On a dry Saturday afternoon a Tokyoite may abandon her computer for a brief stop in a strolling garden. Walking toward the bay from the Manor through deserted streets (imagine: Wall Street) within half an hour the greenery seeker reaches Kyu Shiba-rikyu on Shi Tei-en. A ticket of Y 150 (about $2) affords an afternoon on the grounds until the gatekeeper locks up at 5 PM. Four centuries ago a samurai in the service of the Tokugawa Shogun made his home at this city address. Using garden designers from the coastal town of Odawara, the samurai created an urban oasis that became Shiba Detached Palace in the 19th century until the Showa Emperor presented it to the city in 1924.
A splash of blue confirmed that summer is around the corner as ayame (iris) dotted the central ike (pond), home to giant koi, turtles and spot-billed ducks. Desperate for handouts koi (carp) the size of dachshunds swarmed to the shoreline with mouths agape. A visiting cormorant with wings wide open dripped dry. Shujin (husband) coveted the stone paths that direct strollers along the proper route as well as the snow-viewing stone lantern. Perched upon an oyama (special vantage point), we watched a team of archers emerge from the range at one corner of the garden. Closing time came quickly, and the few visitors neatly queued through the low gateway.
Next stop, the supa (market) Daimaru Peacock via Zojoji, the Buddhist temple circa 1622. Wise shoppers know that after 6 PM prices on sushi and other perishables are slashed, so there is a predictable scrum. No reason to head to the vegetable stall, although a quick stop at the boulangerie for the piping hot baguette. How nice to be welcomed back to the Manor by the kindly concierge, O-san, with his ready smile. Will the inbox reveal a sudden surge in sign-ups for the lecture on Sumo at the Tokyo American Club in just five days time? Or has Sumo lost its audience in Japan, is the question.
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