The New Sanno

Eloise has The Plaza. Lily has The New Sanno.

The New Sanno is a US Navy-run hotel in downtown Tokyo. It has several restaurants, shops, and comfortable rooms. It is almost always impossible to get a room, but we managed to get a room for a weekend in both June and July.

We were thrilled to experience the "elegant dining" at Wellington's. It has a dress code and an age restriction - no children under 7. Daddy and I got dressed up, and Lily got a sitter that came to our room. Lily had a great time with Naomi-san, and I got to have an evening alone with my husband. The food was ridiculously delicious, beautifully presented, the ambiance so romantic, that it was well-worth the exorbatant price tag.

Lily, like Eloise, enjoys hotel living. But unlike Eloise, she got into far less mischief. She was well-behaved at every restaurant and polite to everyone. (She's even learned to say "domo" to the Japanese.)
Getting tickled by Daddy after coming back from his date with Mommy.
Wearing "binkit" on her head, a sock on her hand, and eating goldfish. Hotel living is great!

At a really expensive grocery store near the hotel. I like it because it isn't "orange juice." (Who really pays $8 for a half-gallon of oj?)

Visiting the Imperial East Gardens

During our excursions in downtown Tokyo, we had an opportunity to visit the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace grounds. Very beautiful, very serene, very quiet. It was lovely.

Hydrangeas.

Irises. Lily, just not mine.


There was one section of the garden called "Plum Grove Slope." Several different kids of plum trees grew here, and the air was beautifully perfumed with the ripening fruit.

Old bamboo.


Another part of the garden showcases the Symbolic Prefectural Trees. One tree is planted for each of Japan's 23 prefectures, each one different. I took a picture of this sign because I could read the hiragana on it - Ya-ma-mo-mo. Well, I knew "yama" meant "mountain" and "momo" meant "peach," so I figured the tree must have been a "mountain peach tree." I looked up the scientific name, and the tree is actually a Chinese bayberry. I like mountian peach better.


This Tea House is one of the many residual structures from the Edo period.

Ueno*

Ueno Park in downtown Tokyo boasts a children's playground, museums, and a zoo. The day we went, there was a man playing the shamisen** in the park. It was really neat to see and hear it.

Shamisen player.

Here is a random Japanese lady touching Lily's irrestible strawberry-blonde hair.


The zoo in Ueno Park is the oldest in Japan, and (until recently) was the only zoo in Japan to house giant pandas. Their old panda died in April of 2008. We were very disappointed, especially because Lily is all about Kung Fu Panda. Fortunately, there were still lots of panda-related things in the zoo. Unfortunately, Lily was too nervous to get close to them.
Daddy with the stuffed panda.

Mommmy and Lily with the panda... just not as close.

Lily may not have liked the animal statues, but she liked looking through the hole in this sign.

Sleeping polar bear.

"Don't Feed the Animals" sign. American signs never explain why; they just tell you not to.

After our zoo trip, we found a noodle shop near the subway station and got some very delicious udon before heading home. Lily loves her noodles and slurped up a good quantity before falling asleep at the table. Busy day.

*Ueno is pronounced "way-no."
** Shamisen is pronounced "shah-mee-sehn."

Sleeping Lily

This baby can (and will) sleep anywhere.