Exploring Tokyo- New Otani Garden, Meiji Jingu Shrine, Imperial Palace Gardens, Shibuya

I had set my alarm for 8:30 am, out of fear that we would all sleep past noon...but we all woke up naturally around 6:00 am!  We are obviously not acclimated to the time change yet!  We got ready fairly quickly, and decide to check out the breakfast buffet at the hotel, at the top of the tower.  It was fairley expensive, but we reasoned if we ate enough there, we wouldn't need to buy lunch later. ( That's what we had done in Bangkok, 3 years earlier)   They had a nice spread, including a chef making custom omelettes.  They were great, I went back for another!  They had traditional Japanese breakfast foods,  rice, noodles, vegetables, etc. as well as traditional Western fare.  Bacon, eggs, pancakes, sausage, ham, toast, cereal, fruit, etc.

  they even had french fries...for breakfast??  Being at the top of the tower, we also had a great view, as they had given us a window seat.   It was too hazy to see Mt Fuji, though, and sadly, we didn't get to see it the whole trip! 

After breakfast, we went down to the lobby to get a subway map and directions,  and Doug and I exchanged some more money.   Then we went outside to check out the New Otani Hotel Garden, which is one of the reasons I chose this hotel for us.  It's a beautiful, peaceful setting, with a waterfall, a little bridge over a koi pond teeming with large fish, and a small temple.   The history of the Japanese Garden dates back over 400 years to the time of the samurai lord Kiyomasa Kato (1562-1611).

   In the later years, the land became the property of Lord Fushiminomiya.  It was from that time on that the Garden became noted for its sublime beauty.   After the Second World War, the Fushinomiya family sold the property to Yonetaro Otani, the founder of the Hotel New Otani, who renovated the garden into what is now known as the New Otani Japanese Garden today.  It is listed as a stop in many guidebooks, as you can go to the garden without actually staying at the hotel.  I recommend it! 

A total of 42 stone lanterns are found in the Garden, some along the pathways and slopes, and some by the pond.  Some of these are rare, and were brought from different locations by Mr Otani.   Some have been here for almost 900 years!   There is also a 13-storied pagoda.

One of the most recognizable structures in the Garden, the square-shaped pagoda is a style kept intact since the Nanboku-cho period (1336-1392).

The trail around the garden leads past a temple to a small waterfall at the end of a flower garden. It's hard to believe such a quiet, serene spot is in the middle of one of the busiest cities in the world!   I wanted to spend more time there and take more pictures, but the guys were in a hurry to get going to our next stop. No matter, we'll be here for a few days!  I can always come back!   We headed off to the nearest subway station to go to our next stop, the Meiji Jingu Shrine.