Fantasy and Reality in Tokyo

The Ghibli Museum is the animation and art museum of one of Japan's most famous animation studios, considered to be the "Disney" of Japan It is situated on the outskirts of Tokyo Central so involved a lengthy train ride. While apparently there was a shuttle from the train station to the museum. we opted to walk there through a stunning park. Not only was the park, with a lake at its center, serenely beautiful, but it also gave us a taste of how locals spend their leisure time, including a small festive gathering, joggers, cyclists and artists with their easels.

The quirky building of the Ghibli Museum -- we weren't allowed to take photos inside

The museum building itself was whimsical, reminding me somewhat of a Dr. Seuss creation. As it was a Saturday, it was packed with families. Still, we enjoyed wandering through the excellent displays of studio history, story and character summaries and animation techniques. I learned a lot about animation in general and enjoyed our visit, and Kevin of course was captivated!

So now it was my turn, and we headed to the Imperial Palace and Gardens. It was getting late in the afternoon and the weather was turning. By the time we got to the Palace Grounds, light rain started. We wandered the grounds near the castle (castle visits only by appointment--and we didn't have one) but discovered we were too late to visit the Gardens, which are open to the public. And by now we were tired and getting a bit damp. As Kevin really wanted to spend more time in the Akihibara area and I wanted to have a peaceful evening, we decided to split up and meet for dinner later. I was a wee bit nervous to tackle the metro on my own, but it was all good. I spent a few hours relaxing, reading and writing, and Kevin had a chance to check out more gaming stores. We met up at our local metro station, and went looking for a recommended tempura restaurant.

Old against new - Gate near Imperial Castle

Addresses in Tokyo are based on a unique number system and, as we were discovering, are difficult to find. We could not find the restaurant, so opted to chance a small "Chinese" restaurant we passed. There was no English or pictures on menu and of course no one spoke English. But Kevin managed to get an order out with the kind help of the older women serving us. The food did not resemble Chinese food we knew, but we were starved so it all tasted good. I am so impressed with this son of mine and how he handles language and cultural barriers. What a great travel partner!