Efficiency..........

Japan is a very efficient nation it seems particularly in its transport. Cars do NOT speed but travel sedately within the lines marked even when turning corners. Buses and trains run exactly on time - at every stop. The drivers, who all wear uniforms including white gloves, appear to be monitored, perhaps for safety, perhaps to prevent them falling asleep, as they give hand signals to a monitor as they drive and keep in front of them on a special little clip the arrival and departure times of the stops. This efficiency appears to supersede form or visual pleasantness however.
In the Ginza area of Tokyo near the palace we saw many lovely buildings but running above the traffic right through the middle of the lovely buildings was an elevated train track which rather spoiled the effect of the buildings.
We saw such awful eyesores throughout the city.

Close to downtown in the Ginza area is the Imperial Palace of the Emperor and his wife. You cannot get any closer than this but it has a beautiful setting with the moat and bridges and is set in a huge public park where we sat to have our picnic lunch.

The Nijubashi bridge you see here is famous so they say.







Another interesting area was the very swanky and new area of Rappongi Hills. It is a cultural complex of more than 230 shops and restaurants and includes a multiple theatre cinema complex with several floors, residence blocks hotels, a TV broadcasting centre an observatory and art museums. It is very modern and filled with the beautiful people. We heard music as we walked through part of the concourse and here we found these children playing the drums and singing with their teachers and parents.









One of the views from the top brought this wiggly building into view.....








and on the ground level this apparition appeared










Later on we walked in the real downtown area and stumbled upon a lovely shrine in the midst of the winding roads crammed with restaurants, vendors and shops. Here we saw one of the common sights of Tokyo the young geisha trainees in their kimonas either coming from or going to work.








The shrine was very different from the temples we had seen in China and it was the first time that I realised how many different kinds of Buddhism there are. This Shin buddhism is less flamboyant than that of China but keeps many of the same traditions though demonstrates them in a slightly different way e.g here are some to the prayer cards we saw hanging up outside.





Many people on their way home from work appear to stop in at this Suitengu Shrine to pray and give thanks. It was more conservative, dignified and sombre than those of China.