Hello Tokyo

We arrived in Tokyo mid morning, bleary eyed and tired. We were starting an organised tour on the Sunday so had a couple of days to get over the jet lag. The tour company had very kindly booked us into a hotel in an area called Asakusa which still retains a neighbourhood feel. It's very different to the typical image of Tokyo as a neon overload. There are lots of local shops and restaurants and people don't even lock up their bikes in the street. It was a gentle introduction.

Asakusa is also home to the oldest and most impressive Shinto temple in Tokyo, called Sensoji. It was interesting by day but even more impressive by night, partly as we had rested enough to enjoy it and also because it looked beautiful with all its lanterns illuminated.