Of Shrines and Shopping

Had an epic day in Tokyo today, where the weather was clear and beautiful. Lorraine (whose eyes are variably better, but who still decided to stay in) and I had oatmeal for breakfast, and then I rode the JR Chuo and then the Tokyo Metro to Asakusa, a district in northeastern Tokyo. The annual Sanja Matsuri, one of the biggest festivals in Tokyo, was happening this weekend in Asakusa and I didn't want to miss it! Every year, shrines from the different community temples around Asakusa are brought out and paraded in the street, including the three big important shrines that are housed at Senso-ji Temple in the middle of Asakusa. The shrines are carried by dozens of people - as many as seventy, apparently - and the adherents chant and call as they carry them.

Though I chose the most crowded day of the year to visit Asakusa, it was an incredible sight to see so many people in the streets and so many young faces among the adherents carrying the shrines... the energy among everyone felt so alive. One thing I've missed in Japan is folks letting loose (save the baseball games I've been too) so it was fun to see the shrines bobbing up and down in the crowds, with people cheering and the drums pounding.

One of the smaller shrines being carried

Hopefully I'll have a chance to post some video of the Sanja Matsuri soon too! I spent a few more hours after lunch walking around Asakusa, which has little craft shops - including an amazing washi paper shop that I could have blown all of my life's savings in.

From the steps of the inner building at Senso-ji Temple, looking out into the crowd. On the left is an incense burning "well" where folks make offerings and breath in the incense.

Caught the Tokyo Metro heading west to Omotesando, one of the main streets in the famed Harajuku district. Harajuku is well known as a youth fashion and shopping mecca thanks to Gwen Stefani's "Harajuku Girls" - and though I didn't see too many crazily dressed young people (I guess I've gotten used to how dressed up everyone is here!) I made a point to stop at the Meiji-Jingu bridge, where costumed youth go every Sunday to show off their garb. It was amusing to see how many other tourists were there, taking photos of these young Japanese... this youth counter-culture spot has become just another tourist attraction in Tokyo!

Omotesando, the main street, is lined with boutiques and designers - more Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, and Louis Vuitton, but also Japanese designers like Issey Miyake. A good mix of high and low fashion, for sure, as the streets branching off from Omotesando have the discount fashion boutiques for teenagers. I still can't get over how much there is to buy in Japan. Lorraine and I were wondering where they put all of the things they buy...

Some of the costumed near Harajuku

Counting down the days here in Tokyo... there's still tons to do!