Today was Sumo day for us. We get the company tickets one day of every Tokyo tournament. This means we go to sumo three times each year. It was a fairly calm uneventful day. It is only the second day of the 15 day event so things could get better. It seems that since Asashoryu retired some of the wrestlers have become a little vicious. Baruto has become a favorite among the fans. With the sport down one yokozuna (the highest rank in sumo) I believe the others are trying to get to the top in a hurry. Hakuho is the lone yokozuna.
This afternoon we went to Yoyogi Park to the Jamaican Festival. We ate jerk chicken, rice with beans and snow cones. Then we listened to a little reggae music and walked around. We saw the most amazing dreadlocks on this Japanese man.
When I woke up I was so excited that it wasn’t raining anymore. The skies are so clear that I could see Mt Fuji if was somewhere higher. Rick can see it from his office on a day like today. It was perfect for my bike ride. I love Tokyo before 6 am! I decided to go Tokyo Bay. I found New Takeshiba Pier quickly. I took some photos from the pier.
New Pier Takeshiba
Because 25,000,000 people live in the Tokyo metro area they are always looking for new land. Odaiba is reclaimed land in the middle of Tokyo Bay. The Rainbow Bridge is the direct connection to Tokyo. Rick’s office is in Odaiba. His building is just left of the center in the photo below.
Odaiba
Doesn’t the Fuji TV Building look like it was built with an erector set?
Fuji TV Building
Ship Mast Landmark
I am discovering that sometimes I see things through the camera lens that I wouldn’t normally notice, like the sailor you can see in this photo.
I love the view from my kitchen window in the spring and fall. The rose bush in the picture is planted on the ground and grows up to the roof of the three story apartment building next door. It is covered with dusty purple blooms in May and November. I like roses because they are the only flower I have ever been successful at growing. I don’t have a garden so I am glad I can see these from my window
Today is Children’s Day in Japan. Since Girl’s day is March 3, Children’s Day is more devoted to boys. Families and schools display the koi flags and also samuri helmets or dolls in their homes. They hope for the success, happiness and long life of their sons. We went to the Ginza and watched a parade that was entirely marching bands. I found this to be totally unexpected and quite fun.
Kilts in Tokyo?
These are for you, Alex
Tuba Line
All Girls Band
The funniest thing we saw was the band parents they were running along behind the crowds videotaping. Most were not paying attention to their cameras, but just to where they were running. I can imagine how their videos turned out.
Today we began out outing by going to Nezu Shrine which is famous for the hillside completely covered by azalea bushes. The shrine area is quite small and because of the holiday there was a steady stream of people on the trails among the flowers.
We walked from Nezu to Rikugien garden. It is rated as one of the best in Tokyo. It is much larger than Nezu, but it was still very crowded.
Rikugien Pond
I just thought this image was humorous. This group was just huddled on the top of this hill looking out over the park and taking pictures.
This week is a big holiday week in Japan and much of Asia, Golden Week. Several national holidays are together and we usually go away. This year we decided to stay in Tokyo and take some day trips. Today we went to Naritasan (Naritasan Shinshoji Temple). It is a large and very popular Buddhist temple complex in Narita City, not far from Narita Airport. I thought it was going to be packed when got there because the train was crowded and everyone seemed to get off at Narita. It was also quite busy on the shopping street leading up to the the temple complex. We stopped at a restaurant and ate tempura. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t very crowded.
Omotesando Shopping and "dining" Street
This temple is as popular as Meiji shrine in Tokyo. I definitely liked Naritasan better. There is so much more to see than at Meiji.
Main Gate
Incense smoke
Prayer Tablets
Naritasan was built in the year 940 around its main sacred object of worship, a statue of the Buddhist Fudo Myoo deity. Many temple buildings stand on the spacious grounds of Naritasan, including the temple’s new and former main halls, a three storied pagoda and a huge Tahoto style pagoda, named the Great Pagoda of Peace. The park that surrounds it is beautiful. We had a great day and I can’t believe that this is our first trip there in four years.
