Sunday, July 27, 2025 - Tokyo Imperial Palace Garden, second try

 We four had a new breakfast experience; we decided to try the hotel buffet.  The price was reasonable and the choices and tastes varied. We discussed our remaining Japanese yen and the funds still loaded our Suicacards. Karin and I shared that we had decided to cancel our visit to the Imperial Gardens due to the heat, around 95 degrees and humidity, around 70%. We ill, instead do some requisite shopping for a friend at home. The breakfast and conversations were satisfying and good.

 Kenji and Leo left for a place that would develop the film in his, Leo's, camera before undergoing X Rays at the airport on Tuesday.  I told Karin that we need to be back at the hotel to watch on tv the final day of the Sumo wrestling tournament.  

After resting and reading Karin and I toom the Metro to a location to make a purchase for a person back home, a d what we found was a very long line, so long that it doubled back on itself.  Talking with English speakers who just left the store eoth their purchases we learned they were in line over two hours. Karin decided that she was going to wait two hours in line for levooboos, or whatever they are called. So we left.

After a  metro ride too far, a couple stops return and confusing Google directions which led us around the block and in a contruction zone we found the purse department located within a large department store. Karin happily made her choice to upgrade the one she purchased 21 years ago when she and Kenji were in Japan.

The local metro station at Shibuya was a maze of halls, corridors, exits, stairs, escalator, and filled with people. With directions from a very kind person we located the desired platform and returned to the hotel tp watch the final hour of the final day of the Sumo wrestling two-week tournament. The grand champion was honoredwithnuge, gigantic trophies about as high as he plus a bouquet of flowers about his sjze. J only wish that I could have understood the interviews with the grand champion and contenders.

Leo joined us for a walk in the area to see the local eateries and shops and people eating a d people enjoying the evening  A huge shrine with severa. Buildings was lighted up so the statues and design of the buildings was were visible. We enjoyed the return walk and lighted shrine after our supper of homemade udon noodles in a Roth with garnish and tempura and edamame, of course.

On our slow walk back to our hotel we discussed plans for our final full day in Japan. Kenji suggested several options from his researc it sounds as though we will start earlier than usual.



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