Nihon no seikatsu wa ii desu. (Japan life is good)
As I anticipate the arrival of the first Sakura bloom (Cherry Blossoms), it is targeted to be around March 15th, I thought it would be nice to share a few outdoor adventures of current life in Tokyo. We are still under a State of Emergency, which basically means that restaurants and bars close by 8 PM, some public places such as Shinjuku Gyoen Park is closed for hanami (Cherry Blossom viewing parties), and people take precautions by wearing masks, social distancing where possible, sanitize, and adhere to the 3 C’s- stay away from Closed spaces, Crowded places, and Close contacts.
In February, the very first bloom are the Kawazuzakura, a variety of cherry blossoms that bloom in Feb. After seeing a friends blog post about the Sakura Shrine in Setagaya, we decided to visit on a Sunday morning. Another friend helped me start a Goshuin, shrine seal book. When you visit a temple or shrine in Japan, you can receive a Goshuin, hand written seals, written by Buddhist monks or Shinto kannushi, god masters. They use Shodo, Japanese calligraphy, and write the date of your visit to the temple or shrine and sometimes include a blessing.
February was a month where I got to wish two close friends a Happy 50th Birthday! One is a dear friend from college who lives in Hawaii and one is my Japanese teacher in Tokyo. This year was supposed to be a special year for a bunch of us to go somewhere special to celebrate our milestone year. It will have to wait. It allows us more time to make our grand plans. Here are some pictures of Afternoon tea at the Ritz Carlton to celebrate Yoko’s birthday!
Every year at the Jindaiji- temple in Chofu, they hold a Daruma festival. A group of friends, we call ourselves ‘Active Girls’, went on another excursion to check out the festival. With Covid, there were less vendors, however this festival was incredible. From all the local artisans selling their handmade creations of Darumas to the food stalls; there were a lot of people. The most special part was bringing your purchased Darumas up to the temple monks, who blessed you with holy water, then blessed your Daruma with your wish and filled one eye with kanji. It is said that the monk blesses each Daruma with love.
Antiquing around Japan has been another thing I have done with friends and it is nice to check out the fabulous finds that people may not want anymore. We found a Meiji era tansu that we love, between 110-150 years old. We also purchased a vintage kimono and obi belt. Some of you will see it when we bring in back to Portland.
The ‘Active Girls’ group did another outing to see the Hinamatsuri festival at the Hotel Gajoen, which is a hidden gem near the Meguro river. This historic hotel is beautiful and a destination for weddings. There are lovely Japanese gardens, beautiful banquet halls, and the historic 99 steps connecting several ornate rooms leading to the summit room which displayed beautiful wood carvings, paintings, and ornamental pieces throughout. Such a lovely site and destination for a visit and afternoon tea while meandering the Meguro river.
Last March during Sakura season we didn’t venture out too far from our place with Covid. This March we are excited to see different areas of Japan. Stay tuned for more cherry blossom updates from Tokyo, Kyoto, Himeji, Nara, maybe Kanazawa. Enjoy the days of spring and please stay safe and healthy.