the imperial palace

is open to the public two days a year. That's it. No more. Two days. Amazingly enough, we were in Tokyo for both of them. Did we go, you ask? No. Not on your life. Everything in Japan shuts down the days that the palace is open. Everything. Even the 7-11. Everyone in Japan goes to the palace. Everyone. And they take their children, grandmother, great-grandmother, crazy cousin, and the dog. Maybe not the dog. We took this picture on a lovely day just before the madness...