June 12, 2016

My first guide at Meiji Shrine in TCGC English group.

I first conducted foreign visitors at Meiji Shrine and Harajuku Area during the tour of TCGC (Tokyo City Guide Club, Nonprofit organization (NPO)).
It was a 2-hours walking tour in Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, and Omotesando area.
The guests of our group came from Nigeria,  the U.S, the Philippine and Singapore.
I’m a beginner guide in TCGC, so I guided as a pair guide with another beginner’s guide.

At first, I was a lit bit nervous, but the guests were very cooperative and listened to our explanation very enthusiastically, so the tour went off smoothly.

It was a pleasant experience for me, but I need to study more and more to make guests enjoy my guiding.
These pictures were our preliminary visit last week.

Guide tour with two nice couples from Oregon, the U.SAs a member of CycleTokyo!, I volunteered to guide four guests from Oregon, the U.S. We visited Imperial palace, Tokyo Tower, Zojyoji temple, Ginza, and Tsukudajima. We used chiyokuru this time...

Guide tour with two nice couples from Oregon, the U.S

As a member of CycleTokyo!, I volunteered to guide four guests from Oregon, the U.S.

We visited Imperial palace, Tokyo Tower, Zojyoji temple, Ginza, and Tsukudajima.

We used chiyokuru this time because our guests were taller than standard Japanese. Chiyokuru is easy to adjust it’s saddle height in a wide range so tall people ride it comfortably.

We started from Marunouchi building, then visited Imperial palace, and went to Tokyo tower. We went up to Main Observatory（150m).

We stopped at Zojyoji temple and went to Ginza Mitsukoshi.
We bought lunch at “Depachika”,which is the nickname of the basement floor in Japanese department stores. There are many delis and sweets stores there and it’s a kind of like “food theme parks”.

We had lunch at the riverbank of Sumida river.
After lunch, we visited Tsukudajima and went through Nihonbashi to Imperial palace East Garden. We were strolling in the garden, which was originally the inner citadel of Edo castle, and enjoyed remains, beautiful Japanese landscape garden with lots of flowers.

The weather was perfect and we enjoyed cycling and strolling.

Alaska palace and Taiyaki wakaba

This is Akasaka Palace 迎賓館, which is now used as the state guesthouse.
It’s a 5-minute walk from JR Chuo Line Yotsuya station.
It was originally built as the palace of crown prince in 1909, but it had not been used as the prince’s palace for some reasons. The main building was designed by the Neo-Baroque style and it is designated as a National treasure.

And then I dropped at taiyaki Wakaba 鯛焼き わかば near the palace.
It is regarded as one of the three most famous taiyaki shop in Tokyo.
Taiyaki is a fish-shaped pancake stuffed with an 餡 or sweet bean paste.

I think the an 餡 of this shop is a little bit salty, but it is authentic.

I went back and forth by a bicycle between my house to Yoyogi, crossing the center of Tokyo. 28km

I usually jog along Sumidagawa river three times a week. There are pedestrian decks along the river so I can jog without stopping at any red rights. In this picture you can see many high-rise buildings across the river, which was an island of a...

I usually jog along Sumidagawa river three times a week. There are pedestrian decks along the river so I can jog without stopping at any red rights.
In this picture you can see many high-rise buildings across the river, which was an island of a vocational aid center for homeless in Edo from the 18th century to the mid 19th century.

Nara and Ikaruga

In the morning, we visited Kasuga shrine 春日神社, Todaiji temple 東大寺and met lots of deers. At Todaiji, there is a pillar with a hole in its base that is the same size as the Daibutsu’s nostril. It is said that those who can squeeze through this opening will be granted enlightenment in their next life. I tried and did it!

After that, we visited Heijyo palace remains 平城京跡.

In the 8th century, Nara was a capital of Japan. Now these area is the huge ruins. There is lots of green in the ruins, so I felt good.

Especially I was impressed at East palace garden 東院庭園, which is the restored ancient garden. It is regarded as the beginning of Japanese garden.

And then we visited Toshodaiji 唐招提寺, ate Tonkotsu Ramen at muteppo shabaton 無鉄砲しゃばとん. Finally we visited Horyuji 法隆寺, which was found in the 7th century and it is the oldest wooden structures in the worlds.

For dinner, I ate chicken and minced-meat curry at Tarikaro タリカロ in Nara-machi area ならまち. The restaurant staff told me that it was not hot but it is enough hot but tasty.

Total distance was about 44km.
Only Strava log is in “Keep-Reading” below.

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