Japan so far has been a whirlwind. We were graciously greeted by the Hashizume family, who treated us to a yummy late dinner and a place to lay our weary heads.  We had a great visit with them in Chiba, and it was fun to see their daughters again, who I hadn`t seen since they were very young.  The youngest, Haruka (little Heather) is almost as tall as I am!

The next day, we rode the train into Tokyo, dropped our bags, and spent the rest of the day walking.  Tokyo is just as I remember: overwhelming.  Stimulus is constant and from all directions.  In the afternoon, our friend Eiko joined us for a visit to Asakusa.  The highlight of this neighborhood is Senso-ji, a temple that enshrines a golden image of the Buddhist goddess of mercy, Kannon (it is said the statue was fished out of the river by two brothers in 628. They put it back, but it kept returning to them).   It:s the oldest temple in Tokyo. We entered through the Kaminari-mon (Thunder Gate), with the protective god of Wind on the right and of Thunder on the left.  We were sure to cleanse ourselves with incense smoke (for health) and then water  before entering the main temple area. Everything about the temple is elaborate and ornate, from the carved and painted ceilings to the statues and altars inside. The five-storied pagoda on the grounds is also quite impressive.

The surrounding area is a sort of market, with charms, snacks and pretty much anything else you can think of for sale.  We had an early night, strategizing to avoid jetlag and get on Japan-time.

For more photos click HERE