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| DSC_0492.JPG First view of Tokyo, Dec 3 |
DSC_0496.JPG Hotel window view of Otemachi and ruins of Edo Castle |
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| DSC_0497.JPG Skyscrapers near Tokyo station |
DSC_0498.JPG View of Tokyo |
DSC_0500.JPG Mountains visible in north |
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| DSC_0501.JPG Northward view along Otemachi |
DSC_0502.JPG 7-Eleven is ubiquitous; Starbucks surprisingly rare |
DSC_0503.JPG Tokyo architecture |
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| DSC_0505.JPG Xmas shopping time in Ginza |
DSC_0506.JPG Ginza |
DSC_0507.JPG Ginza |
DSC_0508.JPG Main Ginza intersection |
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| DSC_0510.JPG Shoppers in Ginza; facemasks are common at the
few percent level |
DSC_0511.JPG Ginza bakery |
DSC_0512.JPG Typical J resto window, the food looks
good but is plastic |
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| DSC_0513.JPG ..and it looks so real... |
DSC_0514.JPG Tall towers all have the red/white paint scheme |
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DSC_0516.JPG southern Ginza |
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| DSC_0517.JPG View from footbridge on way to Tsukiji |
DSC_0518.JPG First sight of the fish market at end of street |
DSC_0519.JPG Entrance to Tsukiji fish market |
DSC_0520.JPG |
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| DSC_0521.JPG Tsukijishijo |
DSC_0522.JPG Tsukijishijo |
DSC_0523.JPG Into the market |
DSC_0524.JPG Seaweed shop |
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| DSC_0525.JPG Green roots |
DSC_0526.JPG Further inside, more industrial |
DSC_0527.JPG Protosushi on the hoof |
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DSC_0532.JPG interesting sea cucumber thingies |
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| DSC_0533.JPG yum, sea urchin |
DSC_0534.JPG first tuna sighting |
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| DSC_0537.JPG Fish |
DSC_0538.JPG Big fish |
DSC_0539.JPG Eel |
DSC_0540.JPG Fish heads |
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| DSC_0541.JPG Octopi |
DSC_0542.JPG and deeper into the market |
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DSC_0544.JPG close to the water now |
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| DSC_0545.JPG Here's where the fish actually land |
DSC_0546.JPG How much fish can you carry? |
DSC_0547.JPG Tokyo Bay |
DSC_0548.JPG Tokyo Bay from the fish wharf |
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| DSC_0549.JPG Tuna auction wharf in Tokyo bay |
DSC_0550.JPG Tokyo Bay |
DSC_0551.JPG Tokyo Bay |
DSC_0552.JPG Tokyo Bay |
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| DSC_0553.JPG Tokyo Bay |
DSC_0554.JPG Low and higher tech fish transport |
DSC_0555.JPG Lots of these little trucks around |
DSC_0556.JPG Big leeks |
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| DSC_0557.JPG On the street outside the market, lots of little eateries
and all very busy |
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DSC_0559.JPG I was not tempted by the whale sushi |
DSC_0560.JPG Squid |
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| DSC_0561.JPG Had found this place thanks to google -24 hr sushi |
DSC_0562.JPG Long wait for a seat, as the sushi chefs work |
DSC_0563.JPG The tuna special, 100 meters from the tuna auction. Yes, it was fresh |
DSC_0564.JPG Back to the hotel to get the other lens |
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| DSC_0565.JPG Hotel was at the Nihonbashi entrance to JR Tokyo Station.
You have to say which entrance, they cover a kilometer or two. |
DSC_0566.JPG Otemachi station. Most street signs have English captions. |
DSC_0567.JPG The hotel starts on the 27th floor |
DSC_0568.JPG Looking back at the hotel (brightly lit just beyond railway bridge) |
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| DSC_0569.JPG I liked the geometry and colors in this view |
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| DSC_0573.JPG |
DSC_0574.JPG Otemon gate to the castle |
DSC_0576.JPG Moat of Edo castle |
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| DSC_0577.JPG Otemon is the outer gate |
DSC_0578.JPG The courtyard of Otemon gate |
DSC_0579.JPG Looking back at Tokyo |
DSC_0580.JPG The gate is iron and wood |
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| DSC_0581.JPG After Otemon, the walls of the next enclosure |
DSC_0582.JPG Guardhouse |
DSC_0583.JPG Castle burnt down in 1657 - current palace is next door |
DSC_0584.JPG Second guard house |
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| DSC_0585.JPG |
DSC_0586.JPG The third guardhouse, where the samurai were |
DSC_0587.JPG Up the hill to the main fortress |
DSC_0588.JPG The Fuji tower, this was as close as you can get |
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| DSC_0589.JPG Fuji tower |
DSC_0590.JPG Site of a corridor in the old castle where famous stuff happened |
DSC_0591.JPG The old castle is now the east gardens of the palace |
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| DSC_0593.JPG Concert hall |
DSC_0594.JPG Donjon base, the tall tower was here before the fire |
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DSC_0596.JPG Tower had been 58 meters tall |
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DSC_0599.JPG On top of the donjon base |
DSC_0600.JPG Looking back from donjon to castle grounds |
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DSC_0602.JPG All this park used to be full of the old palace buildings |
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| DSC_0605.JPG Lookout point |
DSC_0606.JPG Looking down to moat and outer castle grounds |
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| DSC_0609.JPG Heading back down from the inner castle |
DSC_0610.JPG Note the castle walls to the left |
DSC_0611.JPG Edo castle walls |
DSC_0612.JPG Back down towards otemon |
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DSC_0614.JPG Now heading to the palace |
DSC_0615.JPG Side gate to palace |
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| DSC_0617.JPG Plaza in front of palace |
DSC_0618.JPG Moat |
DSC_0619.JPG Approach to palace |
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| DSC_0621.JPG The plaza's pretty big |
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DSC_0623.JPG Nijubashi bridge and entrance to the palace |
DSC_0624.JPG Wide view of imperial palace |
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| DSC_0625.JPG Imperial palace |
DSC_0626.JPG Imperial palace |
DSC_0627.JPG Imperial palace |
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| DSC_0629.JPG Imperial palace |
DSC_0630.JPG Imperial palace |
DSC_0631.JPG Imperial palace |
DSC_0632.JPG Imperial palace |
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| DSC_0633.JPG Gate to imperial palace |
DSC_0634.JPG Tokyo |
DSC_0635.JPG JR train leaving Tokyo station |
DSC_0636.JPG Tokyo near the station |
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| DSC_0638.JPG Lots of underground shopping malls; here in the Yaesu arcade,
despite Starbucks and golden arches, I also found a nice kaitenzushi. |
