Night walk from Hotel Grand Palace

A pleasant night walk to stretch the legs for 30 minutes or more according to your pace. It starts from Hotel Grand Palace near Kudanshita crossing in Tokyo. The same walk applies from Hotel Metropolitan Edmont as well.

From Hotel Grand Palace, turn immediately right and walk along the avenue until you reach the Kudanshita large crossing. Turn right again and climb the avenue toward the Yasukuni shrine whose monumental tôrii - portal - should be illuminated. I never walked there too late and check at what time they cut the projectors. You can safely walk along the large alley inside until you bump into a transversal lane. You can see and go up to the shrine gates that are close on the opposite side if you wish and peek inside.

From that transversal lane, turn right, walk along and cross the street to enter a no-car small lane a little bit on your right that goes along quiet at this time schools. The path is winding a little but you basically go straight after the crossing - don't turn right along the steep slope. This residential area is very relaxing with very few cars to mare the silence.

You will walk until you bump into a wall and have no choice but to go right or left. Go left. You may see a policeman in faction there but don't worry. He is not waiting for you. After you turned left and walked for a few meters along a massive stone wall on your left side, turn right at the transversal slope and go down then opposite the street at the end where you will find a few steps to prop up you on this part of the Sotobori green lane. The view is quite nice from there. Turn right when you reach the lane and follow it until the end which is less than 200 meters. You leave the lane but go further on the same direction.

You will see on your left the nice Ushigome bridge that lays above the Sotobori outer moat and the Japan Railways track down under with the Iidbashi station building which is also a nice rare piece of countryside like architecture. The view from the bridge is rewarding. On the opposite side is the Canal Cafe which offers a nice view. The food and drinks are a no comment though so if you decide to relax there, a coffee shall be enough.

We go further round the circle by leaving the bridge from where we treated on it, walk straight until the first crossing, turn left then walk the same lane until we reach the large avenue where the hotel is located. Before that, you will see on the slope the Tokyo Daijinja shrine maybe lighted up but probably close. If you are staying in the Hotel Metropolitan Edmont, turn at the AM/PM convenience store further down the slope on your left and walk down a little bit before you see the hotel tucked in behind the avenue. For Hotel Grand Palace, do not turn but just go straight down the slope, then right along the avenue.

A relaxing walk.