20th January I met him at 9:30 in MacDonald near his hotel around Ikebukuro Sta. Ｉ reallｙ sorry that We had some trouble to meet each other. As You know there are so many McDonald in Tokyo, you had better to avoid choosing Mc as meeting place. We quickly left for the first destination JCII Camera Museum in Hanzomon by subway.
I planned him today’s tour in the first half・・・Bitish Embassy→JCII Camera Museum→Hanzomon gate, →Miyakezaka slope landscape(National Theater, Supreme Court of Justice, Parliament building)→Sakuradamon gate→Nijyubashi bridge→Lunch buffet
I f you love cinema, you can watch small lighter camera used in the film “ Roman Holiday” directed by William Wyler. Which surprised me that was made in Japanese optical Company “ “Suzuki Kougaku”.
They display it at the corner “ spy and detective camera” as a permanent exhibition. British young man is interested in moving camera and film so he was excited with those exhibition.
After Camera museum, I showed him one of the best scenic beauty of mine, Miyakezaka slope landscape and headed for Sakuradamon gate
And Nijyubashi bridge.
After taking lunch we left for Tea house in Hotel New Otani. What amazing ! In such a place as located in one room of the hotel who can imagine to find a wonderful tea house, extremely separated from the daily world, quiet, elegant, and simple.
The hostess dressed in beautiful Japanese kimono showed us the simple style of tea ceremony very kindly and serve us usucha thin green powder tea making in front of us on the traditional formal style. The Japanese cute confectionary patterned with Adonis, flowers of winter served us with tea was also so nice and beautiful.
The hostess made choose everything for the guests; arranged flowers, camellia, hanging scroll which decorate the room as to feel the season of the time.
We really want to say thank you for her. Yes, hospitality and gratitude are the most valuable in “tea ceremony”.
Our destinations are left only the last two spots, Meiji –jingu shrine and Akihabara.
Every time we visit Meiji-jingu it always answer much more than we expected, the huge shrine located in the center of the city make the visitors forget the bustling world just next door.
Here and there even in such a huge city Tokyo, we can find the sacred places, so called by Japanese “power spot” that is very popular among the young people in these days.
I actually hope British young could touch the feeling of Japanese culture even if it’s a fraction
M.M.
