Its NYE and I plan to be at Shibuya Scramble with the unsanctioned crowds to welcome 2023. Before I can do that, theres still some business I need to take care of. Namely, I have several hours before I get close to midnight
This morning, Im heading over to Asakusa along the Sumida river. Cutting across town on the Sobu line, theres a boat house on the Kanda river with sakura trees lining its shores. The swan boats are popular during the blossom season
The Kanda river meets the Sumida river south of the Asakusa area. Sensoji temple and Nakamise dori is the big draw in addition to Skytree and the decorative structure above the Asahi building. It has been referred to as the golden poo.
Several ferries board at this intersection and ply the river. You can catch a ferry and take a scenic ride down past Rainbow Bridge to Odaiba
One of the boats is the sleek looking spaceship shaped Himiko and its sister ships Firefly and Esmeraldas
I cant tell the difference all 3 ships but 2 of them have pulled into dock
The lower ship's passengers disembark as the upper ship will take awaiting ticket holder
Off to the right is the ticket office for all ships that depart from this location
A short walk down the block gets to you Kaminarimon and the tourist info center
There are other ferries that have 2 levels. The upper level is open with unobstructed views
Some of the bridges seem low that you could almost touch the under side as you pass beneath it
The street that leads up to Asakusa Kaminarimon
From Azuma bridge to the next bridge to the north where the Tobu line crosses the waterway
Aside from being there, this is probably the second most popular view of Skytree
The upper floor requires additional fee to access
The main level
Just in front of Asakusa Kaminarimon is a tourist information center that has several amenities
A scale model of the area in the basement near the tourist counter. Theres another floor providing additional information
We are here. the red dot marks the spot. B4=Azuma bridge
The beloved little theme park, Asakusa Hanayashiki
There is an open observation deck on the top floor. In addition, there is a cafe to grab a sweet bite or cup of coffee to absorb its warmth on cool days
Overlooking the crowds below along Nakamise dori leading up to the temple
Off to the west is another place that I think is also well worth exploring
The area is built around Asakusa Rox and has its fair share of dining, retail, and entertainment
Many people never leave the straight and narrow, literally, of Nakamise. To the right, there is a covered shopping street with a number of shops
To the left is an additional space where old and new meet. Several shops line the narrow streets and small bars and eateries abound. Some that dont see the light of day but come out after the work day is over
Kaminrimon entrance with a giant red lantern. The lantern can be collapsed upward to get it out of the way for certain occasions
The urban landscape keeps calling me back time and time again
Now its time for me to pound the ground with everyone else at ground level. Crossing the street there are a number of rickshaws that will take around this inset of Tokyo
Candied fruit seems a shame as the sugary coating covers the taste of the fruit
To some, that sweetness is the draw
Many stalls offer senbei, dorayaki, and other snacks
Many ladies were wearing kimonos today around the grounds
Not sure if its tradition of NYE or they just wanted to look stylish
Some visitors embrace the smoke and throw their hands out to bring in the blessing onto themselves
There are usually fountains to let the worshipers cleanse themselves before entering
From the temple, heading to the west gets you into an area with some retro looking shops. There are a number of places to drink before you get to Asakusa Rox
Asakusa Hanayashiki. The tower is the ride represented in the scale model
This is another entryway into the small park aside from the main entrance near the tower
Wouldnt you know it. Theres a small gashapon store adjacent to Hanayashiki. These stores seem much more prevalent than I remember
I am old enough to recall seeing items like these in front of the supermarket filled with gumballs and candies. Nothing like what they offer in the gasha
The main entrance to the park. A family friendly little park in the city
Cutting back across town, I wanted to see the renovated Harajuku station all clad in glass. Itr used to be this cramp little station that looked like an alpine building
I knew of the food stalls that would be here due to the hatsumode at Meiji. A decent turn out but I thought there would be more. And I saw them pictured near the entrance to Meiji instead of along Omotesando
A different view to a space that used to be covered by an out of place building
To the south, Shibuya's recognizable buildings
The entry at Takeshita doris still present. It drops you off right in front of the famous row of dessert/candy establishments and clothing stores
It looks to be back to the full capacity that it may have been missing while visitors were not allowed in to the country
Sure you must visit at least once but after checking that off your list, theres not much that brings me back
The JR station has moved a few feet south from its previous location and abuts the bridge that leads to the local entrance to Meiji
The immense bleached tori gate took me aback as I was expecting to see the red that I have come to remember
Oddly enough, I came at this time to avoid the crowd that would gather and yet I will go to the crowds that would gather for the countdown
Passing these sake barrels for the umpteenth time always make me think about how drunk the monks can get
This is just a small sampling of what was probably used throughout the years
These are not the only displays of "celebration"
A wall of lanterns guides you to the shrine proper
Wine barrels are lined up opposite the sake barrels
Some of the early temple go'ers who have come to pay their respects and ask for well wishes for the upcoming years
A large covering is spread out to capture the donations tossed up to the heavens along with their hopes
I thought about walking down to Shibuya in anticipation of the massing crowds. But there was another small crowd amassing outside of Yoyogi statdium. J Pop princess Ayumi Hamasaki is holding a concert tonight
Since it was still too early, way too early to hang out inShibuya, I wanted to see what the vibe was like Asakusa because of all the yatai that I saw
Crossed town for the third time today. I took the Tsukuba Express from Akihabara to Asakusa Rox and make my way back to Sensoji. By now, night has fallen and so many more places have stretched out their shops into the walkways to accommodate more people
A bright crimson gate demon stadning guard with a stern look opposite the other stern faced cohort
The sights are more spectacular when the spotlights come on to make the buildings stand out against the jet black night sky
The numbers of yatai that I saw this morning pales in comparison to the ones that are now pitched and actively selling their wares
Several sizes and colors of daruma. They are sold with no pupils. One pupil is filled in when a wish is asked for. The second eye is drawn in if the wish comes true
Most of the stalls are selling tastey foods from savory hearty items to sweet post meal desserts
Here many more people have lined up for the temple in comparison to Meiji
Charms and fortunes can be purchased. This is always available, not just for the New Year
Im glad I can back to see the vibrancy of the festivities here. So much more on offer than at Harajuku
If it werent for the plan to be at Shibuya at midnight, I would have opted to spend the time here instead
With that in mind, the next time I am in Tokyo when the calender turns over, I would like to be here. Theres no food stalls at Shibuya Scramble crossing, but I know that. Its just the experience that draws me
I did grabbed some fried chicken and a nice warm cup of amazake to warm me up.. The tourist center was still open and I took advantage of it. From the picture below, you wouldnt think of the food stalls that crowd the temple just beyond the entrance
The streets in front of the TIC is pretty quiet at this time.
One last look at Skytree before corssing town for the fourth time today
The revelers have gathered around the station and the sidewalks around it. The police try to keep the people moving. I walked around looking for a vantage point to park myself
The countdown is not sanctioned and the police try their best to remind everyone but it falls on deaf ears. The gathered masses ebb and flow with the lights as the police make sure to clear the streets when the street lights show red
No matter what the authorities say, everyone gathers any way because there will be an impromptu countdown and a release of energy to greet the coming year. Wait for the video
Illustrated in the video, getting back to the hotel was not very diffcult. This may have been due to my early egress from the non event. After arriving in Shinjuku, I still need to walk a ways. This gave me time to reflect on the old year and the year to come. The bracing cold slowed me down a bit but it didnt stop me. Lets see what happens in 2023
