Japan Travel Log - Day 6 (Asakusa)

Today, we're headed towards Asakusa, a popular tourist destination.

This is how you do the Cowboy Jiggle heh..heh..

Morning rush hour (heading towards Tokyo). This is not the Express train and so has fewer passengers. Otherwise, it would be packed like sardines in a can.

The brief story of how Asakusa began, is, that around 628AD, a group of fishermen caught in their nets and landed a small statue of the Buddha. The village headman took this as a sign, became a priest, and built the temple that is now Sensouji. The story of this place spread and over time a town grew up and around the temple.

Waiting for the water bus

To get there, we're took a water-bus so that we can enjoy a leisurely cruise along the waterway and also enjoy the scenery. I love boat rides anyway (except small rickety ones and in choppy water....which turns me green..hehe).

Map of the waterway

The ride took us about 15-20 mins I think (can't quite remember now), crossing under no fewer than 13 bridges of various designs and age. Hiro took the time to relax and enjoy a cup of beer while the 3 of us busied ourselves with our cameras (as usual).

Say 'Cheese'

'Cheese'

A very popular wholesale market for fish and seafood

'Fire-boats', the waterway's Fire-engines

Floating restaurants

Yuki was waiting for us when we arrived and together we walked a short distance to the entrance of the Sensouji Temple. The big gateway with the huge lantern hanging from it is an unmistakeable landmark of Asakusa.

Here we go again...

The rickshaw pullers here are strong and young. As opposed to the ones at home.

The street beyond the gate is lined on both sides with small shops selling souvenirs, japanese sweets and cakes. It was packed with people, both locals and visitors.

So packed that Hiro was afraid we (the foreigners) would get lost so he made sure he tagged behind Ivee and I while Yuki stayed close to Judy. But both Ivee and I were difficult to hang on to, haha, because we were totally absorbed by the assortment of goodies on display. We scooted here and there, from shop to shop like we were in a trance and poor Hiro had quite a task keeping us in sight :-)

Souvenir-hunting

Pet accessories shop. The poodle by the entrance is real, but the rest are dolls.

Making sweetcakes. Kinda like making our 'kuih kapit' eh? :-)

At the end of the line of shops, the street opened up onto huge courtyard, in the middle of which sits the temple.

Hana had joined our party by now. Before entering the temple, we stopped by a booth selling talismans. They had all sorts: for success in exams, love, marriage; for good health, etc. Different designs and different colours differentiated one from the other. And I'm sure the Japanese can tell immediately what talisman one has on just by looking at the colour and design.

Hmmm...let's see, I could do with a bit of divine intervention in....? (Talisman booth)

On the right of us, just after the talisman booth and just before the steps up to the temple was a kind of well or water trough with ladles all around the side of it. We saw people scooping up water from the well into their mouths. They sort of gargled the water before spitting it out again into the drain beside the well. Our Japanese friends told us it was a purification ritual before entering the temple (and is commonly practised at most japanese temples as I found out from the internet).

Here let me help you. (At the purification water trough)

After having 'purified' ourselves, we then climbed the few steps leading up to the main hall of the temple. Unfortunately I didn't take any photos inside the temple and therefore have nothing to show here. Those interested can visit this blog to see some really cool photos and good explanations of the place.

Inside the temple, we found a table on which sat several levels of drawers (kinda like the drawers found in chinese sinseh shops where they keep their medicinal roots and herbs). On the table itself were a couple of cylinders with a tiny hole at the top. These were filled with bamboo sticks with numbers printed on one end of it. These sticks fortell your future. Just like the ones that can be found in chinese temple in Malaysia and like those we see in Hong Kong chinese televisions series (or movies).

The idea is to shake the cylinder until a bamboo stick pops out of the hole. This stick will bear a number. Look for the drawer with the matching number and withdraw a paper from it. On this piece of paper will be written your future, whether good or bad. We decided to give it a try, and suffice to say, I shall have good fortune the whole year through...hehe :-)

Outside one of the many restaurants found within the temple area.

Soon it was time for lunch, and we settled on a cute and cosy typical japanese restaurant near the entrance to the temple.

After lunch, we did a little bit more shopping and then it was time to leave Asakusa. We had to get back to the hotel to freshen up before heading for one final bit of jamming at the same hall we danced in the past weekend.

Oooff!! Help me get them boots off girl.

Outside Hiro's house (just before heading back to the hotel)

Next: Our Hakone Adventure :-)