There was very little to actually 'do' in my area, with the exception of food. Food was everywhere. These people do not like to go hungry. And I can't forget the vending machines. There were so...many...vending machines. It was glorious.
As I was strolling along a main road, I suddenly found myself within a crowd; I adjusted my pace to maintain a steady motion within this sea of suits and dresses. Just for a moment, it felt like I belonged. Like that was my city.
Eventually, I found my way back to the Sotetsu Fresa and we all decided it was Meiji day. The Meiji shrine would bring a whole new sense of calm. A giant forest in the middle of the vast city. The weather was perfect, just crisp enough that it gave the long walk an ethereal feeling. My body was numb from the cold, but it felt glorious.
I walked through the gardens, filling my lungs with fresh air, taking in all the trees and plants, the bit of sunshine on my face, and bitter cold against my nose, lips, cheeks. At one point, I lost myself in those gardens. For a minute it felt like I wasn't really there, like I was moving along with the trees, the light wind that had picked up, like every molecule/atom of my body was touching everything around me. I stayed in that state for quite some time, until something drew me back.
When we finally reached the shrine, I was surprised at how busy it had become. The gardens leading up to this space were relatively quiet. In spite of many people, it seemed like the trees muffled much of the sound. The shrine, however, was full of laughter, from children and tourists, clicking of cameras, and other raucous.
I stayed for a while, watching an old man as he made his offering and stood in silence for quite some time. His ritual was so much more affecting than that of the young. The children seemed to perform this offering out of habit and necessity; I didn't feel the same level of concern, as this old man had shown. It was beautiful to observe. I wanted to talk to him, to hear his thoughts. What was he saying to the Meiji, if anything at all, in that moment? Was his mind simply quiet? Perhaps he took that moment to meditate. This was indeed a wonderful place to observe human interaction and to see the different styles of performing old traditions. I didn't partake, as it felt rude. This is not my place, I thought. I should just watch.
The park leading after the shrine, Yoyogi Park, was quite beautiful. A perfect area for lovers and families to sit in the sun and picnic. I'd like to go back there and do just that. Someday.
We gathered ourselves and left the park, heading for food or whatever we might find. It took some time, and after being turned away from at least one restaurant (we were too foreign), we finally came to one of the most amazing restaurants I've ever had the pleasure of dining at (Hana no Mai). Thank you to my sweet, for finding this treasure. The food was orgasmic, sushi that melted like butter, and an omelette we had to get two of; and of course, good drink. Our server spoke a bit of English, and was very hospitable. I highly recommend to anyone that ventures near the Meiji Shrine to find Hana no Mai.
This was a great prequel to the Robot Restaurant show, which was utterly fantastic. A much worthy show to take in, whenever you are in Tokyo. The staff are lovely, the costumes and robots are absolutely astounding; how they manage to fit in such a small space, I have no idea. Major kudos to the controllers of the robots.
It was such a fun packed day, and with so much to take in and see. We fortunately decided to sleep in a bit the following morning. I had no idea that I was going to find my home away from home in Odaiba. Oh Odaiba, how I miss you.
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