You know I’ll get to the dog and the owls. I obviously have to go sequentially through my day.I had been eyeing these desserts all week. I went to the Mitaka station to buy one of these. After all, I can indulge myself with dessert for breakfast.
I took the train to Kichijoji and went to Inokashira park. I was there on the first day here in Japan for cherry blossoms but it was very crowded.I rented a swan boat (they have canoes and other peddle boats) and spent 30 minutes paddling around the pond.
https://youtu.be/Iztey9PGLjcIf you become still like a Swan, the ducks come to you!
After the boats, I soaked up sunshine and ate my breakfast. It was a cookie base with ganache in the center surrounded by thick whipped cream and topped with chestnut icing. It was delicious.
Scramble crossing, Shibuya
I took a train to Shibuya station. Inside, if you look for the signs for Shibuya Mark City, it will take you upstairs to a walkway. From there you can see an intersection that has the 4 crosswalks plus the diagonal. It is known as the scramble crossing as all traffic stops and all pedestrians move at once. You can also see it from the Starbucks (after you cross the street of course!)
On a weekend there would be more people. Here is a time lapse video.https://youtu.be/Iztey9PGLjc
The dog, Hachiko
Looking down from the train station on the right hand side there will be a crowd of people around a statue. It is the statue of the dog Hachiko.The dog would meet his master at the stop at the end of every work day. One day his master had a stroke and never came home. The dog continued to return every day and people would feed him. He remained faithful for 9 years until he died. It is to commemorate faithful and loyal dogs.
From there I walked to a different metro stop, Harajuku. It was a little warmer today so I would rather walk extra than ride a train. I crossed the scramble crossing diagonally from the statue towards the Starbucks then continued to the right. It was a straight shot to Yoyogi Park and a beautiful day for a walk.There are many high end shops along the way and a Tower records. There was a movie of that name…
A telephone booth.
Meiji Jingu Shrine
After arriving and before going to Yoyogi park, I stopped at the Meiji Jingu Shrine (it is actually on one end of the park). During the Meiji Era, Emperor Meiji increased industrialization and took some of the best Western ideas and used them with traditional Japanese. This shrine is in honor of him, including these barrels of sake given in his honor.
There are many torii gates throughout.
It is a decent walk down a beautiful path to get to the shrine.
At the shrine you can toss a coin to make prayer, bow twice, clap your hands twice, and then bow again.
You can also leave a gift of money with a blessing and it is offered in service later.
Before entering the shrine it is a ritual to cleanse hands.
There is a secret garden to regain peace when there are many crowds but I did not see it. There is also a wishing well some distance from the shrine towards the rest of the park.Art museum or Owl Cafe? Tough one. But the owls won.
Owls, Owl Village
From here I went to an Owl Village. They are bred in captivity but do not get to fly like an owl should. That part I really don’t like but the opportunity to handle and interact with an owl is too much to pass up. It was pricey but cool. This one is Chai.
They were all so different in how they like to be pet. They stay with their buddies and the attendants know their personalities.
This is Jiji.
There are set times to see the birds and your should make a reservation as they only allow so many at a time. Price includes a drink and you view the rules as you relax. The birds also get a break too.In case you are looking for other things in this area, I saw a different Cafe…
And cool stores….
You can also walk down Takeshita Street. It is packed with shops and food. I walked a section of it. Yes there were that many people!
There are many street performers. This one was great.https://youtu.be/jkOG4BdI57Y
Yoyogi Park
From here it is a short walk around to the entrance of Yoyogi Park.They really love Hachiko here…
They have a beautiful rose garden near the front but it is too early for that. There are more cherry blossoms here. It is a huge park and many people come here to eat lunch from work. Lots of kids playing, etc.
What will look like a rise garden soon.
There are even magicians to capture kids attention.
Cherry blossoms. Last one!
My last idea was to go to Shinjuku Station and search fur Golden Gai. It is an old neighborhood but many places were not open. It has a thriving night scene (bars and restaurants). I was a bit early so not much was open.
Instead I went to an Onsen. It really is great for the joints. I think my skin and hair has never been better. I am sure it is the water and will miss this part of Japan among others. I loved seeing all the dogd so well cared for, out for walks, in strollers, wearing outfits… They love their dogs here.