Around the Yamanote Line...

The Yamanote Line is a JR (Japan Rail) above-ground train that navigates a large circle within inner Tokyo, taking about 90 minutes for one lap. It runs both directions, but we did it clockwise from Shinjuku getting off at several locations to have a look around the neighbourhood. Our PASMO cards, topped up previously, worked a treat, and the terminal gives you a clear indication of the balance at each swipe on.

New Year's Day, pretty quiet on the JR Yamanote Line.

At Tokyo Station, near the Imperial Palace, we just wanted to look at the renovated station building from outside. The renovation was completed in 2012 and restores the 98 year old building to its pre-war condition, having been bombed-out in 1945. It is a long and stunning building, moreso because of the magnificent empty square in front of it. With lawns and paving, and vehicles only at the extremes, the views of the building are superb.

Destroyed in WWII, beautifully restored Tokyo Station.

This station takes more trains than apparently any other in Japan, and lots of exploring to do around the station, most notably the Imperial Palace, but we saved that for another day.

Pachinko seems to be a captivating distraction for men, this one in Akihabara.

Crowded swap meet at Akihabara Station.

Akihabara is renowned as an electric city and we strolled aimlessly around the (very crowded) streets for a while. The electric retailers were fascinating, but the most interesting thing we saw was in the station forecourt where a huge gathering of men were involved in a swap meet of photographs of young female celebrities, we assume. Photos were being traded and placed in what looked like quite generic photo albums. (At Shibuya, we later saw a smaller version of this with young women swapping cards showing boy-band celebrites.)

Nautical themed temple in Ueno Park.

But the main part of our day was spent at Ueno Onshi Park, next to Ueno Station. We had been told that this would be very popular during the New Year holiday period, and indeed it was. The park is very large, and is home to the Ueno Zoo, several museums, many shrines. The latter were the subject of long queues of people lining up to pray and ring the bells. A large lake, Shinobazu Pond, is at one corner of the park, and its island features the famous Benzaiten shrine which had such a long queue that a facilitator was there to manage the crowd. The causeway to this shrine was lined with market stalls selling all manner of fast food products, including, we noted, kebabs, being run by a pair of decidely non-Japanese looking vendors.

Shinobazunoike Pond in the Ueno Onshi Park.

One of many stalls offering fast food to visitors tp park and shrine on New Year's Day.

Tori Gate leads to the Toshogu Shrine.

Washing and drinking rfitual at the Ueno Toshogu Shrine.

Hoping for health and prosperity in the New Year.

Eternal flame from and memorial to the Nagasaki A-Bomb blast.

Promises and prayers outside the Ueno Toshogu Shrine.

Visitors in front of the golden gate of the Ueno Toshogu Shrine.

The real reason we went to Ueno was to look at the Ueno Toshogu Peony Garden. The admission arrangements made it clear that this was the garden of the Ueno Toshogu Shrine, a magnificent gold-gated building with a fine path through a Tori Gate. A sign at the Garden apologised for the state of the peonies which had suffered due to "bad weather". The peonies on display looked pretty good, and were protected from the day's sunshine with straw umbrellas, and their stems and the soil around them were wrapped in straw matting. The day of our visit, 01 January, was the first day of the two month opening period for the garden.

Appreciation of the flowers in the Ueno Toshogu Peony Garden.

For this day of outings around the Yamanote Line, it was sunny and cool, about 9C, but no wind, and conditions were very pleasant.