Meiji Shrine and Shibuya
Today started with the small miracle of Ren sleeping until almost 8! We’re officially on Tokyo time, and I think we’re all a little shocked that it has happened so quickly.
Mauling a bear for breakfast
Ren continued on her quest of consuming the cutest pastries possible for breakfast by mauling a teddy bear bun for breakfast, and we headed out to Meiji Shrine.
Meiji Shrine is next to Harajuku Station, and is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji (first emperor of modern Japan) and his consort Empress Shoken.The original shrine was destroyed by the Allies during WWII, but it was rebuilt shortly thereafter. It’s on the grounds of Yoyogi Park (home of the 1964 Olympics), and is a little shocking to be only steps away from the busy shopping district we visited yesterday, but to be in a relatively peaceful forested area.
Torii gate at Meiji Shrine
Our intention was to give Ren some space to roam, and this fit the bill perfectly. She was not at all impressed by the massive torii gates, but was quite taken with the muddy puddles. She did warm up to some of the etiquette – particularly the ritual for visiting the main shrine buildings: drop coins in the offering box, bow twice, clap twice, and bow once more. She would have done it over and over again if we’d let her!
We purchased an Ema (wooden tablet onto which you write your wishes), and talked with Ren about what we should write down, and she hung it carefully on a hook under the camphor tree. Being the weekend, it was a popular time for weddings at the shrine, and we saw three different brides and grooms posing for pictures and processing through the courtyard. We felt really lucky to see them.
Ren just hung the Ema on the top left.
We also visited the Meiji Jingu Gyoen (Imperial Garden), and Ren loved watching the fish at what was the Empress’ favorite fishing spot.
Hi fishies!
We intended to have a laid back lunch, but managed to stumble into one of the more tense meals we’ve had. We had heard that there were restaurants with views in the tower across from our hotel, and we decided to check out the menus and see if anything looked kid friendly. After spying high chairs through the doorway (our first sighting in Japan!), and seeing noodles on the menu, we walked confidently into a restaurant….only to realize once we had been seated that it was a teppanyaki restaurant, and that unlike in the US where diners sit around a central grill at a fairly safe distance, here we were sitting at a normal sized table for four, with a hot griddle taking up most of the middle of the table. Grant won the honor of sitting next to Ren, and did an admirable job of restraining her. The food was fine, but I don’t think we’ll be repeating the experience voluntarily.
Post nap, we had thought we would head to Asakusa in Northern Tokyo (visit a Buddhist temple and do a little souvenir shopping while strolling through a more traditional neighborhood). After gauging Ren’s energy level, we decided that a long train ride wasn’t in the cards today, and we headed to Shibuya.
Shibuya is where the famous “scramble crossing” is, and we watched from an elevated walkway in the train station as people flooded the streets when the lights changed. We all enjoyed watching the ebb and flow, and Ren was in rare form when we finally got down into the streets ourselves, dancing and pointing at all the neon lights from atop our shoulders.
Shibuya’s scramble crossing
Shibuya is a different animal from Harajuku, all flashing lights and giant video screens. We walked around for a little just checking out the scene, and decided to stop for dinner at a ramen place, thinking that noodles would be perfect. Dinner was good, although Ren’s favorite parts were the broth from my bowl and the grape lollipop that the waitress treated her to. The atmosphere was kind of strange, with music from rap to country playing, but I think I have a new mission: to find my favorite bowl of ramen.
Ramen for Ren
Detouring through Mitsukoshi on our way home, Ren found the toy department and a little indoor playspace, and we found the nicest “babyroom” we could ever have imagined with multiple changing stations, kid friendly vending machines, a formula preparation area, and a separate nursing room. Why can’t we have spaces like this at home?
Tomorrow Grant is off to work, so Ren and I will be on our own for adventuring through Tokyo. Wish us luck!
Konnichiwa!
That’s right, we are in Japan!
We’ve done a little travel since Ren was born: Vancouver, most of the East Coast from Maine to North Carolina in several trips back east, and Hawaii. Hawaii was like a dream, and we spent a week on Maui in November 2014, so when the opportunity arose to join Grant on a business trip to Tokyo, we jumped at it. Literally, since we bought our tickets just over a week ago, and now here we are! We are loving Japan, and Japan loves…Ren.
Ready for our first Dreamliner flight!
The flight yesterday went really well, and she charmed everyone on the plane and in the airport yesterday with her clownfish backpack. She was consistently greeted with “Nemo…kawaii!” She was in great spirits. Today she’s been making friends with her Hello Kitty hat on. I think Japan was made for adorable two year olds.
The hardest part of yesterday was the final 1.5 hours on the bus from Narita to Tokyo, Ren started strong but about 40 minutes into the ride (perhaps not coincidentally as the sun was setting) she started to crash hard. Can’t blame her as it was around 1 AM Seattle time and she had a normal nap on the plane around 4 PM Seattle time, so she was zonked. We were all very relieved to reach the hotel and get Ren into her crib, where she crashed around 7PM local time/2AM Seattle time. The grown ups stuck it out until around 8:30.
This morning we were up bright and early (around 4:15AM)! We decided to strike while the iron was hot (while the kid was energetic), and head to Tsujiki Fish Market. It’s a 10-15 minute walk to the actual subway station (Ebisu) closest to us, but luckily it was a straight shot on that line to the market. Ren dozed off on the subway, even though she had been really excited to take the “choo-choo”. We had her in the Beco carrier, which she was delighted to ride in again (it has been a few months since we’ve used it at home).
Yum!
Strolled around in a drizzle, dodging carts and trucks (it is a very busy area, and clearly a hard working market!), and spent most of our time in the Outside Market, which is stall after stall of fish, vegetables, restaurant supply stores, and tiny restaurants serving the freshest sushi. Had to take advantage of that, so once Ren woke up, we headed back to the one that had seemed the friendliest. The ground floor was packed, but the man outside waved us in, shouting orders to the people inside. They whisked us up a flight of stairs, to a tiny room with four tables. Very friendly people, colorful picture menu, and we both ordered miso soup and a chirashi bowl (rice with sashimi on top). Grant stuck to tamago, tuna, salmon, and minced fatty tuna (which Ren declared yummy), and I got a bit more adventurous with salmon,albacore, tuna, shrimp, sea cucumber?, and salmon roe (ikura). The biggest surprise and hit of the day for Ren was ikura, aka bubbles. She ate almost all of them (probably 3-4 healthy spoonfuls), along with a nice amount of the fatty tuna and two-thirds of my salmon. The restaurant loved her, and brought her a little teddy on a stick, and several people stopped by to say hi to her. She must feel like a rock star.
A little more wandering around, and we headed back to the hotel by 10, with a stop on the way for bunny bread – a little roll shaped like a bunny with chocolate chip eyes and chocolate pudding inside. That may become a regular treat!
Bunny bread
We’re certainly getting our exercise, walking around and carrying Ren in turns in the Beco! We’re working on our Japanese, and are saying Ohio (good morning), Arigato (thank you), and Sayonara (good bye), and trying to get Ren to say it too. The funniest thing she’s doing is responding to our requests for her to say Ohio with Ni hao! I guess the Mandarin stuck! It’s an extremely consistent response.
Namiyoke-jinja, Shinto shrine next to the market
Post nap, we headed to Harajuku to visit KiddyLand, a huge toy store. Something for us in the morning, something for her in the afternoon! We strolled down Omotesando, a broad avenue apparently sometimes referred to as Tokyo’s Champs-Élysées, and dodged the crowds until we found the store. We worked our way from the top floor down, since the top floor was Hello Kitty central, and Ren has a close, personal relationship with Ms. Kitty. Sure enough, we now own a Hello Kitty doll in a kimono, and a plate, washcloth, and toothbrush adorned with the cat. And, we have a very happy little girl currently snuggled up to the doll in her crib.
We were aiming for gyoza for a mid-afternoon meal (Dinner? My stomach has no idea where it is.), but at 2:15 PM there was quite a line at the restaurant that had been recommended, so we wandered the small side streets and made our way back to the JR station and on to Ebisu figuring that our quieter neighborhood might have some good choices around here. In Yebisu Garden Place, there were plenty of options, and Ren’s request was “bubbles”! Ok, more chirashi, and she ate almost all of my tuna, avocado, ikura bowl.
Not satiated, we detoured through Mitsukoshi, a big department store with food halls in the basement, on a quest for more bubbles. We found them, along with cherry blossom shaped rice crackers and an assortment of other kid approved treats including a teddy bear shaped bun. They were showing a film made in the plaza that we were walking through, and Ren watched a little and ran around to get her wiggles out before we headed back to the hotel by 5. She made it to 6:45 tonight, and has really been a trooper. She’s already looking forward to another choo-choo ride tomorrow.
It’s so much fun to see the world through her eyes. The silence in a Japanese subway car isn’t oppressive or intimidating to her, but a great opportunity to make funny noises and tell everyone that the train is going fast!
Evening view from our hotel room
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