Perfect spot to see Wisteria in Tokyo (Day 2)
Japanese garden, shrine, kimono, matcha ice cream and beer
Bon après-midi! (That's "Good afternoon" in French)
After our guests had a teppanyaki lunch in Roppongi with another couple from France, Jesse had invited her friends to join the tour. More the merrier! We hopped in the Bunny Mobile and headed east.
Our first stop was Kameido Tenjin Shrine (亀戸天神社) near Asakusa in Koto Ward. It was the last week of wisteria season in early May. Although the peak is over (starting mid April), we were glad that it wasn’t too crowded and the wisteria haven’t completely withered away.
Kameido Tenjin Shrine is the best place to view wisteria and plum blossoms in Tokyo. In addition, I wanted to take my guests here because it has two arched vermilion bridges over the pond with turtles and koi fish, a garden, a Shinto shrine and a picturesque view of Sky Tree in the back.
To give some backstory, students come here to pray for their exams hoping for good grades and admission to top universities. The shrine is dedicated to ninth-century politician Sugawara-no-Michizane (845-903 A.D.), the god of learning. This is the guy who wrote a poem at 5 years old!
Exploring Japanese Culture
It was everyone’s first time visiting a Japanese shrine. So what to do?
Do not fear… I showed the gang how to purify our hands, demonstrated the 2-2-1 prayer and manifesting our wishes on a wooden ema (絵馬, lit. 'picture-horse'). They bought some omamori or lucky charms for their loved ones back home.
Stroke the cow for ‘good luck"
In front of the main shrine, there is a bronze statue of a cow, called “Nade-ushi” which translates to “stroking cow” in Japanese. The cow is a symbol of the Tenjin faith. Many visitors stroke the cow for good luck!
I’m just good at influencing
I brought props (dancing fans, umbrellas and haori or kimono jackets) from my grandma’s closet, just in case my guests wanted to get the authentic “I am in Japan” photo. It’s not as grand as renting a kimono, but it got the job done ok?
Then something happened…
All of a sudden, Jesse remembered she wanted to buy a kimono.
Another point that sets Bunny Tours apart from other tours on Viator is that, we do what the guests want and our custom-made itinerary is only there for guidance. We’re on vacation!
I had plans to go to Sumida Park and bring the guests to my favorite matcha spot since Jesse loves matcha. However, as the tour guide, I decided to do something better that she preferred at that moment. Yes, that’s what the floppy ears are for. So we scrapped the itinerary and hopped in the Bunny Mobile to Asakusa!
When in Japan, treat yourself to a yukata/kimono
I took the gang to my favorite street of kimono shops. They have a store for every budget. Second hand, brand new etc. Most of my guests prefer to purchase brand new and high quality from this store below. Jesse picked a beautiful yukata or summer kimono that matched her personality and visuals! What a great souvenir to bring back home.
Finish the day with matcha… beer?!
I wasn’t done pushing their comfort zones yet
I promised Jesse she’d get her matcha so I took her to a popular matcha shop just 5 minutes away. I figured the women can enjoy the sweets and tea while the men can try the mysterious matcha beer. I ordered a matcha beer and gave everyone a sip. They strangely liked it! And asked for two more sips.
I personally like matcha beers because the alcohol percentage is lower than a regular beer. Plus, I love the bitterness of matcha. You can get a matcha mustache for the photo. However, it’s not for everybody… but worth the try!
