Something to Declare

Tokyo, May 10, 2026

This was our last day in Tokyo. We began the day with an architectural walk of the Marunouchi and Ginza neighborhoods. The first stop was the Tokyo Train Station, designed by the architect Kingo Tatsuno (reputed father of modern Japanese architecture), and built in 1914. The modern feel of the place at ground level (below top) contrasts nicely with the touches of the earlier configurations, including a domed ceiling (below, bottom).

We then viewed the station from the outside (below, top), where Andy pointed out the Tokyo Station Stone Monument (below, lower left) where, in Japanese, it states: “Tokyo Station.”

From there we walked to the Tokyo National Forum (above, lower right), with curved lines symbolizing the shape of a ship.

We proceeded to the Ginza, where we entered one of the department stores to witness the formal customer service ritual known as ojogi. The staff line up for the store opening, bowing to the entering customers to show deep gratitude and respect (sorry, no photos permitted). But we sure took photos of the delicacies in the store’s gorgeous food department:

There were other architectural sights to see, including the Tokyo Tower (below, upper right), which stands 33 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower (take that, France!)

We moved on to “teamLab Borderless,” otherwise known as the Mori Building Digital Art Museum. TeamLab is an international artists’ collective created in 2001. The “immersion” exhibits consist of ever-changing digital light shows:

Tomorrow is the bullet train (Shinkansen) trip from Tokyo to Kanazawa. 160 miles per hour! Woo-hoo!