Temples and Tokyo

A combo of our last day in Nikko, and then our time in Tokyo.

Giving his new chopsticks a test run.  He bought them a few blocks earlier as we walked to the temples.  It's raining outside so we decide a lunch break is wise.

 The guidebook says it's unclear if this is the origin of the "Hear no evil . . ." expression.  It's one in a series of wood sculpture friezes depicting the cycles of life.

These stone lanterns (Ishidoro) are all over the temple grounds.  We got a little carried away taking photos of them.  I did a little checking -- they date back to the 6th century AD and were originally used at temple grounds to light votive tributes.

 These temples were amazing in their detail, lavishness of color and design.  A detail to give you an idea.

 More lanterns, and yes, leftover snow.  We left a rare, early spring in Colorado to find a late one in Japan.  Normally the cherry blossoms would be in bloom now, but they're a few weeks away, especially in Nikko.  The wood sculptures on the temple are elaborate scenes of animals -- peacocks, tigers, various birds . . .

More temples, more lanterns

 A five story pagoda is rare. This entire temple complex, which is sizable, and encompasses 15 or so buildings, is in a forest of huge trees. Cypress I think.

 This should be the last of the lantern photos to which I'll subject you.

When was the last time you saw a Bugle?  Taking the train back to Tokyo.

In the department store food halls again -- huge variety, reasonable prices.  These are baby anchovies.  The stall owner offered us a sample.  Quite salty.

This is the Thunder Gate and was the most crowded place we encountered in Tokyo.  Behind the gate are the shops below, and a temple at the far end.

Cherry blossom street fair, and some of the food for sale 

We tried this -- a combo of cabbage, onions and pork in a batter, topped with a sweeter, thicker version of soy sauce, and some salty shavings of  ...?  It was ok.

This is a Japanese country band, singing, and I am not kidding --  "Will the Circle be Unbroken"  with a Japanese accent.  I sang along with them.  Nobody else in the crowd seemed to know the words.

More snacks

A traditional drum performance. 

We saw several versions of our cabbage/onion puff.  This was the most elaborate, but we didn't have one.  Garvin and I had just tried these octopus puffs below.  Balls of batter with a piece of octopus sticking out, topped with the sweet/salty sauce and some green garnish and the salty shavings.  I think it's an acquired taste.

We saw a few cherry blossoms!

Back at the food hall, they find something more to their liking.  These are waffles stuffed with a variety of whipped creams and fruits.  Quite tasty.  The array of options in the dessert area is dazzling.  Beautiful candies, parfaits, chocolates, cakes, cut out cookies of ducks, pandas, lady bugs.  The colors and artistry, as well as the care they take in packaging up your purchase makes it feel very special.

We're now back in the shopping area behind Thunder Gate -- still packed with people on a Monday morning.  These are charms to put on cell phones.  Many are bells.  We've also seen stuffed animal charms -- imagine a toy the size of my fist hanging off your cell phone.

Waving this incense smoke on you brings good luck.

Looking from the temple back through the entry gate.

A garden on the temple grounds.  We weren't sure if the turtle on the rock was real or not.

The sign on the toaster at our breakfast buffet : )

Ok, toilets are a big deal in Japan.  The seats are usually heated, and after our time in Nikko, I totally understand and appreciate this feature.  Central heating is not the norm here, so you heat the room you're in.  At night we turned off the heat, but had electric blankets, so it was just that first shock in the morning before the heater had taken away the chill.  However, the heat doesn't reach the bathroom, hence, our gratitude for the invention.  But it doesn't stop there.  In some public bathrooms -- this is a sign in an airport stall, you can have sound effects like running water, and many toilets offer personal cleansing features.  Sometimes there's a sink on top of the tank with a faucet which allows you to wash your hands before the water goes in to refill the bowl.

I'm sorry to end this post on the topic of bathrooms, but this is the last photo I took in Japan.  We're onto Viet Nam.