First, another subway ride. We’ve got the hang of it!

The torii (gate) leading to Meiji-jingu (the imperial shrine – largest Shinto shrine in Tokyo, built in 1920 by Emperor Meiji).

These sake barrels are presented each year by brewers from throughout Japan as offerings to the enshrined Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken at Meiji-jingu.

A row of lanterns:

The shrine was destroyed by aerial bombardment in 1945, but rebuilt in 1958. They’re renovating now to celebrate its centenary in 2020.

Visitors cleanse at the spring-fed font before entering:

We took a stroll through the inner gardens to the pond and the Kiyomasa-Ido (well) – a little spring that feeds the pond and whose use dates back to the Edo period (1600s).

Blake was intrigued by how bonsai are sculpted.

We took a walk down to Harajuku past the station to Takeshita-dori – the famous street for shopping.

Sushi train IN Japan – of course! Found a little basement place to stop for lunch. Phoebe wearing her new cute Harajuku earmuffs!

Bullet train delivery:

We wandered around the moat of the Imperial Palace for a while before realising the gardens are closed for the New Year period…

Riding the subway again to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building in Shinjuku, for a free night view over Tokyo from the observatory.

Dinner stop: a little meat on a stick joint in Yakitori Alley (yakitori is a Japanese meat skewer grilled over a charcoal fire) in Shinjuku – also called Piss Alley because back in the day there were bars and food stalls and no toilets, so people would relieve themselves on the nearby train tracks… Anyway, none of that today, just a cute little alleyway that smelled of BBQ smoke deliciousness where we found some seats next to the grill.

Even Blake was satisfied.

A little walk through the alley:

Shinjuku at night and Godzilla:

Steve and mini-me:

Day 2 – done!