TOKYO to NAGOYA (3)
DAY 3(pt 1) - Douka Todoke Masu Youni
our 2nd full day in Tokyo got off to a not so good start. We were supposed to book tickets for the nightbus going to Hamamatsu in the Shizouka prefecture. The trip would take approximately 5-6 hours. So we made our way to historic Tokyo Station to buy our tickets. I did say not so good start because for one, Tokyo Station was undergoing renovations at that time we were there thus we were unable to take pictures, not with all those barriers and whatnots blocking the building's facade.
and as if that were not enough, we unfortunately were unable to buy tickets for the nightbus!! all seats for the 2330h trip were taken! the only trip that still had available seats was leaving at 1700h! but of course there was no way we were taking that coz we still had a lot on our agenda on our final day in Tokyo.
so we were left with no choice but to take the 2200h Shinkansen to Hamamatsu. Good thing though there was an option of taking non-reserved seats or else i would have gone broke by the morrow! after getting our tickets and it being a sunday, we then went to take the train to Harajuku.
Tokyo Station is one of the biggest stations in the city and one of the busiest too. cyberdoxe and i were busy talking and laughing on our way to the platform but as this day was not as we expected, we were taken by surprise when this 40ish japanese man in regular clothes stopped us all of a sudden. he then took out his badge (turns out he was a police) and asked for our passports.
we immediately told him we were tourists and that we planed in on the 21st and will be leaving by month's end. he then started speaking and for the life of me i cannot understand a single word he was saying! i know i'm not that fluent in Japanese but i can pick up a phrase or two but definitely not from what he was saying! and even though cyberdoxe kept telling him that we dont speak Japanese he totally ignored what she said. and to make matters worse, he was making a fuss about our arrival dates and our visa!
not content, he led us to one corner where a younger guy also in civilian clothes showed us his badge and asked for our passports. by this time i was really getting pissed coz there was nothing wrong with our travel documents so what the hell were they holding us up for?!!
cyberdoxe kept repeating that we're tourists and that we only speak english and then the elder guy answered that we are in Japan so we must speak Japanese! like what the hell?!?!!! at that point i asked him in nihonggo what the problem was and he started speaking in rapid japanese that i couldn't really understand! but as there was nothing they can find on our documents that would merit a trip to the police station, they let us go after what seemed like 10 minutes or so!
as we walked away both cyberdoxe and i looked back to where the two men were left standing and much to our chagrin they were both snickering!! yeah i know each basket has its share of rotten apples! though this was the first time that i have been subjected to such an interrogation. and i can only imagine how much worse it must be if one is indeed in Japan illegally!
cyberdoxe and i were both quiet during the train ride to Harajuku since we were still absorbing what just happened at Tokyo Station and add to that it was already way past noon and we hadn't had lunch yet. but whatever ill feelings we had over the incident quickly dissolved as soon as we saw this:
busy Takeshita Dori, Harajuku
and we had our first meal for the day.. OISHII!!!
Takeshita Dori was packed with shoppers of all ages that day and we enjoyed mixing in with the crowd although we were not able to buy anything save for the items we got at Daiso. and with it being a sunday the cosplayers at nearby Yoyogi Park were an added attraction. We saw one group of cosplayers offering FREE HUGS! and they would gamely pose for pictures too!
Crossing the bridge from Yoyogi Park stood the entrance to the biggest shrine in Tokyo, the Meiji Jingu Shrine.
its a 2 kilometre walk thereabouts from this entrance to the main shrine itself. and the ground is paved with pebbles and stones - its a rough road. how difficult it must be for the women wearing their kimonos and geta sandals - cyberdoxe posed with a mom and daughter wearing their pretty kimonos by the way - it sure was not easy walking in boots. i think it was made so as a sort of penance for the pilgrims of the shrine. although one wouldn't mind it at all because of all the trees and sounds of nature that can be experienced during the trek. we were literally walking into a forest in the middle of a big bustling city!
lining the road leading to the shrine were wine and sake barrels offered to the shrine, i presume as prayer for a good harvest.
osake
wine barrels
closer to the main entrance were a beautiful display of flowers - the biggest chrysanthemums i ever saw - and bonsais!!
looks good enough to eat right? LOL
i love this landscape
finally we were able to make it the main shrine and it really did not feel like we walked a long way to get to it.
as i did at Sensoji, i cleansed my hands at this fountain before offering my prayers.
the main Torii (gate) of the shrine itself
accdg to wikipedia, the shrine is dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shoken as both were influential figures during Japan's Meiji restoration.
The main structure leads to the sanctuary where the Meiji emperor was enshrined
and just outside the shrine itself is a huge tree enclosed by a wooden structure where prayers on wooden tablets left by visitors are hung - that is if one doesn't mind having his/her prayers read by the millions who regularly pay their respects to this shrine. There is another option though, you can write your prayers on a piece of paper and then seal it in an envelope. there is a box where you can drop in the envelope. it is said that these will be read and offered by the monks during their prayers.
of course cyberdoxe and i wrote down our prayers and wishes. honestly while i was doing this it felt like a sacred and emotional moment both at the same time and like the many visitors who did the same over the years, we hope that in time our prayers will be answered and granted.
next DAY 3 (pt2) Omotesando, Tokyo Tower
*pictures courtesy of cyberdoxe and the_fey_girl11*