First, I would like to apologize. I have been slacking (two weeks or so, yes?). I think what started it was my poor job interview, which only fueled my lack of motivation. After that, the days just sort of blur together, so I’ll just apologize one last time for being lazy.
I would like to start by telling you about a local festival called ‘Tori no Ichi’. As some of you may know, I live near Senso-ji, which is a pretty famous Temple in Tokyo (It is the second most popular place to go on New Year’s Eve!). Between my house and Senso-ji there is another Temple, called Chokoku-ji (as you might have guessed, ‘ji’ means temple. It is held every year in November, on the day of the ‘tori’ (which means bird), i.e. rooster (This year, it was held on the 5, 17, 29! Three times! I was very lucky).
Without looking it up online, I will tell you my very basic understanding of this festival: people from all over Tokyo come to pray at Chokoku-ji for protection against accidents (like car accidents) and for good luck with money. You can also buy ‘kumade’, meaning bear hand (claw), which will help you ‘rake’ in money (see picture for reference!). Also, on these three days, the main street that the temple is on is lined with food stalls (and the occasional dried fruit/fish vendor or traditional Japanese spice vendor). On the days of the festival, I had Okonomiyaki for dinner, mmm!
These are the 'kumade'. The whole inside of the temple was lined with
stalls that were selling them. It was magical!
Not the best pictures, eh? All four of them are inside the temple.
If you search 'Tori no Ichi' on google, you can get a lot more photos,
and better ones too. I am not great at picture taking...yet.
Next, I want to tell you all about our group trip
((Two quaint views...the first is when Kathleen and I walked to the convenience store,
the second is the entrance to the Shinto Shrine))
Fuji-san! Can you see the top? No..
The next day, about half of us hiked to the lake, and we looked at Mt. Fuji (It was quite cloudy, so we couldn’t see the top!). Then, a few of us went with our Japan Study faculty advisory (Paul Watt) and walked to some local temples. This was GREAT. We went to both a Buddhist and a Shinto temple. It is really amazing how these two religions are fused in Japan.
The first is the bell at the Buddhist temple, the second is the
sumo ring at the Shinto Temple. Did you know
that sumo wrestling is a Shinto tradition? I did not!!
((Two quaint views...the first is when Kathleen and I walked to the convenience store,
the second is the entrance to the Shinto Shrine))
Next, I want to tell you all about our group trip to Yamanashi, a small town near Mt. Fuji. Let me give you a quick itinerary of the trip: Depart around 9:00 AM (I think? I don’t remember the exact time) from Takada no Baba (which is about 40 minutes from my house. Arrive at the Yamanashi hostel/dorm at around 1:30 PM (Again, I forget exact time). Have an hour and a half, two hour meeting about what we will be doing in February. Go to a public onsen (hot bath!) and soak our cares away. Then dinner, another hour-long meeting, nomikai (drinking party), and finally sleep.
Fuji-san! Can you see the top? No..
The next day, about half of us hiked to the lake, and we looked at Mt. Fuji (It was quite cloudy, so we couldn’t see the top!). Then, a few of us went with our Japan Study faculty advisory (Paul Watt) and walked to some local temples. This was GREAT. We went to both a Buddhist and a Shinto temple. It is really amazing how these two religions are fused in Japan.
The first is the bell at the Buddhist temple, the second is the
sumo ring at the Shinto Temple. Did you know
that sumo wrestling is a Shinto tradition? I did not!!
Well, I hope you enjoyed my first post in a long time!
I miss you all!
I miss you all!
2 comments:
You already know how much I like those photos from your school trip. Sounds like things are always exciting where you are! I'm jealous... Also I just sent an email and used this face: -_-;; I got it from you obvs.
Because of the weather systems in the area, Mt. Fuji's top is almost always covered in clouds. They have some local name for it like the "shy maiden" or something like that.
But *I've* seen it. Ha!
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