WE ARE BACK!!! Reserve your spot in our next tour from our new Tour Calendar!

East Gardens of the Imperial Palace

28/36ページ

Tour Report on Mar.11,2017

  • 2017.03.14

Today we welcomed 34 guests from US, Taiwan, Australia, France, Germany, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa, Korea and Canada. It was a nice and chilly day for a stroll in the park. Considering the time of the year, not many colors are in the garden but we were able to witness the last plum blossom in the winter sun, meaning that spring and cherry season is just around the corner.  This tour day was Mar.11,  an unforgettable day for most of us in north and eastern Japan. 6 years ago at exactly 2:46 PM on a Friday afternoon, a massive earthquake of Magnitude 9 hit northeast Japan, triggering  the great tsunami and nuclear leak at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant that left around 20,000 people killed or missing. Homes, offices and rice fields along the coastline were wiped out by sea water.   On the same day I was at my office in metropolitan Tokyo. Everyone felt 2 continuous strong quakes that struck as if it was the end of the world. Power and all public transportation stopped this day, forcing most of office workers and people a good 4 to 12 hour walk back to their homes. It has been a long time since then, […]

Tour Report on 4th of March 2017, Saturday

  • 2017.03.06

We thank many guests joining the tour. On that day we welcomed 32 guests from Germany, USA, U.K., Canada, Argentina, Chile, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea and India. We divided into 5 groups. It was a mild spring day. The temperature is getting higher these days. During the tour, in the East Garden, formerly a castle of Tokugawa Shogun, guests view mainly outerior of the exhibited buildings. We go outside all the way. So warmer climate is good for us. However, there is one facility that guests can enter inside.  It is called Fujimitamon. It is located on periphery of the East Garden, and functioned as a defense house. It is high above the surrouding moat. Guards in those days monitored surrounding areas from the windows of the house. When one is getting in, taking off shoes is requested. That was lifestyle of the Samurai feudal era. Even in public place like guard house, taking off shoes and sitting down on floor was required. In modern time taking off shoes in private residencial space is required. Inside one can find more of customs of that era. No window glasses but stone grids and wooden shutters. From there the roof of imperial palace can […]

Tour Report on 25-February, 2017, Saturday

  • 2017.03.01

What a perfect saturday it was to go out for a walk!! Blue blue sky, cool air with warm sun, early cherry blossoms and good smell of the plum tree, ducks swimming in the moat…spring should be very close now. We were delighted to welcome 35 guests from Brazil, Australia, Israel, U.S.A., Spain, Germany, Canada, Singapore, U.K.,China to stroll around the east garden. We made 4 groups for this day. During our tour, one group of our guests brought us the following questions; ” Why does the stone wall has a pitch”?(Like the photo) Now, I’d like to appreciate our smart guests to bring this issue !! This issue is extra hot for me too now. I went to Matsuyama-castle(in Ehime-prefecture) and Himeji-castle(in Hyogo-prefecture) last weekend and the “curving” stone walls drew me extra attention, so as our guests!! Going up higher,  The pitch of the stone wall becomes steeper and curves. It’s shape is similar to an ougi(=sensu, a folding fan)when opened. So this curve is called “ougi-no-kobai”or”Fan curve of the stone wall”.  The higher the wall becomes, the pressure inside the stone wall increases. This may make the stone wall easy to collapse down. To ensure that a […]

Tour Report on Thursday, February 23 (Weekday Tour)

  • 2017.02.26

Tokyo Free Walking Tour thanks all four wonderful guests, who joined the tour on February 23. It was a cold and windy day, slightly raining at the beginning of the tour.   One of the guests said he is going to participate in the 2017 Tokyo Marathon next Sunday. 35,500 people from all over the world will run the central Tokyo on the new course, starting from Shinjuku and finishing at Tokyo Station. Tokyo Station and Gyoko-dori Street (the wide street which connects Tokyo Station and Imperial Palace) are on our tour course. On Monday’s newspapers, you will probably find a runner crossing the finish line, in front of Tokyo Station as a backdrop.   The Tokyo Marathon 2017 will be held under strict security. More than 10,000 security officers and 230 security cameras will keep watch over people along the course. The course will be patrolled also from the sky, by drones and airships. The unique way of patrolling might be the “Running Police” installed since 2015. 94 physically-trained police officers are going to run the marathon course with runners, taking turns in 10 kilometers. If you stand by the course, you will find them in every couple of minutes. […]

Tour Report on 18-February, 2017, Saturday

  • 2017.02.21

Thank you the guests who kindly joined our tour on 18th of February. We had 24 guests from 9 countries, divided by four groups. The Saturday was cloudy and chilly day. However, we had very strong wind and warm day on Friday. Such wind in February or March is called Haru-Ichi-Ban (春一番), which literally means “first wind in Spring”.  Such changeable weather indicates that Spring is just around the corner, and we have to take care ourselves to keep fit more than usual.   By the way, I went to Izu Peninsula last week for relaxing at Onsen(hot-spring). We see stone walls in places in our tour, and we always explain that such stones were cut and delivered from Izu Peninsula. When I dropped off at Izu-Inatori station, I saw the evidence. There was a stone display (see below photo). Seeing is believing. The trip was so lovely, not only for relaxing but also for making sure my understanding about the stones. (Posted by Katsumi) ===== We have a regular tour every Saturday and have weekday/Sunday tours irregularly. Please check the calendar on our website, facebook and tripadvisor.

Tour Report on Thursday, February 16 (Weekday Tour)

  • 2017.02.20

Tokyo Free Walking Tour thanks all four wonderful guests, who joined the tour on February 16. It was a warm, pleasant spring morning without strong wind.   Many guides in this volunteer group shout “Say SUSHI!” when we take photos of international tourists. One of the unique points of Japanese cuisine is that people eat raw fish very often. Sushi and sashimi, both raw fish, have been traditional food in Japan since the time when we have no refrigerator. Raw fish have to be very fresh, but how has it been possible? Japan has the world’s sixth largest exclusive economic zone (EEZ) located in the Northwest Pacific, which is one of the major fishing grounds on earth (accounting for 24% of the world fishery production volume in 2014). Japan’s EEZ has large continental shelves, terrace-shaped shallow sea areas at a depth of around 200 meters, which are suitable for habitats of bottom fish. Moreover, both sides of the Japanese Islands form ‘Avenues of Fish’, mainly composed of the Oya-shio Current (rich in nutrient salts from the north) and Kuro-shio Current (brings fish from southern areas). In addition, did you know that 67% of Japanese land is covered with forests? Abundant […]

Tour Report on Sat. 11-February, 2017

  • 2017.02.16

Thank you for all the guests kindly joining our Saturday tour on Feb 11. We had 35 gentle guests from various countries, such as Australia, Germany, Korea, Mexico, Italy, Chile, Canada, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil. We divided into 4 groups and hope all enjoyed the tour. It was a little bit chilly but so clear sky and nice weather for walking. The plum blossoms are at their best season now, there are so many trees are in full bloom at the East Garden of the Imperial Palace.  Nowadays, so many overseas visitors look forward to feeling the spring from cherry blossoms, but in fact there are 3 different flowers which mark the begging of spring in Japan. First of all, a plum flower comes out at February.  Even though it is still chilly weather, people can feel it’s almost spring when they find the plum flower.  Next we will find a peach flower at the first of  March, and finally cherry blossoms out at the end of March.  We also enjoy eating the fruits of these flowers, especially we make many things from the plum!  I recommend to drink the plum wine at the Izakaya, bar. At the end of our tour, guests can […]

Tour Report on February 8, 2017 (Weekday tour)

  • 2017.02.10

We welcomed 12 guests from Sweden, Germany, Australia, France. We divided them into  3 groups. It was very windy, and we could see the beautiful blue sky.    In the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, we could enjoy walking in the Japanese plum blossoms. Now the Spring is coming.     (Reported by Keiko N) ===== We have a regular tour every Saturday and have weekday/Sunday tours irregularly. Please check the calendar on our website, facebook and tripadvisor.

1 28 36