East Gardens of the Imperial Palace

Tour Report on July 1, 2017

East Gardens of the Imperial Palace

Today we welcomed 43 guests from Iceland, USA, Australia, the Netherlands, Singapore, Germany, Vietnam, Poland, Mexico, Russia and Lithuania.

Group A_group photo_20170701

group B
group C
group D
group E
Japan is in the midst of the rainy season, which is expected to last until end July.
With the high humidity and stickiness, this time is said to be the most hated season among Japanese. But looking at the bright side, this is the time when we could enjoy the bright colored iris & hydrangeas pop in the gloomy sky.
Today I was asked by some guests the reason why it is not easy to find a trash bin on the streets of Japan. After browsing through some local authority websites, I have learned that many bins were taken off the streets since year 2001 due to below reasons.
1. Increase of people dumping household wastes
2. Increase of illegal dumping
3. Stray cats & crows pick through trash
4. Cost increase of trash bin management due to above 1.-3
5. Counter terrorism (as a result of a Japanese cult attack in 1994, the  9.11 attach in US 2001 )
None are positive… Although some local authorities are trying to bring the bins back on the streets, it looks like we must carry back our trash for the time being.
Thank you to all of our guests today. We hope you enjoyed the tour and wish everyone a safe and an exciting stay in Japan. Please also enjoy the sunny spell as much as possible.
Looking for something cultural to do in Tokyo?
Be the next to explore the ruins of Edo Castle with our friendly guides on Tokyo Free Walking Tour.
(Report by Asako)
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Tokyo Free Walking Tour has regular tours every Saturday and has irregular tours in weekdays and Sundays.
If you are in Tokyo, why not come and join us?
Visit our website, Facebook and tripadvisor for the latest schedule!