Hee, hee, hee! I'm in Japan!
Weekly Dormy Inn, Room 212 ~ Our little room with an even littler bathroom. Megan had to duck!
On the Metro...
...to Shibuya, Tokyo's shopping district.
This little guy is named Kachiko and belonged to Professor Ueno Saburo. During his owner's life, Hachiko greeted his master at the end of each day at Shibuya Station. The pair continued their daily routine until May 1925 when Professor Ueno passed away suddenly and did not return. Everyday for the next nine years this sweet dog would return to the train station waiting for his master. In April 1934 a bronze statue was erected in memory of this faithful companion. : )
Apple Store...oh, how I miss you.
Lunch! Mmmm...good food!
Streets of Tokyo
Shibuya Scramble Crossing ~ One of the busiest crosswalks in the world. The traffic is stopped in all directions for pedestrians to cross. Here a snap with motorized traffic and...
...here's one with pedestrians traffic. Crazy!
Japanese Graffiti...beautiful!
Japanese fire station...thinking of you, Collinge Family! : )
Kara, Veronica and Megan went off to the shopping district of Shibuya and I headed to Meiji Jingu, a Japanese Shinto shrine. Shinto is Japan's ancient original religion. It has no founder or holy book and values harmony with nature and virtues such as Magokoro (sincere heart). In Shinto, divinity is found in Kami (divine spirit). You can see Kami in mythology, nature, and in human beings. From ancient times, Japanese people have felt awe and gratitude towards such Kami and dedicate shrines to many of them. This shrine, Meiji Jingu, is dedicated to the divide souls of Emperor Meiji (122nd Emperor of Japan, the great-grandfather of the current Emperor) and his consort Empress Shoken. After the Emperor and Empress passed away in the early 1900's, the Japanese people wished to commemorate their virtues and to honor them forever, so the people donated trees from all over Japan and overseas to create this beautiful forest surrounding the Shrine.
Me standing at the Torii (Shrine Gate). I had just purchased these yummy donut hole like treats from a vendor outside of the shrine. Delicious! Just a few short steps away from where I am standing are the busy, bustling streets of downtown Tokyo.
These are the trees that were donated and planted lovingly by hand over 90 years ago to commemorate the Emperor and Empress.
Sake! These sake barrels lined the path leading into the forest.
One of my favorite things in Japan...saaakeee!
Beautiful lamp posts...
...with sweet little hearts. : )
Off to the Main Shrine, Kaguraden.
As you enter the Main Shrine, this beautiful fountain is set off to the side for the Ritual Cleansing of Hands and Mouth. The sign near the fountain states "Please rinse your hands and mouth before praying. Please set your mind at ease. Shifting the dipper from one hand into the other, rinse your left, then right hand. Rinse your mouth with water poured into the palm of your left hand. Hold the dipper upright in both hands to rinse the handle with the remaining water. Return the dipper to its original position." It was a beautiful ritual to witness and partake in.
After cleansing my hands, I walked through the main gates of the Shrine and was blessed to witness a traditional Japanese wedding procession in progress. Perfect timing!
I stood there in awe as I watched the bride and groom, followed by their family, walk into the Main Shrine. What an honor!
Ema, votive tablets for personal prayers and gratitudes.
There were hundreds of Ema wrapped all the way around the tree. I loved reading each one that I could...they were written in many different languages. The words touched my heart.
There was also an area to write prayers "in a faithful spirit of respect and devotion."
The words in my prayer spoke of the gratitude and honor I felt to be standing in such a holy place. My prayer was that the peace and gratitude I was feeling would flow from me and reach out to all my friends and loved ones.
More sweet little hearts...they were everywhere. Hi Mom.
Drumming in the Main Shrine to honor the Emperor.
The bride and groom after the ceremony taking their wedding photos. You can't see the detail here, but her dress was simply spectacular.
Detail in the gates.
More hearts...
Japanese Calligraphy lined the walls outside of the Main Meiji Jingu Shrine.
Come to find out there were many wedding ceremonies that day.
Bride, groom, and father of the groom. Very serious.
The walkway through the forest.
Bamboo fence
Just a few steps outside to the Torii (Shrine Gates), reality hits that I am smack dab in the middle of Toyko!!
If you were to ask me right now, "What do you miss most from home?", my answer would be HUGS, HUGS, HUGS! Back home in California, I am hugged all the time by friends, colleagues, and family. (I especially think of you, Ali, and miss your hugs tremendously.) I realized the other day that I do not have much physical contact with other human beings around here and I've gone without my daily allotment of hugs for a very long time. I never realized that the lack of human touch could have such a tremendous impact on my psyche. When I saw these sweet people holding up these signs, I literally ran into their arms! The little girl was just adorable! : )
Happy New Year! What I want to know is how the Japanese keep these flower beds looking so perfect in the middle of winter and sub-zero temperatures. They were a beautiful sight to see!
Another heart!
Shibuya Scramble Crossing from yet another angle with cars...
..and with pedestrians. I loved standing at the corners and watching the masses.
I then explored more of the streets of Tokyo.
Familiar faces. : )
Metro Station
Skyscraper above Metro Station
Elvis is in the building! Or at least in Yoyogi Park! : )
50's dancers whooping it up in the park.
Right next to Meiji Jingu Shrine was Tokyo Metropolitan Yoyogi Park.
It was the dead of winter, but you wouldn't have known it from all the people in the park. As I walked I saw joggers, people playing frisbee with their dogs, garage bands, groups from musicals practicing their routines, roller skaters, groups of people dressed up in costumes having a party, people having a wine and cheese party, a large group of young people with a long jump rope seeing how many people they could get jumping all at once (I watched them get up to seven), and the list goes on and on. Everyone was so very happy! I must say I haven't witnessed such happiness in a long time and I found myself longing to join each group I saw...especially the jump rope group! I would love to live in Japan because everyone is just so...happy!
Sunset over Tokyo
Then it was back on the Metro to Shibuya in order to meet up with Veronica, Megan and Kara.
Since arriving in Tokyo, I have looked everywhere for sushi. My taste buds had their little hearts set on the yumminess of fresh fish, hot wasabi and rice. Can you believe that I couldn't find a single sushi restaurant in all of Tokyo?? Talk about disappointment!
This billboard cracked us all up because it epitomized the happiness we felt all around us here in Japan. : ) So sweet!
Not sure what I'm doing here...
Yes, even the condoms are happy in Japan!
And you can't get much happier than this!!
I am sending you the biggest hug sweet girl!
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