Our wonderful Japan guide Mimi came over on Wednesday morning and we stepped out into the streets of Tokyo. Brrr. First stop, Ginza for jackets. Then we saw the Imperial Palace and Asukasa with its many tourist stands and great Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine.
We were so impressed with Mimi. She was impeccably dressed, deeply knowledgeable and had come prepared with maps, flipcharts, and little welcome gifts that delighted the children. Mimi had even made a fair-weather doll the night before so we would have a fair weather day. We were thrilled that the kids were learning about Japanese language and customs at a fast rate.
At Asukasa we prayed at the Shinto shrine. You toss a coin into a grating in the altar, bow twice, think of an ancestor or spirit of nature and clap your hands twice to summon his, her or its attention. Then make a prayer and bow once in parting. Mimi prayed that our family’s journey would be safe. Gina prayed to the spirit of the air to keep our journey safe. Carter prayed to an ancestor to keep our family safe. I prayed to the spirit of the earth to keep our family and friends safe and then for good measure, repeated it all again to pray that the spirit of the water to keep us safe as well. Katherine prayed that the trees would keep making oxygen. “Very good,” said Mimi, “that is exactly the spirit of Shinto.”
From here we marched off to Koppabashi Street, dedicated to purveyors of cooking gear and plastic foods, the stores strung down the block behind a giant Chef’s head perched above the street’s entrance.
By the time we had finished up with a cozy yakator dinner that night, we were inspired and delighted by Japan and thrilled to be visiting.
