We are delighted to share with you the memorable experiences of Stefania, an Italian guide based in Lyon, during her stay in Japan. Part two.
Let’s be honest: we – Japan-loving-tourists- are paying the toll for all these years of promoting “Japan lifestyle”, “Japan healthy food”, “Japan omotenashi” and so on.
Wherever you go, whatever the season, you’re bound to be stuck in the middle of foreign tourists taking pictures of a temple or standing in line to enter a shrine.
If you’re wondering whether it’s still possible to visit Tokyo as if you’ were the only (or almost the only) tourist around, the answer is YES!
This morning, I was shown around two beautiful gardens in Tokyo by a Japanese friend and I can tell you, I felt miles away from the overcrowded district of Asakusa or Harajuku, which are actually just around the corner.
We started at Kameido Shrine, where we enjoyed the view of blossoming plum trees. Yes, my friends, you can visit Japan to see more than just the beautiful cherry blossoms!
The park is located on the west side of the Kyu-Nakagawa River and you can also visit the shrine inside. Many locals were there taking pictures of the white, pink and yellow plum flowers.
Before heading to the next park, my friend took me to a very Japanese-style café, one of those places that seems so timeless and so authentically “Japanese” that you hesitate to enter on your own.
The café shop was already open, but the eat-in service started only at 11 am. At exactly 11 we were shown to our table and within minutes all the other tables were taken by elderly Japanese couples or groups of ladies discreetly chitchatting away. I tried the « Kizumochi”, a local specialty that, as its name suggests, tastes a little like mochi.
After this break into true local lore, we set off to the Koishikawa Korakuen, another traditional Japanese garden with ponds, plum trees, miniature waterfalls – everything designed to recreate Japanese and Chinese landscapes.
It’s a garden you can enjoy year-round, with each season offering its own blossoms and charm.
But as always in Japan, you’re never too far from modernity and civilization: in fact, just behind the park, there’s the large, yet not intrusive Tokyo Dome.
We decided to go closer, and just behind it, we stumbled upon another unexpected site: the Tokyo Dome City Attracions, a sort of amusement park. I’m not a big fun of roller coasters and thrill rides, but if you’re visiting Tokyo with children, this neighborhood is worth considering : not-too-scary water slides, merry-go-rounds and plenty of places to enjoy a quick meal or do some shopping, just the way the locals do!