Meeting Junichi san

Tuesday afternoon we met Jun and daughter Misako in our hotel. It was great to see him again, I remembered him exactly when we met, I have changed a lot more than Jun, I was a slim unworldly young woman in the late ’70’s!!
We chatted over old times in the hotel lobby cafe and Christina and Misako got to know each other a little, they are about the same age. Then we were escorted on a tour of a part of Tokyo. We went by train to Asakusa, part of northern Tokyo where the city is still traditional in appearance, we wandered around streets that have been restored and watched the antics of what looked like an old fashioned street sweeper.

The Street sweeper

Christina, Dave, Junichi san and his daughter, Misako

We looked at some gorgeous shops selling Kimonos and headdresses for Geisha or princess. Some of the shops sell theater costumes and some just for the public. the Kimonos are gorgeous but so are the prices!

Theater stuff

Tricia with Kimono

Senso-ji, main entrance

Nakamise-dori, a parade of small shops leading up to the temple

We walked on to Senso-ji, or Asakusa Kannon, this temple was founded in the mid 1600’s to enshrine a tiny golden figure of Kannon, the goddess of Mercy which had turned up in the nets of two local fishermen. The buildings today are mostly post war concrete reconstructions but it still has a lively atmosphere. Not much to see inside the temple as the tiny image is “hibutsu” a hidden image considered too holy to be on view.

Young men pulling rickshaws with pretty women in them behind is the sothern entrance gate to Senso-ji temple