I will be leaving for home in a couple of days. Hard to believe I've spent a 3 months n Tokyo (split over 2 visits). Just some random thoughts on my stay here.

I've been fortunate to stay at the Imperial Hotel during my stay here. I like it for the location. It's a short walk to Ginza. There's lots of restaurants around to cater to all budgets. It's just next to the Hibiya station. A short walk from Shimbash and Yurakucho stations. It's a couple of minutes away from the Yurakucho yakitori alley.
There's lots of greenery and space in Hibiya across the road. This past few weeks, there was an African fiests where many African countries set up stalls to raise money to fight hunger, aids etc. There was also a free concert with African musicians playing. The place was packed! Great music. The queues for the African food they were selling were amazing.

The food here is amazing. Service is generally very good.

Loved the yakitori. The guy who grilled the meat are so organised and take such pride in the cooking of the food. Fantastic.

Ate a couple of times at Sushizanmai which is just under the railway track. The place is open 24 hours and but most times the place is packed. Great sushi sets from JPY1,000 to JPY1,500.

At the teppanyaki at the Daimon in the Imperial couple of times. Loved it everytime. Lunch is about relatively good value from JPY4,000 onwards. Dinner is expensive from JPY10,000 onwards.
Today I had mixed seafood and australian beef. Comes with choice of 2 appertisers, rice, miso, dessert(apricot icecream and jelly, tofu?) and tea/cofee. Came up to JPY6,000 (including a coke).

Really like the sushi at The Hump. Japanese eating places really have interest names.
Located at MyPlaza? It's diagonally across from Marunouchi building (marubiru to the locals). The restaurant is the on the 2nd floor and it faces the Imperial Palace. There's a nice view of the moat! Lunch set is JPY1,200. Dinner costs JPY4,000 for the same thing. Nice food, ambience. Highly recommended.

I had lots of great food during my stall. Couldn't possibly write about them all.

Temples and shrines. I just about seen enough to last for quite a while.
Loved the Tosho-gu in Nikko. Really amazing workmanship. Really well preserved.

Enjoyed the Meiji-jingui shrine. Particularly the fascinating shinto wedding.
Loved the kids at the Meiji-jingu bridge. Pity they are now banned from the park.

Really love the place...now it would be great to come back to see the fall colours. Nikko would be great that time of the year...

The lights of Ginza.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...9/P1010888.jpg

View of the Imperial Palace from my office

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...9/P1010869.jpg

Images of Nikko

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...9/P1010707.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...9/P1010779.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...9/P1010692.jpg

sashimi at Sushizanmai

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...9/P1010563.jpg

teppanyaki at Daimon

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...9/P1010410.jpg

Cherry blossoms at Kudanshita

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...9/P1010452.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...9/P1010473.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...9/P1010477.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...9/P1010469.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...9/P1010466.jpg

thanks for the pics. glad to hear you had a good time in tokyo, and you seem to have maximized your three month stay there.

KMLoke: Three months in Tokyo must have been as fun as it sounds. Thank you for the report. My son and I loved Tokyo too.
I have one question- what did you mean about the kids being banned from the park? Are you referring to the kids who dress and hang out on Sundays at Yoyogi Park? They are banned from the park now? I was planning on taking my daughter to see them on a Sunday next Spring. We are tciketed and have planned our arrival to Tokyo for Sat. so we could do that on Sunday. I'd really appreciate the details on that. I wonder why they got banned.

I haven't had time to look at your pics yet but am looking forward to them. I hope you stay active on the board for those who have Tokyo questions.

I think the reference was to the kids in Harajuku being banned from the grounds of Meiji Shrine. Reason would be that "appropriate" dress is necessary. At least some of them hang out at the bridge near the entrance to the shrine grounds.

kuranosuke,

I only had time to go for sightseeing during weekends. This restricted me from taking longer trips outside of Tokyo.

emd,

On the kids at Yoyogi park, you can see them on the bridge outside the park. You can still see quite a few of them dressed up there. Won't be able to see the bands and dance groups anymore. I've no idea why. The kids are just expressing themself. It's still worth a visit though.

Visitors are also banned from the fish auction at Tsukiji due to congestion and the problems caused by a minority. The rest of the market is still open though.