Asakusa

Today, I've desided to tour Asakusa. Since it's Friday, I figured it would be a good time to go on a free tour. Plus, I heard the crowds aren't as bad between Tuesday and Friday. So, hey, I'll give it a shot. I don't know much about this place. I think it must be a garden or something. Yep, the sign says "Hama Rikyu Garden". Here's what the flyer says...

I apologize that it's kind of hard to read, my scanner is being faulty. My excitement is building for this, though. I want to experience how Japan used to be like. The tour starts in the Hama Rikyu Garden which is the least preserved part of the tour. Skyscrapers surround a small space that has a small pool, small bridges and small teahouses. This is where the boats come to take us tourists on the tour. This is the part I'm excited for. The trip takes about forty minutes and is lined completely by cherry blossom trees. It is magnificent. Once the ride is done, we get off the boat. We travel inland a ways, until we come to the information center and a gate with a HUGE lantern above it. I've never seen a lantern so big. This gate is called the Kaminarimon Gate. I have to take a picture of this.

To the left and right of the lantern, there are two statues. The one on the left is the god of thunder and the one on the right is the god of wind. They are there to protect the diety enshrined in the temple. Once you pass the bridge, there is a little town filled with shops that sell Okashi (rice-based sweets), incense, and other tourist necessities. There are also a few temples and even a small amusement park. I'm going to spend a few hours looking around, playing tourist, then I'll head back to my hotel. I'm getting tired.