Free Day- Since I missed a few things I took this opportunity to see Odaiba. The most amazing things were the modernization, view, and the Gundamwing robot. There was a statue of liberty. This is so ironic because I have not seen the one in the United States yet. There were lots of modern architecture and a beautiful view of the harbor and one of the main bridges. By far, the coolest thing was the Gundamwing robot. It was magnificently huge and so life like. I have seen the television show but never imagined to see a robot of this magnitude. I was lucky enough to watch the robot move, light up, and emit smoke.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine- Last stop is this shrine of the infamous sacred "Inuyasha" tree. There is actually no truth to that. It is actually the site where a powerful Shogun was assassinated on the steps. The first picture to the left is where they age and bless the sake for a year and then drink on New Year's Day. The picture below are the actual steps where the assassination took place and the sacred tree that supposedly holds a god inside.

This is outside the temple. The picture on the right is a view walking into the main area of the shrine and the picture below is from across the streets before you meet the bridge over the lucky lotus plants.

Hase Kannon Temple- The next stop is the Hase Kannon Temple. As soon as you walk in there are ponds and greenery everywhere. It really is a peaceful place and a step into the past. In this temple there was a fortune box where you pay 100 yen and pick a fortune. Your luck can range from very bad luck to super good luck. The interesting thing is that if you get bad luck there is a way rid yourself of it. You fold and tie the paper to this stand so that the paper keeps the bad luck. At the end of the day the temple then burns the fortunes. As you venture up, you see the 1,ooo Buddhas for the deceased. All around there are little statues for the children who have passed. There are places where you can light a candle and place it on a stand. There was also a cave that I walked through. In the walls, there were carvings and also places to light candles. In one part of the cave, there were tiny little white buddha figurines for visitors to place around a carved buddha (second picture from the top). From the top of the temple grounds, you can see a fabulous view of the beach. On this particular day, even from miles away, you can see the hords of people having fun in the sun.

July 20,2009- Today we are temple hopping. The first stop was the Great Buddha at Kotokuin Temple. The story behind this Buddha is quite amazing. It has been there for many years. There used to be a building over it until a tsunami hit. Amazingly the Buddha survived while the building washed away. The environment was very tranquil and peaceful. I especially enjoyed taking a peak inside the Buddha which is hallow. Behind the Buddha, there was a zen-like garden you could walk around or sit and enjoy an ice cream.

This is Hachiko, the faithful dog who waited for his master.
Shibuya- After a relaxing haircut it is time to do some shopping in Shibuya. There were many people and shops to see. The department stores are not like the ones we have here in Hawaii. The shops are many floors high. Getting around in this town wasn't as relaxing. There was literally a wall of people especially when crossing the street.

The wall of people in Shibuya

After walking around for a bit, we met up at the Hachiko statue. It is such an appropriate place to wait. Hachiko waited for his master to return everyday. Each day his master would come back from work and met Hachiko. Until one day, Hachiko's master died at work. As faithful as Hachiko was, he waited day in and day out for his loving master to return. The village people felt sorry for the dog and fed him until he finally passed on. Now in Shibuya there is a large waiting area with benches and shade around a statue of Hachiko.

July 19, 2009- Here we are in outer Harajuku at Earth salon and make up. Today, we get haircuts. It was a very good experience. While getting my hair washed, the staff put a towel over my lap to keep me warm and dry. A piece of tissue paper was placed over my eyes while I received a scalp massage and wash. It was so relaxing, I almost fell asleep. At first I was apprehensive about getting my hair cut in a foreign country until I found out how rigorous their training is. They start off as assistants who sweep and then practice on wigs. Then they move to cutting hair and only become true stylists when their mentors deem them so. This could take more than 2 years. It was apparent that the staff had different levels of stylists. One washed my hair. Another cut my hair with scissors not a razor. The first person came back to blow dry and the one who cut my hair styled it. The great customer service was appreciated. I like how they placed my bag in a locker and were so friendly.

July 16, 2009- First thing in the morning, we take a trip to Tokyo waterfronts. The three pictures below are from the Tsukiji Fish Market. The warehouse alone is huge. There were every kind of seafood you could think of at this market. It is amazing on how fresh everything was. One of the most challenging things was getting there in one piece. There were so many motorized transporter vehicles that the merchants used to move items around. You had to be quick on your feet and paying attention or you would very likely get run over.


Not only was there fresh seafood but market stalls as well. The big thing is to get in line early enough for the best and freshest sushi. However, I don't like seafood so I opted for some shopping. There were a lot of stalls selling anything from food, kitchen supplies, souvenirs, etc. One thing I found interesting was the fisherman's shrine. It was a little place where your walk up and cleanse your hands before placing money in a wooden box for luck and good blessings.