Starbucks and shrines: The old and the new (by Mary)

We woke up on Day 2 at 4:30 a.m. refreshed and ready to go. You read that correctly--at 4:30 a.m., Kara was beside our futon chatting away, singing and asking if we could play cards.  After stalling for 30 minutes (with Kara kneeling next to the futon staring at us), we remembered our old adage "if you can't divert Kara's attention, you might as well join her", and got moving for the day.

By 8 am, we'd had breakfast and hit the streets ready to meet up with High Point University students on the trip Mark's been co-leading. But first....a Starbucks stop for coffee. While not on every corner, we've stumbled upon several and, if one chooses, one can get a tall skim latte with as much ease here as one can at home. (In this case, one is me.)

We saw the room at the ryokan (hotel) where Mark has been staying--beautiful, simple, and very modern with a futon on a tatami matted floor. We met the students, mostly video gaming majors who have come to Japan to experience the mecca of next-generation electronics. During their free time, several students have been tagging along with Mark to experience the neighborhoods of Tokyo, and we were lucky to join them for the day.

Thunder Gate (outer gate)

Sanja Matsua

We're lucky to be here during Sanja Matsua, the "grandest of all Tokyo festivals" according to Lonely Planet. It takes place around the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa--the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo (645 AD), which is dedicated to the bodhisattva of mercy and compassion. Here's a video if you'd like to learn more about Sensoji Temple.

Portable shrine at festival

People come from all over the country to participate, and someone described this celebration as a homecoming of sorts. We joined what appeared to be all 13.2 million residents of Tokyo in the streets, while teams of men and women dressed in Happi (traditional robes for festivals) carried portable shrines representing their neighborhoods. People chanted, laughed, sang, danced and sweated under the weight of the shrines, which are made of gold and other precious gems.

Dancing under weight of shrine

To add to the challenge, small bands of men had the happy task of pushing the shrines backwards to test the resilience

of the teams carrying them. This exercise looked a little bit like a rugby scrum and, as the day wore on, it smelled like a post rugby match celebration as the Kirin (Japanese beer) flowed freely.

Young children participate too

A favorite moment was watching a group of small children carrying a mini-shrine followed by their adoring families who captured every minute of it with their phones. Maybe we're not so different after all.

While it seemed like we saw hundreds of shrines, we now think only a few dozen made it into the parade, but that they kept popping up in impromptu parades throughout the day. (See above mention of Kirin for proof of hypothesis.)

Stalls outside the temple

We looked at the stalls for a bit, then found a beautiful nook with a permanent shrine. It was peaceful, cool, and quiet--a welcome break from the crowds. I learned (the hard way) about the purification ritual that's required at shrines, a story for another time to be posted under "mistakes, learnings, and cultural faux pas." While not an international incident, it did remind me that reading the guidebook--and paying close attention to others who go before me--are both valid ideas while navigating a culture different than my own.

Permanent shrine 

After lunch of salted pork on a stick, noodles and tempura, we took the train to Sumida. The kids had fun playing in a nearby park, and we took a little break from walking. The park had a mirror much like "the bean" in Chicago, where we took our first family selfie with the Tokyo Sky Tree in the background. This broadcasting center, observation tower and restaurant opened in 2010 and is the tallest structure in Japan.

We met back up with the rest of the students, watched a little Sumo on television (we're obsessed), and headed out to dinner. Exhausted, we grabbed takeout of noodles, rice cakes, and fruit. Back to the apartment for dinner, a soak in the tub (for Kara), and to bed to prepare for Day 3.

It was a day of old and new--from a temple built in 650 AD and ancient purification rituals, to Starbucks and a tower built in 2010 for better cell phone reception. Overall, a great welcome to what we anticipate experiencing in Japan.

Family selfie at park near Tokyo Sky Tree