We were so lucky today to have our own guide for the day: Kumiko, a friend of my aunt Pascale and of my family.

We met her in the morning, went to the Meiji shrine – we learnt about Japanese traditions and beliefs. We saw the start of a tea ceremony inside the shrine, attended by hundreds of Japanese in kimono.

We then went to the Takeshita street, a colorful and busy street with dozens of second-hand shops – among others.

Kumiko then took us to Mikata. We had an excellent lunch near the station, and went to the Ghibli Museum, where we could discover everything about the art and techniques of the animation films directed by Miyazaki. Pictures were not allowed, and it’s difficult to tell with just word as this is a rather immersive experience. We saw a very poetic animation film, visited reconstitutions of Miyazaki’s office/studio. It was a magical afternoon for all of us.

We had an ice cream to finish with, went back to the Mitaka station where we said goodbye to Kumiko. On her advice, we went to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building, took the lift to the observatory deck on the 45th floor. The view on Tokyo, by night, was also magical. Photos won’t do it justice, but here is an attempt.

All in all, we had a great day in Tokyo. There is no better way to discover a city than with a local guiding us! It was also nice to finally meet Kumiko after having heard about her for years!

We were all tired so we decided to have diner at the hotel (we have a little kitchen).