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.

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.

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.

We also visited the Meiji Jingu Gyoen (Imperial Garden), and Ren loved watching the fish at what was the Empress’ favorite fishing spot.

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 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.

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!