Day 4 Tokyo

 After checking out of the Tokyo Hilton this morning we once again boarded the bus for another half day tour of Tokyo.  We were greeted by our tour guide who gave us a run down of what to expect on this tour.  Our first stop was the Meiji Shrine that was built to honour Emperor Meiji.  The Shinto shrine is almost hidden amongst a forest of trees and as we reach the very high "gate" we are told that it is tradition to bow before you pass through.

The wooden buildings, built around a compound, are impressive and we stopped to fill out a wish and prayer form that we dropped into an envelope and will be posted on the wall.  We prayed for a healthy, happy life and we wished for longevity!

We walked past a wall that was stacked high with barrels of Sake that are wrapped in straw. Sake is a spirit that is much loved by the Japanese.

Our next destination was Odaiba where we were taken to the observation deck on the 25th floor of the Fuji building.  On a clear day we would be able to see Mt Fuji but unfortunately today was very cloudy so we missed seeing this.  

We were allocated an hour at the viewing tower but Philip and I left after 20 minutes and went for a walk around the area.  There were lots of school kids, presumably on a school excursion, running around and they were looking for statues of which there were many, even a miniature Statue of Liberty.

Our tour guide once again gathered us all together for the 30 minute drive to our waiting cruise ship - Regent Explorer.  The check-in process was tedious but necessary and we are now safely onboard.  It was late when we were arrived on board and we hadn't had lunch so we made a bee line for the poolside buffet.  

The past three days have been really full on so we are having another early night.  We have tours booked every day as we circumnavigate Japan so we will certainly get an in depth look at this lovely country.