"A Cosmopolitan and Traditional Mix" Tokyo by volarevolare

Hello... to Tokyo!

My first trip to Japan ever, setting foot on Japanese soil after having transited in Narita and eating sashimi -- I was truly excited about this trip! :)

Though I spent only a short 5 days there, flying in on Sunday afternoon and leaving on Thursday evening, I got a good introduction to Japan in the few days I was in Tokyo.

We had bought really good fares on NW to Tokyo on a special promotion that made this trip possible for me. Actually, I'd wanted to travel on my own but since my god-sister needed a honeymoon, and my mum's a keen traveller, i brought them along...

I've chosen this photo as the start of my page as it represents what I enjoyed about Japan most -- the lovely traditional aspects of it as embodied by the still frequent sight of women in yukata and their delectable cuisine! :)

Can't wait to tuck in!

Here's a shot of our first dinner in Tokyo.

We ate at this small restaurant in Asakusa, just off the Nakamise Dori -- there are many restaurants in this area and we just chose this corner one as it's display in the store front just appealed to our palate -- i wonder why i forgot to take a photo of the restaurant front?

As you can see, it was quite a spread -- and of course, i had to have sashimi!!! :)

In the Imperial Palace Gardens in Summer

We visited the Imperial Palace.

You have to write in online for a booking and the tour of the Palace is free, but the walking tour took us to a limited area within the Palace grounds and we didn't really get to go very close or into the buildings... I suppose since this is a Palace in use, these activities are not possible.

Honestly, there wasn't very much to see then... and I was a little disappointed by this visit to the Palace. I think my parents' visit to the one in Kyoto was a lot better! :)

• Pros:Fresh Sashimi Easily Available & Affordable!
• Cons:A little too crowded...
• In a nutshell:A bustling cityscape steeped in tradition