First I went to the Hama Rikyu Gardens. A few trees were still in bloom, so I was delighted. This park is a royal tea garden in the 1800s. It was a peaceful place where a person could escape the concrete, fast-paced world of downtown Tokyo.
From the park I took a 40-minute river tour of the city to get a different perspective.
I entered Asakusa through the red Kaminarimon Gate. This is where I took my picture with a Japanese school group. We stood in front of a 220-pound lantern with the statues for the gods of wind and thunder on each side. These gods protect the Sensoji Temple.
The Sensoji Temple is the oldest temple in Tokyo. It was created in the 7th century and is dedicated to the Buddhist goddess of mercy, Kannon. I couldn't go inside the temple because the monks were conducting a special ceremony that wasn't open to the public, but it was worth the trip.
This temple is a place where Japanese flock to pay respects and pray for good fortune.
The good fortune can come in a few different ways.
First you can toss a 100-yen coin into a wooden box and pick a piece of paper that has the fortune you want on it. There are hundreds to choose from. But there are written in Japanese, so I didn't do it.
I participated in "bathing" in incense as a way for good luck.
It made my eyes water.
I dumped holy water over my hands as part of the experience.
I was careful not to let the water that washed over my hands enter the community bath. This would have been very embarrassing if that happened. The Japanese are very hygiene conscious, especially at public places.
Then I went to Nakamise Dori. Nakamise means "inside shops" and this market had lots of shops selling traditional Japanese items. I also got to taste test several types of cookies. Even though the vendor told me each one was different, they all tasted like rice cakes to me. I ended up buying a bag of dried kiwi for Benny.
2 comments:
How fun! I can't believe you're doing this all by yourself? So much fun!
And all of these blogs to catch up. You've been busy Michelle
thanks for the kind words, Kati. I avoided organizing the house to blog all afternoon. I much prefer that to deciding which kitchen cabinet should be for plates. I keep wishing that my friends, Shelly or Alicia, will fly out and organize my house for me.
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