Here is the Imperial Palace, the historical and current home of the Emperor. It has two moats snaking around it, though now you can drive across the outer one and go straight through the outer park.
The area around the park is completely built up, but the park has only a few small buildings that depart for the classic design. It is meticulously pruned and kept, and the buildings are mostly tourist centers restaurants and the like.
Despite it's current accessibility, the original fortifications are evident. Against an army of Samurai it would be about the safest location one could find. And these are just the outer walls.
The inner walls sport a wider moat and the walls vary from this size, to nearly twice that height! The bridge in the distance, like all the other ones into the inner area, are now fenced and guarded by more mundane security guards. 
The smaller pines in the public park were pruned sparse and round, in the common style of gardens here. But the older trees looming above the walls have been pruned to hang long and low down over the walls, this one is about 10 years from touching the water!
This is the old Imperial Castle. I believe the imperial family now lives in a more modern western-style mansion. But this is the far more impressive local. The white house is small potatoes in comparison...
This guy gets his own (marvelously sculpted) statue because of unfailing baddassery and loyalty to the shogunate. And all the statues in European town squares, the ones with powdered wigs and button up coats on horseback... This guy is going to destroy you. Your musket will fail in the face of such an overwhelming foe. He will eat you for breakfast. Seriously.
This scroll hung in the alcove, appearently something about the "sound of the wind in the pines" which is the preferred phrase to describe hot water boiling. The alcove also housed one of the new years offerings. A platform with small rolls of rice, a tradition harkening back to the days that rice was used in lieu of money. 
Sitting in seiza can really hurt after a little while though!
This place is super crowded, the outskirt has stores selling tsukemono (pickled things) and other coking supplies. As we dart around crowds of people vieing for their days meal we have to beware the small delivery carts darting through traffic. Most drivers here are very courteous and look out for pedestrians, but these guys have a job to do!
Here we have Octopus bottoms for all those tako baki vendors. I couldn't figure the difference between the ones in the back and the more expensive ones out front, I guess it takes a trained eye. And maybe you have to like the stuff... I think Octopus is way to chewy to be enjoyed.
There were many things to be bought still alive. we were there late (like 10:30 in the morning, but they start the auctions at 3AM.) so the pickings were getting slim. But one could be assured quality if the things were still swimming.
Here we have an equally impressive line up, and this is hardly half! these are lanterns with the names of families who donated to the shrine. The temples are well funded here it seems, as usual daily prayer also involves dropping coins into the temple box.
The shrine was preparing for the new years holiday, the biggest holiday in Japan. There were huge lines of booths set up to sell good luck trinkets and prayers for hanging, traditional new years shwag (a wooden arrow has some symbolism, thus the target on the gate), food, incense, and whatever else the lined up parisioners will need. They were covering the stairs with mats to make them ramps and ease the passing of people. It seemed rather rediculous in this huge shrine to do such a thing, but the crowds are truly huge I guess. The large panels with cows are because it's the Year of the Cow (I think we usually call it "The Year of the Ox".)
We did see mister Gay Bunny Man, a little scary actually.
This is one of the super crowded streets carrying all manner of fashion goods, each catering to a different crowd or look.
Though, I didn't see any places to pick up this guys outfit...
And of course a shop with shirts that came right off the scary world of the internet. Pedobear -vs- Ronald, and the sadness of anthropomorphy. This shop also had tons of reprint rock concert shirts. The slightly tattered originals were quite the rage at the near-by thrift shops. 150$ for an old Slayer shirt anyone?
The store clientel was actually mainly quite young. Outside of the knitting circle taking place on the yarn floor there were many young ladies, some with boyfreind in tow. But my arrival on the craft books floor brought clarity to the situation. A cosplay magazine and pattern monthly sat front and center. These people are building wonderful sparkly outfits to wear once a month to Harajuku. I'm so in love. This also explained the wig and hair stuff floor (2nd, in case you can't read japanese).
A few days later we went to Nippori Fabric Town. Yes, we. I dragged poor Jet, PSP in hand along for the trip. Once again, no pics inside the shops. But the strip is replete with stores, large and small, with loads of fabric and notions. The largest is called TOMATO, and is also 5 floors of goodness.
She spent quite a bit of time trying to cover up the unnatural colors in my hair...
