Let's go to the Tokyo National Museum -- Again!!

Friday was the first day we had off for the school festival, so I decided to show Eric and Margaret my most favorite place in the world -- the Tokyo National Museum! I love this place so much; it's basically the Metropolitan Museum of Art of Japan, in my opinion, and you definitely can't see it all in one day. Since the pieces on display rotate every few months and admission for college students is only about $5, I plan on coming here quite often!

This time around, the fall garden was open, so we wandered around and took some outdoor photos before heading into the Hall of Horyu-ji Treasures. Unfortunately, because I had a choir rehearsal, I had to leave after that, so I'll have to see what's new in the main building next time I head over!

The fall garden is absolutely beautiful -- many old outdoor pieces, old homes, and tea houses are housed here, and the garden is open for a few months in the fall and also for some time in the spring/summer. I can't wait to see the garden in bloom!

The front of the museum, this time with changing leaves!

A very old, very well-preserved stupa

This was a monument to the first curator of the museum.

An old house!

Another old house!

I really liked this fountain.

A tea house from the outside -- I was feeling artsy.

This is a tea house that was actually housed on the grounds of the Kyoto Imperial Palace until the 1900s

This tea house was built in the 1700s!

Some of the original painted panels. Absolutely beautiful!

The pond in the garden. You can see the house with the fountain across the way.

The actual fattest ducks I have ever seen.

A lonely stone lantern.

This wasn't in the garden -- it's a roof tile, and it sits next to the museum's original gate.

The museum's original gate -- it's not in use any more, but it's beautiful.

The Hall of Hyoru-ji Treasures -- such a neat building!

 I can't wait to go back soon! Maybe over Christmas break...

Tomorrow, Inga, Makoto (one of our camp co-workers), Margaret, Eric, and I are off to Tokyo DisneySea, the only Disney park not replicated anywhere else in the world. I am THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS excited. For serious.