Day two Tokyo during the day….

Slept late as the journey had really caught up with us. Later than intended wle headed to Uneo Park, which was one of Japan’s first public parks. It’s estimated that there are 8800 trees in the park but what comes with the trees is a cacophony of noise. Pete described the noise as if there were thousands of chainsaws going at once. The noise was coming from the cicadas. The currugated exoskeleton helps it make the level of noise it does. I guess if you wait 17 years to make an entrance you would make quite a song and dance about it!In the cherry blossom season the park must look equally amazing as there are 800 cherry blossom trees.We walked part way round the Shinobazu Pond. It was hard to see that it was actually water as it was completely covered in lotus beds.

We could see some flower buds emerging – they are apparently in full flower mid August so we may pop back to see them on the way back as certainly it is bound to be quite spectacular.Hard to believe that the fish in the pond are able to negotiate around all the plants, especially given their size. However they seem to manage it..

On our way to the National Museum of Nature and Science we came across a young couple getting married in traditional costume. From what I can make out it is a popular place to get your wedding photos taken and the groom was starting to look a bit fed up with this process.The museum was good but not like the ones we have visited in London like the Natural History Museum. But that said I liked the quaintness of it.We did find out quite a few things that we can now randomly drop into conversations. Although random is the word so may have to be very adept if we manage to drop them into any chats we have.Found out that the Japanese originally had a very different way of telling the time. The Japanese clock is called a ‘wadokei‘, the system being that daytime and nighttime are always divided into six periods whose lengths consequently change with the season. Makes some sense but also sounds very complicated.One display showed what the inside of a camel’s hump looks like – hopefully the camel died of natural causes before it was relieved of his hump!

There was a bit about the progression of ‘man’ in Japan through the ages. Pete thought the man looked like someone from a progrock band we saw a few years ago called Acid Mother’s Temple – although they were fully clothed.

Obviously in a country with 110 active volcanoes a year and 1500 earthquakes annually, there was quite a bit on this. With things like Bread Crust bombs I hadn’t heard of. Although traveling with a Geography teacher I was regaled by more facts!

I read a touching story about this dog who was part of the first Antarctic observation exhibition in 1956.

Outside the museum is a massive 100 foot diving blue whale which seem ironic given the recent start in whaling again after 30 years. Although some would say the ‘scientific’ loophole has continued throughout and this latest move is more transparent.

A recent NY Times articles states:

Japanese people have “mixed feelings” about whaling, according to Hisayo Takada, spokeswoman for Greenpeace Japan. She cited a combination of national pride and politics, as Japanese lawmakers have propped up an industry they see as economically and sentimentally important for their voter base. Opinion polls by the national broadcaster NHK and Japan’s Foreign Ministry show broad support for whaling, even if people do not necessarily want to eat the meat. If shown a picture of a whale, “most people would see it as wildlife,” Ms. Takada said.

But whaling “has become a sensitive, nationalistic topic,” she said. “It’s not about whaling itself. It’s more about Japanese pride and standing up for what people see as their culture.

I just wish they didn’t do it!!After this we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Uneo Park has quite a number of Museums dotted around it.We went round a calligraphy exhibition – 3 rooms were dedicated to this art form. I used Google translate to try to find out what the pieces said but was none the wiser really. They did look beautiful though. I can’t imagine anything similar in the UK. But calligraphy or ‘shodo’ is considered an art form here, it’s not just about what it communicates but how it does it, which is why even if you don’t understand what it says you can appreciate the beautiful brush strokes. I thought this one looked like someone dancing!There are an estimated 80,000 shrines in Japan, with 1479 in Tokyo alone. Uneo Park has it’s fair number of them. Kiyomizu Kannon temple was one of the first ones we saw. Outside it is the famous Moon Pine with branches fashioned into a circle. The shrine is supposed to promote fertility in women.Before entering the shrine area there is a ‘washing ceremony’ which I thought had some overlaps with Islamic wudu. The area is called the purification fountain. I am looking intently at the instructions ahead of me so I don’t get them wrong. Not to self- wear glasses!When entering a shrine there may be a bell that you ring 2 or 3 times to signal to the gods you have arrived, followed by two deep bows and followed by clapping your hands twice, another deep bow whilst paying your respects and thanking the gods.

We went into one of the shrines and listened to a ‘service’. The shrines I think are invariably linked to the ethnic religion of Japan, Shinto. It was very calming. Inside was beautiful but photographs weren’t allowed. There were intricate metal flowers around the alter reflecting one of the four affirmations of Shinto which is nature is sacred.Outside the shrines many wooden plaques had been written on in a myriad of different languages. These are called Ema, a pictorial votive made of wood. Traditionally written as new year resolutions or prayers for good health and success.Also on sale were a range of talismans….. If only it was so easy to make your dreams come true!

Leaving the park we came across a flea market. My wishes at the shrine had been to have more reliance. My prayers were answered when I came across this backbone! I could do with one at times.

There were other interesting things too. Always hard to decide when to start buying things, trying to balance it with the hope that you’ll see something similar again.

A short walk later and we were at the Ameyayokocho shopping area, a riot of street stalls that led us down little alley ways. It was amazing and vibrant!

It is quite shocking that there are a number of animal themed cafes in Tokyo. There is a real pull to see the animals but realistically it’s a cruel trade and best not to buy into it at all. There all sorts of animal cafes which initially began with cat cafes and then spiralled in include owl, mini pig, hedgehog etc.