Shopping time! Looking for a special good luck charm for the special someone for the New Year? Then, this is the place! Good luck! 
This is my favorite find! Behind a modern hotel is a 400 year old Japanese garden! It is unbelievable. While we were there we saw a couple in traditional wedding kimonos. I could have stayed here for hours. In fact, I think I did. You gotta love the red bridge!
The Palace is only open twice a year to the public, so we headed to the East Garden. The grounds were very spacious....no Starbucks to be found!
Got sushi? I visited Tsukiji Market, the largest fish market in the world! I did not get up at 5 a.m to see the famous tuna auctions (sorry, getting old); instead I enjoyed a leisurely stroll (and many a smell) around 9:30 a.m.
Street festivals "matsuri" are great fun! Men and women chant while carrying the portable shrine down the street. The portable shrines are very heavy; our teenage son volunteered to join the carriers and experienced a very sore shoulder! Matsuri food tip: grilled corn on the cob dipped in soy sauce is delicious!
Cherry blossom season is spectacular in Tokyo! Traditionally, families visit this temple to pray for good luck during school exams. I will be back in June when the high school finals start!
Surround yourself in good spirits! This is the entrance towards Senjoji Temple, the oldest and most famous Buddhist temple. And, yes, those are very large wooden sandals. 
