Today is our real scheduled day to visit the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. We hope our mistake yesterday was worth it, in other words they will require our passports to get in. Also, today is laundry day. The laundry room is on the 8th floor; washing machine is 300 yen, and the dryer is 100 yen for each 30 minutes – decent price.
今天早上的纳豆饭卷，第一次吃纳豆的，没想到还挺好吃 – This morning’s breakfast, natto rice rolls, the first time I ate rice rolls with natto (fermented soybean). I didn’t expect it to be so delicious, and it certainly doesn’t look delicious. 酒店八楼的洗衣间 – The exciting laundry room on the 8th floor of the hotel.路上看到的一这个小车，有一个小喇叭在唱着什么，我俩以为是卖木头或是碳的，后来问一个日本人，他说是卖烤红薯的，哈哈 – We saw this small truck slowly roaming the streets blaring someone eerily singing something. We thought it was selling wood or coal, but we asked a Japanese guy at the bar who said it was selling roasted sweet potatoes, haha. Really?地铁站里遇到了这位警察 – We asked this nice official for directions at the subway station.坐地铁到了东京站，在附近找了一家饭店吃午饭，好多在附近工作的人来这里 – We took the subway to Tokyo Station and found a restaurant nearby for lunch. Busy with local workers.我的鳝鱼饭，味道不错 – My eel over rice tasted good.PJG的牛肉蘸面，面条很劲道 – PJG’s beef dipping noodles were tasty.
The Tokyo Imperial Palace was the residence of the Tokugawa generals in the Edo period (1603-1867). After the Meiji Restoration, the Imperial Palace was moved from Kyoto to its current location. Since then, it has become the emperor’s palace. Various ceremonies are held in the residence and palace. The Meiji Palace burned down in 1945, and the current palace was completed in 1968. The entire Imperial Palace covers an area of about 1.15 million square meters, and is surrounded by moats.
After we arrived at the Imperial Palace, we were expecting the staff to check our passports, but nope! haha, we didn’t even need ID! They just checked our backpack before entering. This is a guided tour in about four languages, Japanese, English, Chinese and Spanish. We initially joined the English group, but of course, this group had the most people. If you aren’t standing right next to the tour guide, you can’t event hear the explanations at all. So later, we saw the Chinese group and switched over to that group. There were a lot fewer people, and we could hear clearly. I listened to the Chinese tour guide and we could also listen to the English explanations on the Palace App on the iPhone.
等待进入的开包检查 – Waiting to enter the tour building and baggage check.我们的英文团 – Our English group富士见橹 – 江户城的遗迹中最为古老的三层橹楼。我从来没听说过橹楼，橹，也称箭楼，是一种筑在城上供防御而无顶盖的瞭望楼。- Fujimi Yagura – The oldest three-story turret among the remains of Edo Castle is a watchtower to protect the palace.古与今的相撞 – Past and present collide宫内厅厅舍-建于1935年，战后，从1952年到1969年的这段时间，三层被作为临时的宫殿使用。现在许多重要的活动和仪式都在这里举行，比如大臣的任命仪式，外国大使递交国书仪式等等。- Imperial Household Agency Building – built in 1935. After the war, from 1952 to 1969, the third floor was used as a temporary palace. Now many important activities and ceremonies are held here, such as the appointment ceremony of ministers, the ceremony of the presentation of credentials by foreign ambassadors and so on.松之塔，是建造宫殿时由国民的捐款建成的，塔身像一片片大型的青松叶子，寓意着顽强的生命力。- The Pine Tower was built with donations from the people when the palace was built. The tower is like large green pine leaves, implying “tenacious vitality.”我俩已经落在后面的英语团 – We are falling behind the English group宫殿东庭-在新年及天皇诞辰时时候，天皇和天后为首的皇族会在这个露台上接受普通参观者的祝贺，这个广场以前可以容纳2万人在这里庆祝并看天皇致辞。有点儿像这张照片，只是天皇家族不在露台上 – Palace East Court – During the New Year and on the Emperor’s birthday, the emperor and the royal family headed by the Empress will receive congratulations from ordinary visitors at this terrace. This square used to hold 20,000 people here to celebrate and watch the emperor’s speech. This photo is almost capturing that scene, except the imperial family isn’t on the terrace.伏见橹-被誉为皇居现存的江户橹中最美的一座。- Fushimi turret – known as the most beautiful of the existing Edo turrets in the imperial residence.这张照片是在皇居外苑拍的，正门石桥与后面的古香古色伏见橹交相呼应，这个景色已经成为日本人心中皇居及皇室的象征 – This photo was taken after the tour outside the Imperial Palace. The stone bridge at the main entrance echoes the antique Fushimi turret behind. This iconic scene has become a symbol of the Imperial Palace and the royal family in the hearts of Japanese people.莲池濠-是本丸和西之丸的分界线，6月底的时候荷花会开放 – This lotus filled moat is the dividing line between the Honmaru and Nishinomaru castles. The lotus will bloom at the end of June.皇居外面的休息椅 – Comfortable lounge chairs outside the Imperial Palace – and no drones allowed!
Although there are were no tours indoors at the palace, the outdoor experience of visiting the Tokyo Imperial Palace shows its simplicity. I’m surprised that the buildings of the Imperial Palace were not ornately decorated with gold and silver. It is very simple and not pretentious. I think this is a good thing.
After the visit, we went back to the hotel to rest for a while. For dinner, we went to a barbecue restaurant back in Memory Alley. Unfortunately, the owner of this restaurant was Chinese and it wasn’t the authentic Japanese BBQ we were hoping for. The quality and taste was just average. They are just doing business for tourists and aren’t interested in repeat customers. It’s a pity that it completely confirms some typical Chinese people’s philosophy of doing business: just in it for money.
吃了几串不太好吃的烤串，我俩果断地离开，又去吃了这个章鱼小丸子 – After eating a few skewers that were not very tasty, we quickly left and went to eat these octopus balls I was craving.夜幕下的哥斯拉怪兽 – The Godzilla monster at night
今天又跟着你俩的脚步看到了东京皇居。和中国皇家是两种风格。
日本的美食还是很多的，看着也很诱人。
这回小熊的出境少，明天会有吧？
这次总是把小熊给忘了，它一直被憋在背包里，哈哈
If the palace was rebuilt in 1968 then I don’t suppose we visited it, did we?
I think “just in it for the money” is the philosophy of many business people!
My reply from yesterday has not appeared!