Tokyo

It started out as a casual conversation. Seats, "wide open" on Chris' flight for his business trip to Japan. I told him, "I should go with you." At first I wasn't serious, too many appointments in the week ahead. Tom and Kim both encouraged me and I thought about spending time with Chris, such a rare opportunity once your son is married with a family. And of course, I am always curious about the world and how people live in different places. Well, it became a reality and it was well worth the time and loss of sleep.
We left on Monday at 2PM from Chicago, O'Hare and arrived at Narita, Japan on Tuesday, 4:30 PM. Literally time flies! Chris is consumed with work and I spend the next day touring Tokyo. The town has very few tourists since the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. The large Greyhound type bus had five tourists for the morning tour and two for the afternoon and this is the tourist season when the cherry blossoms are in bloom. I enjoyed the beautiful Japanese gardens.



I learned that 73% of Japanese are Buddhists and 84% are Shinto. This means that some adopt both religions. Usually beginnings are celebrated at the Shinto Shrine with birth and wedding ceremonies while illness and death involve Buddhists rituals.

This is a Shinto Shrine, the Meiji Shrine. Once you walk through the gate you become emotionally pure and before you approach the shrine you wash both hands and rinse your mouth at a well. Saki is also used to purify one's self as part of the cleansing process. The worshipers toss a coin into a money box, clap twice to summon the gods and pray then bow before they leave. There are no visible gods or statues at a Shinto Shrine.


These are Saki barrels.


A Shinto wedding has taken place, the wedding party is posing for a picture. The bride is in a traditional gown.
The first Buddhist Temple we visited had a cemetery where six shoguns are buried but the public is not allowed in that area.

On the side of this temple are many small statues of children. A family who has lost a child will dedicate a statue to the temple. They will decorate the statue. The family name is next to the statue.



I only took one picture on the river cruise. Both sides of the river have landscaped walkways.

The second Buddhist Temple is the oldest in Tokyo, Asakusa Kannon Temple.

Before the shrine is a shopping street that has been here for hundreds of years with small shops on each side. The colorful shops sell quality items of Japanese miniatures, paper, fans and many souvenirs. This walkway is usually so crowded it is hard to walk to the temple, but not today.
This next picture is of a large pot of incense thought to be the breath of Buddha. The people direct the smoke to an area on their body where they need help, some direct it to their heads so they will become smarter.

There are several buildings and gardens around this temple, one has many Buddhas, one for each symbol on the zodiac.




This was a wonderful day in the warm sunshine and our guide, Saudi Son is so knowledgeable and gracious. We shared a typical Japanese meal together and by the end of the day I felt like I was saying good-bye to a friend.

I did get time to browse the upscale shopping area but didn't buy a thing! So unlike me. I really enjoyed the short time I spent in Tokyo and found the Japanese people to be very respectful and kind. So before you know it, I'm back on the bus and heading to the airport. So thank you Chris, for this time together.