Next we went fort to the Imperial Palace, dominating the heart of Tokyo with all its beauty. A place which is forbidden to mere mortals. Across the Ginza we then passed Kabukizo, the traditional Japanese theatre still performing the Kabuki from the era of Edo until now. Unlike the older Japanese art, this form of theatre was meant for the citizens and not the social elite. The stories they present are mostly historical, moral conflicts and love scene accompanied by traditional Japanese instruments. It’s the art of singing and dancing, with male actors being experts for female roles and they are all carefully body painted, with special make-up, which is almost an art form in its own right. The actors use an archaic language which the Japanese themselves have problems to understand. Unfortunately it is currently closed because it needs renovation and the next show is scheduled only in 2013.
The theatre is loosing its charm among these modern buildings, so we went on to the imperial palace, surrounded by a trench and a high stone wall. This is where the castle Edo stood between 1603 and 1867 and was then remade into the imperial palace, with parks, taking the main position in Tokyo. There is no entrance into the world of the emperor. You can just see the roofs, covering the mysterious and forbidden palace. There are only two occasions when you may enter the palace and that’s on January 2nd – during the new year celebration and on December 23rd for emperor’s birthday. During that time you can see the members of the imperial family greeting the population and have guided tours which require booking ahead. The buildings surrounding it are not really tall and that’s because the law prohibits building tall buildings around the palace, so it is not possible to look inside the imperial haven. Taking a few pictures on the Nijubashi bridge – one of the main entrances – and then forth to the East Gardens, a part of the palace open to the public. It was here where the emperor Meiji lived between 1869 – 1888 before moving in the new palace. Wide grassy fields and beautiful Japanese gardens take you into the time of beautiful young ladies in colourful kimonos with sunscreens over their pale complexions.
Wondering how I’d look in a kimono I followed Teuoro, who took us by the nearest subway to the next tourist attraction – Asakusa, the oldest and most spiritual part of old Tokyo. Asakusa used to be a centre of Kabuki theatre, but was demolished during the World War II air raids. Reconstruction gave it back the former charm and made it into a tourist destination. Asakasu boasts the oldest temple in Tokyo, known as Sensoji, which was built in 645. You can reach it through the shopping street Nakamise, stretching over 200m. A nice street with many people and perfect for buying souvenirs or local snacks, leading you to the temple entrance itself. Unfortunately the crowd bursts the bubble of mystique you expect to feel, but you can think them away and feel the energy of Budha. It’s again a place where a camera goes wild, so you can experience it through PICTURES.
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