Linda's Orchard

Where’s the Gaijin?

With one full day left in Tokyo, we decided to see Harajuku, the mecca for young people. After a bit of shopping, getting swept in a current of teens and watching some children dressed for Shichi Go San at Meiji Jingu, we grabbed lunch from some street vendors near Yoyogi Uehara, then headed to the Ginza for window shopping at Mitsukoshi and people watching along the street, followed by a traditional teppan yaki dinner at the New Otani. Oishi! Tomorrow we will experience our last tidbit of Japanese genealogy when we visit the Family History Library in Hiroo. Not sure exactly what will happen there or even if they can help, but it will be worth the stop before heading to Tokyo Station and then Narita. It’s been a whirlwind of a trip.

With Harajuku Girls

Yaki Soba Vendor Near Yoyogi Koen

Lunch in the Park

High Fashion Meets Japanese Work Ethic

Shichi Go San at Meiji Jingu

Mikimoto Christmas Tree at Ginza

Seasonal Veggies

Kampai!

Sayonara, Tokyo

Tokugawa Yoshinobu Kamon

As a child, I loved to wander through old cemeteries with my mother. To this day it is hard for me to pass up an opportunity to explore headstones. Yanaka is an old and traditional neighborhood in Tokyo which is home to one amazing and very large cemetery. The last shogun of Japan, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, is buried there along with his wife, two consorts, 23 children and some of his household staff. Tokugawa is genealogically significant in terms of history. When imperial power was reinstated in 1868 and the shogun no longer had control, the subsequent economic repercussions led to significant emigration among the farming population of Japan. Sasanji Okazaki left Japan in 1898 due to financial hardship and had hopes of earning money to provide for his family.

Burial Site of Tokugawa Yoshinobu