Into the Wild Blue Yonder: Downtown Tokyo

The first trip Marc took downtown via helicopter turned into an adventure that neither of us had expected! One of the other new Colonel's had fallen in the shower and as it turns out that he had broken 4 of his ribs! Marc had gone from enjoying his first trip downtown, to calling an ambulance (of course they only spoke Japanese) and riding in the ambulance with the other guy to a Japanese hospital. As we had not yet bought cell phones for Japan (you cannot use your American iPhones in Japan), he had to have Robo update me as to what was going on. It was definitely a little scary and thankfully it turned out okay for everyone. Eventually Marc did make it home, hungry and tired, but he did make it home!!

We now have cell phones and a week later Marc was going to go downtown to check in on the other guy who was still in the hospital (poor guy). Another guy from the base was going to go along also and his wife (Tey) said if we wanted to go she would show us around downtown while the guys were at the hospital visiting. The kids and I jumped at this opportunity and we prepared to take the train for our first time downtown Tokyo.

We drove to Moritown Mall and took the train from the Akishima station. To ride the trains in Japan you need a Suica card, we had been given a couple but we bought 3 more as we each needed one. You tap your Suica card to the turn-stall and you are off and running. These same cards can also be used on vending machines, just make sure you have Yen loaded on them! There are many train lines in Japan so it is important to pay close attention as to which train is going where. Tey was so nice and very fun, she brought along her friend Rie who is a Japanese national and was going to help us on our outing. Rie was so very kind and fun too that we knew the day would be a blast! When getting on the train, there are strips that show you where to line up. The Japanese are very efficient when getting on and off the train and during busy times the train can be pretty darn full! The doors only stay open to disembark and load for about a minute so efficiency is important. The trains are also quiet, no speaking on cell phones and talking only in a quiet voice. A couple of train changes and 40 minutes later we were downtown.

Blending In

Note the Japanese schoolgirls

Stand here

We parted ways with our husbands and set out to get some lunch, we were starving! We checked out a couple of restaurants and settled on one that looked like it had delicious spicy beef bowls! Yummy!!

One cool thing about Japanese restaurants is that they almost always have pictures or plastic plates of the food you can choose from so you can see what it is before ordering. This particular restaurant you found what you wanted from the menu and then placed your order through an electronic machine. You paid through the machine and a ticket was

printed out with your order. In Japan there is no tipping so you take the ticket and sit yourself at they quickly deliver your food to you. There is water on the table for you, and a pitcher for you to refill it. You can order beer so us girls ordered a beer and shared it, the bottle was large and the glasses were small. Everyone loved their food and we were then off to see a Shrine.

In the middle of the hustle and bustle there are steps that lead you up to the Shrine, passing you under the "torii" gate. Having Rie with us was so wonderful for her friendship but additionally because she was able to explain the cultural relevance of things to us. The torii gate is the boundary line between holy ground and the secular world. Passing through the torii gate signifies that you have stepped into the domain of the deity. As you enter the courtyard of the Shrine there is a basin for you to wash your hands. The "temizuya" water pavilion consisting of a water basin and ladles is not a place to drink water. It is there to perform "misogi," a ritual to purify the body and mind with water before proceeding to stand in front of the deity. Wash yourself with the idea of washing away impurities in your heart as well as from your physical self. You use the ladle to wash your right hand, then your left hand, then to wash your hand to your mouth then your hand again. You are now cleansed and ready to go before the deity to make a prayer. I think I may have mentioned this but in Japan there are not usually paper towels so you carry a wash cloth with you so you can dry your hands. After washing our hands we walked towards the entry of the Shrine and the altar, you are allowed to take all the photos you want outside of the doors but not inside of the altar so we did our best to capture the magnificence. Once you are at the altar, you quietly throw in a "saisen" coin into the "saisenbako" offering box. The "saisen" coin is an offering to the deity. If there is a bell you ring it but as there was not one at this Shrine we omitted this step (this would be to greet the deity). You then bow twice to the deity then clap your hands twice. This clap has the same meaning as a hand clap to express happiness or appreciation. It expresses your joy of meeting with the deity and respect towards the deity. With your hands still together, express your feeling of gratitude in your mind without speaking. You bow one more time and then exit from the altar. Gabby expressed her gratitude for a long time so I'm thinking she made a wish that turned into a Christmas list!

After the temple we headed over to a Japanese cemetery. After you walk up the stairs there is again a place to cleanse your hands. There are buckets that hang and on the front of each bucket is the family name. When you come to the cemetery to visit your ancestors you fill up the bucket to bring them a cup of water. The Japanese are all cremated when they die so each family has a little headstone which in some cases look like miniature shrines. Their remains are buried in either a vault or the ground. A carved stone is place upon their grave site. Even some (if they have enough money) can have a huge shrine type gravestone in which the remains are placed in. A typical Japanese grave is usually a family grave consisting of a stone monument with a place for flowers, a place for incense, water in front of the monument, and a chamber or crypt underneath for the ashes. You’ll often see sprigs of Japanese star anise in the vases. At the bottom is a sealed chamber for the ashes which are held in ceramic pots. The front of the stone pillar generally states what family the grave belongs to. Often, the name is also written on a "sotoba", a separate wooden board on a stand behind or next to the grave. These sotoba may be erected shortly after death, and new ones may be added at certain memorial services. The cemetery was truly beautiful to see.