Looking straight outside my hotel room. Much like views you see in London or New York!

Looking to the left of my hotel room window

And to the right

Now looking dowb

To the extreme right

My hotel marquis

Outside my hotel door looking to the right

Looking to the left

Looking around the corner...

One of the many side streets I photographed. This one is near my hotel in Ginza.

The Kabukiza Theatre... which I'll see Monday night.

ThankGod for universal signage! This one points to parking for the World Trade Cebter. Unfortunately, the building picture didn't come out (rain)

I wouldn't eat at one in the states... but made a cool picture.

Up the road that goes along the mouth of the Sumida River into Tokyo Bay

Cool upper railways.

Looking back...

Intercontinetal Hotel on the waterway

Almost at my first destination.

Ta daaaa... This is where I start my self guided tour.

Inside this little ferry terminal. I hopped the Sumida Line to go up the river with the same name.

Bad quality pictures because of the rain... but here's a few of the hundreds of building that line the river.

A cool ferry... much like the one that I was aboard.

More cool buildings... check out the green doors

... they're like big garage doors for boats!

A cool bridge, built in the 1990's

More buildings and an arch bridge. The japanese love bridges!

This leads off the Sumida river into the city, then surrounds Imperial Palace like a big moat.

Wild building with a cutout center...

Not much to look through, though.

One of the more beautiful bridges, as we approach it...

Looking back... great color!

As we curve left, another interesting bridge with a neat overhead highway that wraps with the land line

Here's what's on top of one of the buildings... Is this where they make Yen... or where you buy them?

Another ferry boat

Check out the signage... really distinctly Tokyo.

More buildings...

... more bridge...

... more signage.

Disney and ???

Del Monte??? Where's Dole's sign?

Some Japanese junk boats docked along the river.

They love beer!!!

... and who knew whiskey too!?!? Ohhh... and our final undocking place at Asakusa.

Looking down a street in Asakusa (one of the oldest parts of the city)

The tourist welcome center... and I was genuinely welcomed, map and all!

The Kaminarimon Gate

It has a rather large lantern on the center...

This is Makamise Dori, which is what the gate opens up to... Lots of shopping!

Along the way are neat side streets like this one.

... also a little kindergarten along the path...

Turning around, this is what you see...

It leads to here, Sensoji Temple which is from the 7th century.

A closer look... she holds up for her age.

A five story pagoda, just outside of the temple.

A closer look at the lantern entrance of the temple, with incense smoke...

I joind this group and blessed myself with incense. You direct it to your body or ailing part(s).

Don't ask me what it says... but it's to the left of the temple. Hope it didn't say "no pictures".

Looking from the temple to one of the gates down Makamise Dori

Another pagoda shot from the temple side.

The shrine inside the temple...

The best I could get. Couldn't go inside since a ritual had just started.

Another gate west of the temple called Nitemomon Gate

To the left of the gate is Asakusa Jinja Shrine

Found this cool pagoda to the left as I approached the shrine.

A close up of the shrine

Backside of rickshaws. These guys were "shooting the breeze" out back. You can see their muscled calves under the coachs.

Inside the entrance to the shrine. Couldn't go in either... something else goign on inside.

Side of the shrine

Another side view

Backside of the Sensoji Temple

A cool garedn near the Temple

...including a little water fall.

Some interesting markers... may have been tombs.

The pagoda viewed form the garden.

Some more monuments

Another little shrine, but inside the garden area.

Gateway from the garden to a business street

Pagoda again...

In front of the temple (forgot to set the flash). A nice Australian couple took the pic.

Looking from the Pagoda towards a little amusement park by the Temple.

The gateway to a business street.

A monument... Buddha?

A very old tomb...

... for this guy.

Another little shrine... didn't learn the name of this one. I could go in but had to remove shoes... it was too wet for all of that.

Sensoji Temple from the left side.

Gateway to a little business sector and the Hayanayishi amusement park.

Cool little shops...

I think DIsneyland is better then these swinging pagodas.

Another gate, but into Kappabashi-dori shopping area

Where you'll see tons of bikes (parked without locks)! Same thing with umbrellas. People just leave them out and come get them later.

Down a side street... everything is little (including the height of the buildings).

Interesting... Look at whats on the tables... little remote cars...

... and this is what they do with them.

Statue of me when I was younger and leaner.

This is for mom...

...and this one too! We would never get her away from here!

This shopping street is called "ROX" and the street is covered, as I found with a lot of shopping areas.

Another cool side street in from ROX.

Walking through Ueno Park, which is quite nice.

A shrine on the path of the park.

This guy was very funny. I don't know what he was saying, but everyone was laughing, including me. There were lots of entertainers in the park.

Looking beyond the pond to the Tokyo National Musuem

Interestng on the path in the park. These are homeless. I noticed they all have blue tent homes. The goverment must give them the tents or something.

More tents in the bushes.

The main musuem building which had Japanese historical artifacts.

Another building that hosts special exhibits

The main musuem building marquee

The quality of the pictures is not good... but the subject matter was! These are life size wooden statues from the earlist centuries.

Looking from the front...

Some more life size statues

... yet another.

This is a two-foot size statue, but I loved the halo.

Looking odwn into the main foyer area

This is a ten foot statue... very impressive.

My ass in front of the musuem

A more proper pose.

This guy kept staring at me...

The Edo-Tokyo Musuem, where I got to experience the earthquake

The musuem is incredible and tells the story of Tokyo from when it was forst called "Edo"

A replica of the Mijubashi Bridge, which leads into Imperial Palace.

A replica of a float used for parades back in the day.

Another view... with the facade of a kabuki style theater behind it.

Model of a gate into "Edo Castle". It was a massive Japanese style fortress that preceeded Imperial Palace, and hosted to the Shogun

... more model

... one of the garden areas

Little side-houses

... part of Edo... but not sure what it was.

... to the left of the last picture.

This would be a model outside the castle walls, for the commoners to live.

Part of the bay that faces the commoners part of town.

A display honoring Kabuki.

A model of a tower built by a Bristish architect. It fell in the 1923 earthquake.

Looking down one of the street in Ginza, a block from my hotel

My starting and ending point for transportation.

The Kabukiza Theatre at night. It's a couple of blocks from my hotel.

The fornt of the theatre.

Bad pic... but these are all over the city... vending machines for cigarettes and drink, including beer! This one was in an alley way.

Outside my window at night... I still can't figure what the reddish-orange tower is. It's quite visible from Imperial Palace.

Another pic...

OK... I know... but check this out. When you sit on it, heated water fills the seat. Makes for a nice warm ring... then check this next part out...

A "wash" button for the "back" and for the "front" (presumably for ladies). This is my hotel room toilet! No... I have tried the buttons.

Me relaxed after a long day of walking and touring.