Past, Present, and PLAYBALL!

Our Sunday afternoon activities took us to places where the Japan of the past blended with the present. Our evening brought us back to a familiar experience, but with a Japanese twist.

Imperial Palace Gardens

These beautiful grounds had areas of forest, open grassy knolls, and even koi ponds. We enjoyed walking as we took in the view. As we climbed up to the place where the imperial palace used to stand, we couldn’t help but feel sobered by the fact that such a beautiful place had once been laid to waste during America’s bombing of Tokyo in WWII. My favorite part was seeing the city’s skyscrapers peeking over the beautiful tall trees from where we stood. This was a picture of redemption and a cool glimpse into how Japan sees its past as a country in a balance with its future.

Kendo Tournament at the Budokan

I was already excited to experience a new sport, but when our guide told us that the Budokan, the stadium where the kendo tournament was being held, was once a Beatles concert venue, my enthusiasm grew! Kendo was so cool to witness. The competition is conducted in a true “duel” style, with rules on the number of paces you take towards your opponent as the match starts. This was another place where I felt like a time traveler. Watching two people duel with wooden sticks in traditional warrior garb and then looking over to see electronic scoreboards and coaches wearing business suits was truly a mind bender.

Baseball at Swallows Stadium

We finished the day at a pro baseball game where two of Tokyo’s favorite teams, the Giants and the Swallows, competed for the win. In this photo, you can see the baseball cheerleaders amping up the crowd in between innings. Although our side lost, we enjoyed learning the Giants’ cheers and chants and eating the Japanese ballpark food! The players' favorite hometown meals inspired their concessions.