Yesterday (Tuesday 16th), due to a combination of dorm-mates getting in at the early hours, the garbage truck coming by, going to bed at 21;00 knackered, and hoards of loud crows; I was up, washed, dressed and out of the hostel by 6.50. This gave me a chance to get a good look round Asakusa before the herds of tourists decended and the quiet atmosphere was shattered.
This is a raccoon dog statue. I don't know why it has moobs, but it's supposed to stop wild animals coming and digging up your vegetable garden (I think).
Wooden prayer slips hanging by a shrine.
Eventually, I decided it was time to see some of the actual bits of Tokyo so when people quizzed me I'd be able to say "yeah I went there did you see this I love that blah blah", so I headed off for Akihabara- electric town. Of course, I didn't know that most shops in Tokyo open at 10 or even 11.30. It was now about 8.45.
That little screen at the bottom would periodically form a big yellow face and shout good morning at the commuters as they filed past it. It had a certain je ne sais que about it that made me reeeeaaallly uneasy.
A few native early risers were milling about, walking their dogs or just jogging through. The monks were doing their own early morning rituals and some people were praying or giving donations to the temples. Asakusa has a cluster of shrines with donation boxes so you can win favour with the right Kami- there are statues relating to children, health etc etc, just like saints of the Catholic church.
I bought a red tag thing from a monk. I don't know what it does, but as long as it helps prevent Japanese children eating my face/soul or makes me very rich, I am happy to have it.
I bought a red tag thing from a monk. I don't know what it does, but as long as it helps prevent Japanese children eating my face/soul or makes me very rich, I am happy to have it.This is a raccoon dog statue. I don't know why it has moobs, but it's supposed to stop wild animals coming and digging up your vegetable garden (I think).
There was also a shrine with loads of red flags commemorating the family of a woman who found a treasure chest in her back garden. She thought that if they lived off the money they'd become lazy, so she reburied it and they supposedly prospered. Visitors are supposed to put a little tray of white power in their purses for good financial fortune, but I didn't fancy the idea of explaining that to customs in LA, so I skipped.
Wooden prayer slips hanging by a shrine.
I considered buying a tin of whale meat to use as a paperweight, but then reconsidered the idea of having a greasy tin of marine mammal sitting on my desk. Eventually, like all mystery tins, it would get eaten out of curiosity.
Eventually, I decided it was time to see some of the actual bits of Tokyo so when people quizzed me I'd be able to say "yeah I went there did you see this I love that blah blah", so I headed off for Akihabara- electric town. Of course, I didn't know that most shops in Tokyo open at 10 or even 11.30. It was now about 8.45.
All hail MAG-LAR; centaur king of digital storage!
That little screen at the bottom would periodically form a big yellow face and shout good morning at the commuters as they filed past it. It had a certain je ne sais que about it that made me reeeeaaallly uneasy.
Advert for maid cafes- little cake and tea shops where you get served by girls in frilly dresses and alarmingly high pitched voices. They cater for the socially stunted anime fans who want to interact with a girl but dont want a hooker, and for girls who want their snacks with lashings of kawaii. Some of them offer extra services like massages or reflexology or CDs of the waitresses singing.
Anyway, I got horribly lost in Akihabara, AND everything was still shut, so I decided to hit the freakshow jackpot- Harajuku.
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