, which is about 45 minute drive from Tokyo.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building provides stunning views of the city. The entry and views from the top are all completely free. A building that stands out in the city-scape is the Cocoon Tower.

The Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken are held in high esteem in Japan. Their divine souls are also enshrined in the Meiji shrine in Tokyo. On the way to the shrine, I saw the famous sake barrels wrapped in straw. These barrels are offered every year to the enshrined deities.

The Meiji shrine sells small wooden blocks on which you can write your prayer and leave it in an area that is dedicated to hanging these wooden blocks. The photo shows a few of those prayers that people left there.

The Shibuya crossing in the Tokyo district of the same name is famous for being one of the busiest pedestrian crossings in the world. A mass of humanity crosses the streets from all directions when the lights for the vehicular traffic turn red. The area also has many stores, restaurants, and tourists.

In Tokyo, I found that most of the signage also had the equivalent in English too. When there was no signage in English, I used Google Translate's camera feature to point to the Japanese text. Google then showed the translation in English. In the photo above, the adorable Doraemon anime character welcomes visitors. Such characters are extremely popular in Japan.

Traveling to a city such as Tokyo requires a different approach than traveling to a city such as Paris, London, or NYC. This link will take you to a list of hints that you may find helpful.