Japan Guide
Tokyo
Meguro
South of Ebisu, stylish Meguro is mainly a residential area, but there are some sightseeing surprises to be found here. Southwest of Meguro Station, head downhill towards the towering wedding hall complex of Meguro Gajoen. The current building replaced the original wedding hall, built in the very early twentieth century and known as Ryūgū-jō ("Fairytale Dragon Palace"). All that remains of that structure is the hyakudan kaidan which, despite its name ("one-hundred-step stairway"), has 99 steps, leading to a series of spectacular rooms decorated in ornate style. Much of the year the hyakudan kaidan is off-limits, but occasionally the wedding hall runs special tours.