Tokyo again

40th Tokyo Motor Show - 3 Nov 2007

Tokyo Motor Show
An experience in obsession. The annual Tokyo Motor show is a world class event, especially as it is the home show for Japanese Motor Companies such as Nissan, Toyota, Honda and Yamaha. Many other name brands such as Rolls Royce, Mini, Mercedes Benz also have stands all showing off their future trends and concept cars.


The Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu)

At the top of the hill beside Harajuku, the beautiful park and shinto shrine are well worth a visit.



The large Torii gate with imperial Chrysanthemum emblems on it

The official pamphlet from the shrine indicates that two deities are enshrined here. They are Emperor Meiji and his consort Empress Shoken. This is a bit odd for me as it is similar to creating a shrine to venerate Queen Victoria of England as a goddess. To understand this concept you must understand something about shinto. A good explanation was written by Wikipedia, I have included it below.


"The most immediately striking theme in the Shinto religion is a great love and reverence for Nature in all its forms and for natural artifacts and processes. Thus, a waterfall, the moon, or just an oddly shaped rock might come to be regarded as a kami; so might charismatic persons or more abstract entities like growth and fertility. As time went by, the original nature-worshipping roots of the religion, while never lost entirely, became attenuated and the kami took on more reified and anthropomorphic forms, with a formidable body of myth attached to them. (See also: Japanese mythology.) The kami, however, are not transcendent deities in the usual Western and Indian sense of the word. Although divine, they are close to humanity; they inhabit the same world as we do, make the same mistakes as we do, and feel and think the same way as we do. Those who died will usually become kami, with their power and main characteristics given by their doings in life. Those believing other religions may be also venerated as kami after death, if there are Shinto believers who wish them to be." - Shinto Wiki Page


Walking toward the shrine. Shinto shrine often include paths through an ancient forest of trees, although not spectacular in a modern way , it maintains a mystical feel and is always moving.


We often see Sake barrels at shrines, but this was a first.


Wine Barrels on show


Stacks of Sake Barrels


A wedding at the shrine


The main Temple building


The temple entrance gate

The Mori Tower


Situated in Roppongi Hills, Jan took us to the54 story tall Mori tower and we were not disappointed. Another huge recommendation to others.

The shopping was very high end and blandly international, but the view from the top of the tower was spectacular.


Shots over Tokyo


Tokyo Tower in the distance


Looking down at the skyscrapers next door gives you an incredible feeling for how up high you are


As it got dark I realized how badly I shake the camera while holding it. But the views over the city really showed off the city


A bit arty to end the photos

We had dinner and took the Shinkansen home to Nagoya. Another great day.

Design downloaded from FreeWebTemplates.com
Free web design, web templates, web layouts, and website resources!