Japan is an old country, especially compared to a newcomer like the United States. As such, there's a lot of history to accommodate in a relatively small space. Appreciably, they try to conserve this history whenever possible, meaning that your liable to stumble into multiple unexpected temples throughout the cities. Surrounded by all the modern trappings you can still readily find your zen zone.
Toyouke shrine, in the Nekozane area of Urayasu, is a beautiful structure and integral part of the cultural heritage of the area. Every four years there's a huge festival in the town called the Urayasu Sanja Matsuri, which includes Toyouke shrine among the three celebrated.
All was quiet when I visited this time, but I was lucky enough to catch the Sanja Matsuri in 2012!
Here's hoping I can catch the next one in 2016~
The entrance to the temple. I love the colorful pinwheels!
After the sun went down, I was politely asked to leave the temple grounds by a duo of suit clad English speaking men. Slightly embarrassed, I apologized and went on my way. ^_^;
Wandering on, I found the fire station above!
In another part of town there was a testing/training facility where I would occasionally catch glimpses of fire fighters to be running drills. Neat!
Walking around the nearby neighborhood, I found another fresh market where they were selling a familiar brand; Cheetos! The flavor was not so familiar, though- BBQ.
Also, "regular" Cheetos themselves weren't so regular, either. The cheese flavor evidently didn't do well with the Japanese demographic, so they opted for a "sweet corn" coating instead. Not my cup of tea but not terrible either, just different.
Hotto Motto, a Japanese fast food chain specializing in platters of hot, tasty food fast!
Speaking of food, I started my day with this~ Salmon & octopus sashimi, korokke (croquettes), rice and miso soup. Oishii!
A couple of chairs courteously provided by someone for the bus stop!
As I was standing here, I actually encountered a couple of my coworkers who happened to be driving by. They caught me off guard, considering I had only been in the country a few weeks and the Japanese don't seem prone towards cat-calling, so someone shouting at me from a car was completely unexpected.
Flower shops are all the rage!
And why wouldn't they be, with adorable offerings like these?
Tempura restaurant~
Just another day in the neighborhood! ^_-
No comments:
Post a Comment