A New Era for Japan

When we returned to Tokyo, Erica again volunteered to be our guide. Our first stop was to Chidori-ga-fuchi Greenway.

The cherry blossoms were at the height of their blooming period now and the Sakura Festival was in full swing. Cherry blossoms ranging from white to light pink formed a gorgeous canopy over a walkway crowded with adoring fans. The adjacent waterway was teeming with boats paddled by those willing to wait for hours for a chance to experience a romantic ride. Then we walked to the Yasukuni-Jinja Shrine which commemorates those who died to protect their country. It’s a controversial shrine though so here’s more of the history:

Yasukuni

There were stalls set up selling many interesting looking foods.  After taking a look around, we headed for the Imperial Palace but it was closed so we just took pictures across the moat and of the famous bridge on the outskirts of the grounds.

Next we grabbed some lunch and toured the Roppongi district - a vibrant area with businesses, interesting architecture and wildly expensive fruit. This is a pair of mangoes that cost over $300 and a single musk melon would set you back $175.

Of course, there was also very high end shopping as well but I didn’t even bother to look at the prices.

We learned that adzuki beans can be made into many forms and packaged beautifully. It can be flavored in many ways but is pretty chewy. We weren’t inspired to buy. 

The photo album is available in the link below.  If you want to see explanations for the photos, you have to click on a picture then click on the “I” inside a circle for more information and page through them one at a time.  

Click here for more photos

Rie, Erica and Leo were so very patient with our endless questions about all things Japanese. Our conversations ranged from everyday life to history and politics. Since many of the sites were religious in nature we discussed Buddhist and Shinto religious beliefs and practices. Leo was raised in the Catholic faith and shared with us that there were many Christian martyrs in Japan because Christianity was outlawed here during the Shogunate.  

Leo and Dermot's Haka in front of the Rugby Stadium

We were so lucky to visit Japan during two very important events - cherry blossom season and the announcement of a new Era. The emperor of Japan was abdicating and his son was ascending to the position of emperor. Any time this happens in Japan, it is considered a new era and it’s big news. Everyone was waiting to find out what the new era would be named. The announcement happened when we were traveling on a train. I used Google Translate to ask the lady sitting next to us if the announcement had been made and she said she was watching the broadcast live and very kindly tilted her phone to let us watch as well. We saw the solemn ceremony in which the kanji are written on a framed paper which is held up for all to see. This sets off a flurry of interpretation, activity and we’re told even the stock market reacts. 

As we neared the end of our trip we all went out to dinner at at a place of our hosts’ choosing. Imagine our surprise when they picked “Sizzler!” All over Japan restaurants have plastic models of the dishes outside and this was no exception. They were shocked to hear Sizzler was mostly out of business in the states. “But the salad bar is so good!”

We shared one last dinner of sushi and toasted our amazingly thoughtful hosts. It had been so very wonderful to spend time with Rie and her family and we certainly hope to get together with them again soon!