On behalf of all our guides, I wanted to extend our sincere gratitude! Thank you for joining our tour of the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace on July 19th. We had the pleasure of welcoming 20 wonderful guests from Belgium, Turkey, Australia, the USA, and China.
We truly hope you all enjoyed the tour on what felt like the first day of summer – the rainy season in Tokyo officially ended just the day before, on the 18th!
To help you relive the fun times we shared, we’ve posted group photos and snapshots from the tour. We hope you enjoy looking back at them!
In this pond, you’ll find many uniquely beautiful koi fish. This girl absolutely adores them and loves watching them gracefully glide through the water. Take a closer look at the fan she’s holding; it’s quite unique! It features the Japanese character “U” (う), cleverly shaped like an eel.
Speaking of eels, July 19th, 2025, was Doyo no Ushi no Hi (土用の丑の日), or the “Day of the Ox in mid-summer.” This is a traditional Japanese day when people eat eel (unagi) to gain strength and energy, helping them combat the intense summer heat. It’s interesting to note that the exact date for Doyo no Ushi no Hi actually changes every year, as it’s determined by the traditional Japanese calendar, not a fixed date like on the Western calendar.
The girl’s family showed great interest in trying unagi, so we recommended some excellent unagi restaurants to them. They likely enjoyed a delicious meal, boosting their energy for the summer!
It reminds me of my own connection to this custom: I thought of my parents, as I was born on Doyo no Ushi no Hi!
If you’re curious to learn more about fascinating Japanese customs like this, we’d love for you to join one of our tours. We’d be happy to share these cultural insights with you, just like friends.
To our guest on July 19th – we’d love to hear your feedback!
We would appreciate it if you could leave your comments on Tripadvisor or our Instagram/Facebook pages.
If you want more info about our tour, check out our website, Facebook, or “Tokyo Free Walking Tour” on Tripadvisor.