It was Saturday and the rain previously scheduled to come today did not and even thought it was a bit on the chilly side, the sun was out. I took advantage of the day and headed out to do a bit of site seeing that I have not been able to do yet and went with my friend and co-worker Wendy to visit Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park.
Meiji Shrine is the most popular Shinto Shrine in Tokyo. It is quite large and part of Yoyogi Park which is the largest park in Tokyo and a place that the locals and tourists flock to for various reasons whether they be to just hang out or to go to a festival. Todays trip was to visit the Shrine and then head across the way to the Earth festival.
Entrance to path leading to the Shrine
100 Barrels of Sake. The information sign suggests that the sake inside has been there for years and years but I read somewhere else that they are actually empty and remain outside of the shrine for symbolism and representation. Sake is used in a number of Shrine ceremonies and events throughout the year.
After entering the Shrine you rinse your hands before continuing on into the section where the more sacred buildings are.
A few buildings. Several sell charms and traditional Japanese Shrine items that people can buy to leave at the Shrine as an offering or to take with them for continued luck and reminders. I learned that arrows (Hamaya) are especially significant in Japanese culture and are used at Shrines to fire at the demons and ward off bad luck.
I saw this lovely couple celebrating their wedding at The Shrine. This was the first time I had seen a couple in traditional Japanese Wedding clothing.
You can get your fortune told at the Shrine. From what I saw, you shake a wooden box full of sticks and then pick a stick out of the box. I couldn't see what was on the sticks but there is some kind of mark or indicator on it and you exchange it for a piece of paper that has your fortune for the new year on it.
People also write their wishes on wooden plaques and hang them at the Shrine. These are called Ema. You can buy an Ema with the zodiac animal on it or some other good luck picture or symbol. You write your wish on the other side and hang it on the display. Kiganbun is where you write a letter to the Shinto Gods. There is a box with paper and pencils available to write your requests.
There were long lines today that I opted not to wait in.
This building is an additional Temple used for various ceremonies. People can come for weddings or to ask for blessings for their children or for other reasons.
This guy was just outside of the park and was some kind of one man band but he kept talking into his microphone and wouldn't play anything. I didn't stick around to see if he was legit or not. He would probably sell more of his cd's if he would perform instead of talk.
Yoyogi Park entrance
There was an earth garden festival at the park today. There was food, music, and local artisans and vendors selling earth friendly products. It kind of reminded me of the Saturday Market back in Portland.
Painting for the kids
This couple had some nice jewelry and knitted items. I found a pair of mittens that I had tried to find back in the state - the kind where the top folds over your fingers. I found a lot of gloves back home that were that style but I wanted mittens and I found them today and they are super cute. I got 20% off too!
Teenagers attempting the Chinese yo-yo and plate spinning
This guy had some really pretty pottery items. Wendy bought a pretty bowl and I opted for a leaf shaped spoon rest and some gorgeous blue salad plates. Good thing he put his card in my bag because I got home and my leaf spoon rest was missing from my bag. :(
And what earth festival would be complete without an acknowledgement of The Grateful Dead and tie-dye.
We also went to a small exhibit that had some belongings from a former Japanese Emperor (Meiji). At the gift shop I bought a cute Japanese style tote bag to use for the gym and some cherry blossom tea. I will give that a try tomorrow.
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