Two Days in Tokyo & Bon Voyage to the Mariner

Day 13 aboard the Regent Seven Seas Mariner (Alaska to Russia to Japan).

Tokyo was our last port of call. While we were sad that our cruise aboard the Mariner was coming to an end, we were very interested in getting to know the massive capital of Japan.

Regent's Mariner sails into Tokyo on October 2, 2006.

While we found very few people that spoke English, we had no trouble getting around and actually bought day passes for the subway system. You don’t need to know Japanese to navigate the subway because the signage is so good. Try it the next time you’re in Japan!

It took us a few tries, but we eventually figured out how to buy our subway passes at this machine.

If you’re from New York City like we are, you’ll be amazed to see that people actually line up and patiently wait for the subway to arrive! There’s no pushing and shoving when the doors open: Commuters file off the train and other passengers calmly move in when the coast is clear. I don’t think I’ll ever see that in the states; I wish we would! The lines are organized well and very clean. It was a pleasure traveling around Tokyo via subway.

As you can see, the tracks are cleaner than clean. (If you don't live in a major city, this probably seems like no big deal. However, if you've ever waited for the subway in Manhattan during the middle of a heatwave, you'll understand why we think a clean subway system is a fantastic subway system!)

Check this out, the underground subway passages are lined with potted plants!

Tokyo is a huge city of 12 million people and it spans 55 miles east to west and 15 miles north to south. We’re from New York City, a place known for its hustle and bustle. Let me tell you, it’s a one-horse town compared to Tokyo! Wow!

We managed to cover a lot of ground in Tokyo – over eight miles in one day. (I couldn’t believe it either, but I wear a pedometer every day and was astounded to see that we walked that much!)

We spent a lot time just exploring the various sections of Tokyo… people watching, shopping, sampling food, etc. In addition, we visited the following sights:

• Imperial Palace East Gardens – You can’t get very close to the Imperial Palace but it is a must on your photo opportunities checklist. To be honest, we found the gardens to be less impressive so we didn’t spend as much time here as we had originally anticipated.

• Senso-ji Complex – Located in the Asakusa section of the city, this 17th century Shinto shrine and garden honors the goddess of Kannon. It's a very busy spot with lots to see. After you've taken in the shrine, visit the nearby shopping kiosks and mom and pop restaurants.


• Meiji Shrine – Two 40-foot-tall torii gates (with a 56-foot span across the top) stand at the entrance of this gorgeous Shinto shrine. The gates were carved from 1,700-year-old Taiwanese cypress trees. Walking through the gates symbolizes that you are leaving the secular world in order to workship at the shrine within. This complex was built in honor of Emperor Meiji, who died in 1912. He was instrumental in putting Japan on the path to modernization.

When we visited the Meiji Shrine, we were lucky enough to see guests arriving for a traditional Japanese wedding ceremonies. These girls were adorable!

• Ginza shopping area – Wow! Wow! Wow! We had so much fun walking through the Ginza, stopping at unique boutiques and department stores and sampling luscious treats from the area dessert shops. And, you can’t go to the Ginza without spending some time in the famous department stores, Mitsukoshi and Takashimaya.

After an exhausting day, we headed back to the Mariner around 10:00 pm so we could pack our bags and disembark the following morning. Sigh! We wished we could stay on for the next segment of the Grand Asian Pacific voyage that continues on to Hiroshima, Japan before making its way to China’s Dalian, Tianjin (Beijing), Shanghai and Hong Kong.

We got back to our room and chatted with our butler Laxmesh for a while as we packed our things. We then drifted off for another restful night’s sleep. (I really love the beds aboard the Mariner! So comfortable!)

The next morning we were off the ship by 8:00 am. The process was quick and easy and within 10 minutes we were in a taxi on our way to the fantastic Four Seasons Tokyo at Chinzan-so. More on the Four Seasons later.

Not to sound like one of those glossy travel brochure, but our Regent cruise was so much more than a vacation… it really was a journey. We experienced so much and met so many fantastic people. I’ve got a lot more comments about the cruise experience overall. Look for those in another blog entry soon.


Photos by Leonard Hospidor