Early summer flower viewing tour at Nezu Shrine (azalea) and Ueno Kaneiji (peony)
Please join our one-day tour to see the azalea garden in Nezu Shrine and the
peony garden in 
Ueno Kaneiji on April 22nd. Both gardens will see their flowering peaks on the day. Between the two places we will have lunch at the famous kushiage restaurant in Nezu, Hantei.
From Nezu we will walk to Kaneiji via the Kototoi-dori to look at the Daikoku-ya sembei shop and see some old buildings such as the Rokuryu-kosen bath house and the Ohgaisou hotel.
Children are welcome!
We will meet at EXIT ONE of the subway Chiyoda-Line at 10:30am (using stairs at the end of the platform for the Ayase or Sendagi side). You will see a Mizuho Bank branch next to the exit when you come out to the Shinobazu-dori.
We will pass through the Nezu Christian Church that is famous for its wooden structure and drop in a Kintaro-ame (candy) shop. If you are more for sweets, we may also visit a Taiyaki place in the neighborhood.
◇ Nezu Christian Church 根津基督教教会
http://nezuchurch.sakura.ne.jp/
◇ Koishikawa Kintaro-ame 小石川金太郎飴
http://tokyospotting.com/tobuy/koishikawa-kintaroame/
https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131106/13009599/
◇ Nezu Taiyaki 根津たい焼き
https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131106/13003570/
http://www.gotokyo.org/en/kanko/bunkyo/spot/130422_02.html
■ NEZU SHRINE 根津神社 文教つつじ祭
We will spend about one hour at Nezu Shrine to see waves of azalea flowers at the Bunkyo Tsutsuji (azalea) Festival.
Believed to have been established more than 1,900 years ago by Yamato Takeru-no Mikoto, Nezu Shrine is a historic shrine which is also known for its 300-year-old beautiful azalea garden.
200 yen donation (Pre-school children are free.)
http://www.gotokyo.org/en/kanko/bunkyo/event/tutujimaturi.html
http://www.nedujinja.or.jp/tutuji/t.html (Only in Japanese)
■ LUNCH at Hantei はん亭
We will eat the lunch of kushiage fries in this historical wooden 3-story building. It was built more than 100 years ago during the Meiji period and survived the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.
A set lunch menu for 3,000 yen per person and 2,000 yen per child (On the prices you need to add the 8-percent consumption tax at the time of payment, and some more if you ordered drinks.)
http://www.jnto.go.jp/restaurant-search/eng/detail.php?rst_code=g160000
On the way to Ueno Kaneiji, we will see some places such as Daikoku-ya sembei shop, Roku-ryu-kosen bathhouse and Ohgaisou. It will be 30 to 40 ninutes walk at a slow pace to Ueno Kanei-ji.
◇ Daikoku-ya sembei (rice cracker) 大黒屋せんべい
https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1311/A131106/13023354/
◇ Yamanaka-ryokan (Exclusive Chinese restaurant in a traditional Japanese house) 山中旅館
◇ Roku-ryu-kosen 六流鉱泉
http://tokyostory.net/sento/rokuryu-kousen/
http://taito1010.com/component/mtree/sento-list/rokuryu.html
◇ Suigetu Hotel – Ohgaisou 水月ホテル鴎外荘
Mori Ohgai is said to have written his first novel Maihime in the house now used as a hotel.
■ UENO KANEIJI PEONY GARDEN 上野寛永寺牡丹苑
Peony Garden was founded in April 1980 to mark the Japan-China friendship. The peony originates from China. Since ancient times, it has been known as the “King of the Hundred Flowers”, so widely familiar with medical and ornamental plants. It is also called the “noble and wealthy” flower, and attracts widespread popularity as a blessed flower that brings people wealth, prosperity, fame and fortune. It is said that the peony was introduced to Japan during the Nara period. Then, it was cultivated mainly at the imperial court and temples. However, it was the Edo period that various types were produced, when the gardening culture was just commonalized among the ordinary people. The peony’s popularity is clear with many references in Japanese haiku and common uses as a motif in art, patterns and family emblems. (From the website http://www.uenotoshogu.com/en/ )
https://en.japantravel.com/tokyo/peony-garden-at-ueno-toshogu/19900
Fee: 700 yen
After the peony garden, you may go to eat some Japanese sweets at Shin-Ugetsu-tei.
◇ Shin Uguisu Tei 新鶯亭
http://ikidane-nippon.com/en/interest/shin-uguisu-tei
TOTAL FEE: 4,200 yen per person including Hantei lunch. (You may spend more money at shops and drinks. For children at Hantei, 2,000 yen.)
Registration: With the following information, please write to Yukari Fujita at veritas@fa.catv-yokohama.ne.jp by April 20th. (April 20th is the deadline for cancellation as Hantei needs to know the final tally one day before the event.)
Your name:
Number of participants including the number of children, if applicable (The restaurant needs to know how many children beforehand) :
Your mobile phone number for emergency such as contacting you in case of subway delays:
The number of seats are limited. Please register as soon as possible.