The Diaries of Patricia and Tobias April 2, 2019 Senju Tokyo.

FOUR DAYS BEFORE OUR WEDDING.

Alexandra:  “.... how is the weather?”

Toby:  “We have  a bright cerulean sky Shinjuku day with floating pink cherry blossom  petals, a very sunshiney day.  Today’s high will be 53 degrees.  Getting ready for the wedding and loving our Hitching Rides with Buddha time in Shinjuku, Kabuki-cho Tokyo.”

2 pm:  Time to move to the Shin Okubo station, then transfer and exit to Kitasenju Station. Then, a 12 minute walk to Senju Shrine to meet with the Shinto Priest Hisayo who will lead our  Shinto wedding celebration.   In a very warm and welcoming manner, he walks us through the flow of the shinto wedding blessing he will gift us in four days. He's smiling like: "This is the best part of my life!"  

Hisao, our Shinto Priest four days before the wedding.

Hisao, is one of those people who land in a vocation that is perfectly suited to their humanity. 

Later this day, from our Shinjuku Kabuki-cho stay, we walk to Shinjuku City Hall to register our wedding documents. Unexpectedly find ourselves writing our names in Kanji on official Japanese documents. Every day is filled with happy surprises.

Patricia’s Fan fold Temple Book

Toby’s Japan Adventure

Your deep dive adventure today, if you elect to take it, is to find a Shinto Shrine or Buddhist temple near you and buy a Japanese Temple Book ($5-$8). See the three examples above.  Akiko will take you if you’re in Nara, though if you do this on your own, you will likely experience a deeper richer meaning. You will experience it, as did I, with new eyes. 

On Google Maps, enter: Shinto Shrine or Buddhist Temple near me.  

If you’re in Tokyo, Patricia and I will do the introduction. Carry your folding book with you each day in Japan and trust that this will bring a happy serenity into each day that you have it stamped. Through this experience, you will see a part of Japanese cultural history, and a part of our human history, that you never knew existed.  Eager am I to see your favorite entry in your book and listen while you share your story. This beautiful book will become part of your life's book! See you soon.

You will notice in my Temple Book, I’ve noted the location and the name of the temple or shrine visited. Close watch as temple priests brush Kanji into your book, notice their complete focus.  Take their photo, on it you will have a digital GPS tag that will pin your location on your new World Map,. Consider it a record of your life’s pilgrimage. Come by Here for additional details.

Native Americans, as do the Japanese and other ancient cultures speak of the spirits that animate their world, the wind, the water, trees, animals, talking leaves, even glinting stones in mountain streams or pink Sakura petals as they float to earth.  They write of the spirit in everything around us, in the air we breathe, and this is how I’ve come to frame Shinto as a philosophy.

Thousands take their temple books while traveling Japan. I collect the temple stamps and kanji as a new way of seeing the world ... through a pilgrims eyes, an artist’s eyes, new eyes.

Sakura Zensen in Tokyo

The Sakura Zensen has arrived (cherry blossoms) in Tokyo placing the dream of a cherry blossom wedding onto a pink uplifting breeze.

Some of our guests are staying at the APA Shinjuku Kabuki-cho Tower Hotel, which is right across the street from Godzilla, a well known Kabuki-cho landmark. So when you come to Shinjuku for the first time, or if you get lost, just ask for directions back to Godzilla, who lives in Shinjuku Kabuki-cho. 

There are three gates into Shinjuku Kabuki-cho, my favorite is this one which we call 

Godzilla’s Entrance, but all three will get you to the Shinjuku Kabuki-cho Tower Hotel.

Click HERE for 36 of Japan's Most Stunning Places

Near Nagano   

Matsumoto Castle near Nagano

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

In the beginning: Jotaro and Taka Kobayakawa  Nov. 17, 2015

Tip 1 Minimizing Jet Lag April 16, 2018

Tip 2 Japan Rail Pass (perfect for travel beyond Tokyo)

Tip 2 b Shinjuku Station, busiest in the world. 3.5 million passengers each day.

Tip 3 Hitching Rides with Buddha: a great first book to read about Japan.

Tip 4 Pocket WiFi across Japan: access to Google Translate and Maps, texting, email, etc.

Tip 5 Portable charger for you phone and Pocket Wifi

Tip 6 Hotel APA Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower (we regularly use the Tower as our base of operations).

Tip 7 Introduction to Ryokans: Japan’s historical, traditional accommodation.

Tip 8A Miyabidado Takemine Ryokan in Tokyo for our wedding night.

Tip 8B Copious ideas to build your own Japan Itinerary including World Heritage sites.

Tip 9 Tokyo Subway: A wayfinding introduction.

Tip 10 Ghibli Museum: Home of Japan’s greatest director/animator.

Tip 11 Conversion of $ to Yen

Tip 12 Travel Light: Using Roll Aboards and Gadget Bags

Tip 13 Pasmo card for easier Subway use

Tip 14 Japan Rail Pass

Tip 15A Home Stays: the best way to learn about Japan

15B My Friend Yuji Documentary

Tip 16 Kanji: Japanese Writing

Tip 17 Google Maps: A great way to navigate Japan

Tip 18 “Do not hesitate to ask when you need help.

Tip 19 Way Finding in Japan and Restaurant Culture

Tip 20 Temples, Shinto Shrines and Japanese Culture

Tip 21 Using Google Translate to help translate to and from Japanese

Tip 22 Hiroshima:  Peace Park and ringing the Peace Bell

Tip 23A No need for Electrical adaptors for your devices and drinking tap water is very safe in Japan

Tip 24 Akiko and her new Tour Company (highly recommended)

Tip 25 Folding steel for Samurai Swords and bringing home a fine folded steel kitchen knife from Nara

Tip 26 The Great Buddha of Todai-ji 

Tip 27 Miwa Mountain of 1,000 Shrines

Tip 28 The Cherry Blossom Report: Tracking the Sakura Zensen

A few first day phrases.
                             
                             Phonetic pronunciation
Good morning          Ohiogozaimas
Good afternoon        Kon'nichiwa
Good evening           Konbanwa
Excuse me.               Shide shimas   or   Sumimasen
Thank you.                Arigatogozaimas
Where is the toilet?  Toire wa doko deska?

Which way to taxis? Taksi wa dochira no michi deska?

First Kimono

I stopped breathing the first time I saw Patricia in a kimono.










In Asuka Village near Nara, Tanaka-san taught Patricia how to put on a kimono.

On April 6th, I’ll post photos of Patricia in her wedding kimono.