May 2007 11 days Tokyo-Hakone-Kyoto-Osaka-Hiroshima-Nara-Himeji

Omakase lunch at sushi Dai or sushi Daiwa 大和寿司 Located in a row of barracks, in Building 6 in the 3rd alley (just past the mailbox); it's the 3rd shop on the right, Tsukiji

Please be at the " Kikyo-mon Gate" entrance at 1.20 pm. Tour starts at 1.30 pm.

The tour is approximately 75 minutes long, covering a distance of 2.2 kilometers (approx. 1.3 miles), and covers a limited portion of the Palace Grounds. The interior of the Palace is not included in the tour. An English audio guide is available at the Visitor's House, Please ask the staff for further details.

In addition to getting to the museum early, we recommend that you go all the way to the top of the museum and get your photos of the robot first. Then swing by the gift shop and do your shopping. The gift shop opens at 10:15 am. From there, head down to the first floor and use a coin locker to stash your coats and purchases in. The lockers only cost a 100 yen and will return the coin when you're done with them. While you are there, take a moment and visit the courtyard as well. When you're done, re-enter the first floor and take in the museum like you normally would. If you plan on eating inside Mei's, be sure to get there around 11:30 am or you will need to use the walk up window, which isn't so bad. With these recommendations, you should be ahead of the crowd for an exciting day at the museum. Good luck and have a fun trip.