King Charles III Coronation Silver

You actually passed through Hong Kong on your way to Japan. There was a three hour delay for that layover. I should have thought it might set the tone. Another 90min delay taking off in Japan meant I had to run for my next flight which did take off on time. Luckily Hong Kong has super efficient transfers. I watched the movie “Conclave” on the plane. Turned out to be quite useful and I’m now an expert on how to elect a Pope. 🛩️

I thought it was time to leave Japan but Japan had other ideas. Headed to Narita early in the morning but our plane was delayed and then delayed some more. Eventually taxied to the runway only to turn around and come back. More sitting around and then the flight was cancelled. More sitting around and some more before we could finally leave the airport near midnight. We had to find our own hotel. What a pain. But at least I got to eat more Japanese food. 🍙

An early start for you so we could get to a CITO at Sotobori Park. This being Japan, there was not much rubbish to pick up. The CITO was arranged by kojy who was on my team for the 11 stage international The Magnificent Journey cache (GCRBP2). I found three of the stages myself and I’ve since met three of my international team mates. I love that you can connect with people like this through geocaching!

Next it was into Harajuku, the center of Japanese youth culture and fashion (and creepy animal cafes), then the beautiful but busy Meiji Shrine. The shrine is located in a forest that covers an area of 70 hectares (170 acres). This area is covered by a forest that consists of 120,000 trees of 365 different species, which were donated by people from all parts of Japan. It’s also the home to the biggest torii gates in Japan. These iconic structures symbolise the transition from the mundane world to the sacred realm of the gods, marking a boundary between the two. ⛩️

Beautiful, clear sky in Tokyo today so I took you to the Tokyo Sky Tree (634 m), the tallest tower in the world and the third tallest structure behind and the Burj Khalifa and the Merdeka 118. The tower is the primary television and radio broadcast site for the Kantō region. Great views across to Mt Fuji from the top today. The tower is decorated with colourful Koinobori (鯉のぼり) at the moment, carp-shaped windsocks that are flown in Japan to celebrate Children's Day.

Then it was onto the beautiful, but very crowded, Sensō-ji (浅草寺), Tokyo's oldest-established temple, and one of its most significant. It is dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. 🎏

日本へようこそ！Welcome to Japan! You’ve landed in Tokyo where I am visiting my friend and her family. It’s awesome. Lucky timing meant we were here for “sakura" (桜) - cherry blossom. Cherry blossoms are a significant symbol in Japanese culture, representing spring, renewal, and the transient nature of life. We went to see the blossoms in Ueno Park and visited some temples. Gorgeous.

Then it was onto Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo. It's known as the world's busiest pedestrian crossing, with an estimated 1,000 to 3,000 people crossing at once, fifty percent of which are tourists taking selfies. Ended the day with some retail therapy at Donki - it did not disappoint. 🇯🇵