Yokohama, Japan

Time to head home after our two-week cruise. We made friends with several fellow passengers, especially Gordan and Karen traveling with their adult daughter Jessica. We met them at Trivia and ended up conversing with them often, playing trivia, and joining them for dinner. Dining on this trip was strange. We had to request early dining, which nominally was full. Yet our 10-person table never had more than six. Our threesome would have preferred to join us, but they couldn't because of the nominal full status. The menu was a mix of Princess normal menu with Japanese items added. This removed some of our old time reliables like shrimp cocktail and cedar salad. Mary found fewer choices because more fish choices were added.

We woke to see Mount Fuji on the skyline. Today we're going to tour before our trip to the airport. The greater Tokyo region is the largest metro area in the world. We passed Tokyo tower, built in 1985, it consolidated sixty separate TV towers.

Meiji Shrine with 1500 year old Cypress

The Meiji shrine was built in 1920 after the death of Emperor Meiji, who reigned from 1867 until 1912. He was the emperor who opened up Japan to the West and often wore western clothing. This shrine is 98 football fields in size with 175,000 plants from 365 species. The Torii at the entrance is made from a 1500-year-old cypress. Above is the symbol of the emperor, a chrysanthemum crest. Saki is used in the formal Shinto ceremonies, so outside the Torii are empty Saki barrels. But here are also French wine casks because of the influence of the west.

Saki barrel

We toured central Tokyo by bus seeing the emperor's palace, the diet building, and numerous shopping areas. Our final stop was the Sensoji Buddhist temple, the oldest in Japan. Originally built in 628. Here again, the crowds were everywhere as we walked the entrance street with its many food and tourist stores.

Sensori Temple

The highlight of the trip was Taiwan, our new country with its National Palace Museum and the Chiang Kai-Shek memorial. The Shinto shrines in Japan were also interesting. So different than the Catholic churches in Europe, yet about as old. 

The day we left, the Chinese announced that a new Corona virus had sickened many in Wuhan, China. Three days later, most of the city was put under quarantine and travel restrictions. It so happened that a man from Hong Kong, had visited there, and he boarded the Diamond Princess just after we left.  He sailed to Hong Kong with it, then  reported to the hospital in Hong Kong, sick with the virus. The ship had to return to Yokohama early and the remaining guests were quarantined for the last 21 days. So far, 220 have come down with the virus and taken ashore.  We really feel lucky that we left just before this extraordinary occurrence. It's been particularly tough for those with inside cabins, since they've only gotten outside a few times in the last few days. At least those with balconies can get outdoors and converse with neighbors, though they have to maintain a distance of three feet. 

There is also a 15 minute video available about this trip on youtube.