My dad and I woke up early and headed back to Chidorigafuchi (the imperial moat). Unfortunately, we ended up taking the wrong train and arrived thirty minutes after the boat pier had opened.
A long line was already starting to form, but in typical Japanese efficiency the line moved relatively fast, and we were on a boat after 90 minutes.
Insider’s Tip: If you are with a friend, one person can stand in line while the other explores the Chidorigafuchi moat. You’ll have at least 30 minutes each to explore the nearby surroundings. This tactic was quite popular with the local Japanese, but please only does this if you are planning on sharing a rowboat.
At the front of the line was a helper that asked what kind of boat (make sure you choose rowboat for that postcard picture) and how long you’d like to ride. While most people opt for 30 minutes, you can purchase a 60-minute ticket, which I highly recommend for those relatively new to rowing.
I’ve never actually rowed an actual rowboat before and found it surprisingly tough. It looks much easier on TV, and I recommend you familiarize yourself with the basic techniques on rowing beforehand.
After flailing around for around 20 minutes and getting tangled in a few low Sakura tree branches, my dad took over and showed me how it was done.
Speaking of Sakura trees, you’re able to row right under some magnificent Sakura blossoms and even gently touch a few branches.
The views from the boat are incredible and can’t be beaten. Words cannot describe how stunning Chidorigafuchi looks like from the middle of the moat.
Do note that quite a few tourists will be taking your picture.
If you’re traveling solo or just want a good picture with your rowing companion, I’d highly suggest finding a nearby rowboat and ask if you can swap photos, the results were postcard perfect.
Unfortunately, we lost track of time and ended back at the pier over 20 minutes late. The guard didn’t seem to really care and merely took our ticket and let us on our merry way.
I cannot stress how important it is to arrive when the first and second waves of boats are being launched. Wait times of 3 hours are not unheard of in the afternoon, which I suspect is due to late arrivals from fellow clueless tourists.
Afterwards, we took the metro to the Imperial Palace and for a quick peek of the Imperial Bridge.
We then headed towards the Tokyo Tower and ended up stumbling upon a Buddhist ceremony at the nearby Zojo-ji temple.
With the Sakura petals getting blown around, it’s hard to imagine a scene that could be more emblematic of traditional Japan found even in the most modern of cities.
Unfortunately, there aren’t too many Sakura spots nearby Tokyo Tower beside Zojo-ji, the best place I could find to get a picture was on the roadside next to Volkswagen dealership.
We then returned to the Hyatt Regency for the evening cocktail hour, and later headed to the Meguro River for its world-famous Sakura illumination. We got off at Meguro station and walked to the river, which was illuminated by traditional paper lanterns.
It turns out we got off on the wrong Meguro station and had to quickly make our way over to the section of the river next to Naka-Meguro station.
Make sure to go to Naka-Meguro Station
Both sides of the river were blanketed by Sakura trees in full bloom illuminated by bright fluorescent lights.
If you fancy a drink, plenty of stalls were selling food and pink bubbly. The atmosphere was quite festive with locals and tourists alike all joining in one big party.
The place does get extremely crowded, but if you’re brave enough to weather the crowds, you’ll see one of the best Sakura illuminations within Tokyo, if not Japan.
At 10 PM sharp the lights are shut off, so do plan ahead if you’re making the Meguro River your last stop of the day.
Exhausted from another day of walking around the city we got back to the Hyatt Regency and promptly fell asleep.
The late evening rush
Coming into this trip, I noticed pretty much every travel publication highly recommended the Imperial Moat and Meguro River. Even with such media hype, both places wildly exceeded my expectations. Do make sure to get to the boat pier early as you don’t want to spend half your day waiting in line.
