To save us the trouble of having to navigate the foreign streets with our luggage, we took a taxi to the Hotel Edoya in Ueno, a modern ryokan with traditional tatami for floors, futons for sleeping and slippers for the room. (Plus special slippers for the bathroom, with a one-size-fits-all philosophy that did not include me.)
We soon left to begin taking advantage of our Metro pass and headed for the Imperial Palace. We thought Friday was our only chance to visit it, but we arrived to find that it was actually closed. Instead we walked to Tokyo Station in search of lunch. We ended up finding it in a small grocery amid restaurants in a nearby basement. A fountain park provided a chilly place to eat before we left to visit the Tokyo International Forum.
As the day waned, we took the subway back to Ueno and walked around Ueno Park, where we saw our first cherry blossoms on one lone tree among all the wintry branches. We then wandered back and forth in the surrounding neighborhood trying to decide on something to eat. We finally ended up at a Chinese restaurant, where we eyed their plastic display food until a woman beckoned us in and provided us with English menus. It was incredibly good, and we enjoyed watching the proprietor entertain a group of women who'd come in shortly after us.
Tomorrow, we'll do our best to check off as many Tokyo sights-to-see as we can.
