Very comfortable hotel and Win feeling somewhat better, thank goodness. Ample breakfast, after which Junko and Ritsuko came to the hotel to take us on a Tokyo outing. Our first stop was the lovely old garden, Hama-rikyu, once the family garden of the Tokugawa Shogun, now a beautiful open space with ponds formed by incoming tidal water, a magnificently reconstructed tea house, lovely trees, irises in bloom everywhere. We stopped for Matcha and a sweet. Then we walked over to see the very large Tsukiji Hongwanji Temple of the Jodo sect. Not as lovely in our opinion as the old wooden temples we have so frequently visited. After this Win decided to return to Hotel Niwa for rest, and the three of us walked on to the the Tsukiji open air market (the large fish market is apparently not open to tourists any longer). Very colorful and obviously a great place for a Sunday stroll, or to pick up various Japanese food items, eat street food etc. We watched with delight as a cook made batch after batch of Tsumago (layered omelet). Our last adventure was a trip to The Museum of the History of Edo, a capacious museum with reconstructed homes, dioramas of the old city and much fascinating information on the social and cultural aspects of life in Edo. I toppled over (very embarrassing) when I was encouraged to lift the long pole with a heavy bamboo bucket of fish on either end, but otherwise it was great fun. Junko went off to a Sumo match nearby (she is one of three Vice Presidents of Tokyo and attends many cultural events). Ritsuko and I had coffee and pudding to revive ourselves, and we talked a lot about social welfare (her area of writing as a journalist). Afterwards we went back to the hotel to fetch Win and out to an old soba noodle restaurant (Kanda Yabu Soba). Very full and tired after a fine dinner, we said our goodbyes and agreed we should return in 2020 when Junko will be working on Tokyo's role in the summer olympics. We have known Junko since 1990, so it is very hard to say good bye again.
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| Hamma-rikyu Garden |
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| Rebuilt tea house |
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| Ritsuko and Junko Inokuma |
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| Tsukiji Temple |
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| Tsukiji Open Market |
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| B. at the market |
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| Dinner at the soba restaurant |
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