Afternoon Outing

After lunch today, we loaded up Toby and went hunting for shrines and temples near our home, which isn't difficult because they are everywhere! Since getting a car has made exploring easier, I've become very interested in visiting as many shrines and temples as I can, photographing them for a collection. No matter how old or new, how grand or tiny, I want to see them all! I think it would literally take a life time to visit every single shrine and temple in this country - there are countless thousands!

Today we visited Daizen-ji temple and Mitama shrine. Both are less than 2 miles from our house, nestled in the woods and bamboo. There is a very nice cemetery at the temple. The shrine is interesting because there are no torii gates, or building for that matter. Just a trail leading up a hill, a few statues, and a small shrine upon a rock.

Graves

Komainu (lion-dog) at shrine 

The shrine, simple yet lovely!

Mr. Tobes

We took Toby to D2 today! D2 is a large department store, much like Walmart, but way nicer. They have pet carts specifically for your dogs to use in the store! Toby loved looking around, especially in the pet area.

Meet Misty!

Well, after 18 months of walking and taking the train everywhere, we decided to get a car! We have always wanted to experience what life is like without a vehicle - and boy it's something! It's doable in Japan because the public trans is amazing, but it can still be difficult at times, especially when it's raining/snowing or you have groceries. Not to mention you can't transport anything heavy or bulky. So we ended up getting a tiny car, just perfect for our tiny driveway, and tiny Japanese streets (don't worry, the tuba fits - even in its flight case!!).

We named her Misty because it was raining the day we got her. She is a red 2002 Toyota Vitz - in America they sell them by the name Toyota Yaris. We haven't even had her 2 weeks yet, and it's already a life changer. We don't have to plan out our day as much, we can come and go as we please, bringing home groceries is a BREEZE, transporting the tuba is a BREEZE, I can now run 3 days worth of errands in 2 or 3 hours, and Jonathan shaved 30 minutes off his commute to work! Woohoo!

Decorating

Toby helped me decorate the other day. He's a good helper! We need to figure out what he can be for Halloween!

Best Advice Ever

Halloween Treat

Got a Halloween donut the other day. Mr. Donut is a local donut shop, and they have a large selection of spooky treats with eyes and teeth. Kawaii!

Ofuna Kannon

Kannon

A quick train ride from us is a Buddhist temple with a huge Bodhisattva Kannon, which is a goddess of mercy and eternal peace. The construction of the Kannon started in 1929 and was completed in 1960. The statue stands 82ft tall and was erected as a symbol for world peace and unity. Toward the back there is a door leading inside the statue, where you will find a small museum and sacred space. The Kannon is not the only piece of history at this temple though. There is also a statue for protection of children and child-birth, and a statue for warding off evil. There is also a section dedicated to Hiroshima and the souls lost due to the bombing. Pieces of stone structures are displayed that were scavenged from ground zero of the atom bomb, and a stone lamp stands holding an eternal flame that was lit from the flames and embers burning after the atom bomb hit.

The Ofuna Kannon-ji temple is a beautiful place, loaded with flowers, wonderful views, and a lot of history. Today it is used as a special place for people from around the world to visit and reflect on the past, learn from history, and hope for a bright future with peace on earth.

Eternal flame from the atom bomb

Flame close up

Stone rubble from ground zero in Hiroshima

Protection for children

Inside the Kannon

Inside the Kannon

More Flowers

Cough Kats

The latest in the Japanese Kit Kat craze - cough drop Kit Kats! These are actually infused with the same cough suppressants used in cough drops! The guy on the front of the package is a well known soccer announcer, and these are marketed for sports crowds to eat while they cheer on their team so their throats don't get hoarse. We tried these, and they taste just like a sweetened cough drop!

Magic!

Every so often in town, you come across neat little acts going on. The other day we ran across a magician! He juggled, performed several incredible balancing acts, neat hand tricks, and he swallowed a whole 4ft long inflated balloon - I still don't understand that one!!

Vegemite

Although it's not Japanese, we tried it for the first time in Japan! There is an international grocery store not far from us, and I just had to get it. I've always heard mixed reviews (2% good, 98% bad) and had to find out for myself. I knew to use it sparingly since it's easily overpowering. We tried it on toast and I also nibbled a bit off a knife. It's definitely NOT for us. I forced myself to finish the toast, and that was no easy feat. Now we are stuck with a whole jar of Vegemite....

Sassy Purse

I found this amazing purse in a "thrift" store. I say "thrift" because there isn't anything thrifty about second hand stores in Japan. They are quite expensive and normally charge full price for used items! It's a real bummer, and I dream of the day I can shop nice, dirt cheap American thrift stores. Nevertheless, this purse stole my heart.

Orange Ice Cream Mochi

Delicious summer treats (and really any time of the year) are always amazing here. One of our favorites is ice cream wrapped in soft, decadent mochi. This one had a blob of orange jelly in the middle of vanilla ice cream. It tasted like dreamcicle mochi! YUM!!