Bride and groom exit Hie Jinja 日枝神社

The sign in the back has nothing to do with the wedding. It says Sanno Soreisai (山王祖霊祭) which is a festival of sorts for ancestral spirits. You can see photos of that event on the Hie Jinja website here.

Posted on January 11th, 2012 under Japan. Tags: people, Tokyo, wedding. Comments: 1

Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower (モード学園コクーンタワー)

Posted on January 5th, 2012 under Japan. Tags: buildings, shinjuku, Tokyo. Comments Off on Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower (モード学園コクーンタワー)

According to the Yomiuri, a new train station is going to be created on the Yamanote Line in Tokyo for the first time in over 40 years! You can see the location of the new station (and neighborhood) in the lower right portion of this photo I took back in 2010. What once was JR’s rolling stock yard, located between Shinagawa and Tamachi stations, will soon be redeveloped with a train station at its center. I’m not sure where the stock yard of trains will be relocated.

Posted on January 4th, 2012 under Japan. Tags: Tokyo, tokyo tower, trains. Comments: 1

Members of Japan's Imperial Family (including the emperor--third from left)

This is the scene should you ever visit Japan’s Imperial Palace in Tokyo on January 2. Most of the Imperial Palace is normally off limits. The exceptions are January 2 and the Emperor’s birthday when the public is allowed in this area.

Posted on January 2nd, 2012 under Japan. Tags: imperial palace, people, Tokyo. Comments Off on Imperial Household

Queue to see the emperor of Japan

If you are in Tokyo tomorrow (January 2), you can see the emperor. The Imperial Household will make five appearances. Here is the schedule. Expect a ton of people so get there early.

The sign in this photo (from when I went in 2010) says, “please proceed slowly.”

Posted on January 1st, 2012 under Japan. Tags: shogatsu, signs, Tokyo. Comments Off on Emperor’s New Year Greeting