Japanese Tea Ceremony - Early April

I was very privileged to be the guest of Rumiko, a new  acquaintance of ours through Ed's co-worker Danny, for a Japanese Tea Ceremony.  I truly felt like I was in a movie lost in a totally enchanted day. We went to a place called Happo-en.  It host wedding, it has restaurants, it maybe a hotel, as well.  It has a beautiful garden and couples come to take their wedding pictures.  There is a large pond and on one side of the pond is a small 150 year old building where the private tea ceremonies are held.

Couple in their traditional Japanese wedding clothes.  There were at least fifteen couples there that day having their pictures taken.   Some were in western type gowns.  Rumiko said that the bride usual changes her outfit three times during the ceremony.

 Rumiko and Myra on our way through the garden to the Tea Ceremony. It was a windy day.

The large carp in the water and the walk way to the Tea House.

A small building for resting and viewing the pond and the garden.

A view of the building from across the pond.

The Tea House.  Before entering the tea house, we had to squat at a small bamboo spout with fresh water falling on stones to wash our hands.  We had to wash them the same way you wash your hands before entering a temple.  You take the ladle in your right hand and rinse your left hand and then you rinse your right hand then you put a small amount of water in your left hand and rinse your mouth.  You then hold the cup of the ladle up to rinse the handle and then place it on it's stand.

The small try in front of me contains a small sweet in the shape of a cherry blossom and a small cake.  The tea contains no sugar so the sweets are served to balance the bitterness of the tea.

The bowl you see in the picture was my cup of tea. You take the bowl with your right hand and put it on your left palm and hold it on the side with your right hand.  You raise it a little to show your appreciation.  You can see a picture on your bowl which is regarded as the most important part.  It is important not to drink from this part.  You turn the bowl 90 degrees clockwise from the picture. You take only one sip at first.  You comment on how good you think the tea is.  Rumiko said that it was okay to use the word, "okay" when commenting on the tea because in Japanese okay has many different meaning.  Then, you drink the rest of your tea. I was served my tea first because I was the important guest of the day.  You then wipe the part of the bowl you touched with your lips with two fingers from left to right.  You then wipe your fingers with the paper napkin.  If you do not eat all of your cake you place it in the napkin and put in in your purse.  It is polite to eat all of the cake.  I saved a piece of the cake so Ed could have a taste.  You then turn the bowl 90 degrees counter clockwise.  At this point you admire the bowl by turning it and looking at it from different angles.  You look at the picture on the side, and notice the shape and color of the bowl and the trade mark on the bowl.  Next, you turn the bowl 180 degrees clockwise. You then put the bowl back on the table in front of you with the picture facing you to show that you are finished with the tea.

After we finished our first bowl of tea we were served a second bowl of tea.  The small dishes in front of us contained the sweets we ate before drinking the tea. I saved a part of the sweet for Ed to taste.  We were also instructed to put the bowl on the mat and then bend forward and look at the bowl from both sides and then turn it upside down to look at the workmen ship and to look for the trade mark before putting the bowl in front of us with the picture facing us to show that we were finished with the tea.

The view of the garden  from the tea house.

After the Tea Ceremony we went to lunch.  We sat at a window seat. This was our view of the garden.

We started lunch at 1:30 p.m. and lunch lasted till 4:00 p.m.  We had a special set menu just for Sakura, Cherry Blossom.  We had at least six different dishes. I did not think of taking pictures till the last two courses.

Another view of the garden. It was truly a magical day.

Cherry Blossoms and Spring Flowers

Sakura, Cherry Blossoms, time is one of the most awaited and popular seasons in Japan.  People follow the Sakura as it moves across Japan.  The season was a bit late this year and of course the usual grand company parties, if held, and festivities were a lot smaller this year out of respect for the losses because of the big earthquake on March 11th.

 Ed, Linda, Ed's co-worker, and I were on a walk to the next neighborhood from ours.  This is a small temple on the way we came across. We just had to take a picture with the tree full of blossoms.

If you receive a bad fortune you tie it on one of the lines and pray that it goes away.  This was another temple along our walk.

These Cherry Blossoms are in a small park on our walk home from church. This was when the blossoms were just getting started.

This is right outside of the building where I go for exercise classes.  The area is called Ark Hills.

The tress line the street.  People just stop their cars and get out and take pictures.

When I got home that day after exercise, I went up to our roof top garden to take pictures of the trees that line the streets where we live.

This is the view from the roof top of our building.

This view is from the cross walk that connects us to Mori Towers a major building filled with restaurants, shops, post office, museum, clinics, and offices.  I am sure it is at least fifty stores tall.

This is a view from the cross walk in the other direction.  The blossoms are hiding the children's playground to the left. Parents are always there with their children when I pass on my way to the bakery  (which is very near by) or to catch the bus for exercise class.  Actually, the cross walk is our gate way to a lot of places.

Asakusa

We actually went to Asakusa at the end of February before our Special date and the Earthquake.  I just got a little out of order.

In the background is the another Tokyo Tower they are building.  It is going to be a lot taller than the old one which is walking distance from our apartment.

Asakusa is a district in Tokyo.  It is a temple town, which flourished during the Edo period (1603-1868).

The Kaminarimon "Thunder Gate" is the outer of two large entrance gates that ultimately leads to the Senso-ji (the inner being the Hozomon).  This is the oldest temple in Tokyo.

 

Before we were able to enter the gate, two University students approached us and asked if they could be our guides while visiting the temple so that they could practice their English. The girl's name is Ruiko Oka. We have emailed each other since with pictures and to check to see that we were okay after the Earthquake.  The word on the large lantern says "Welcome".

When approaching the temple, visitors first enter through the Kaminarimon, "Thunder Gate", the outer gate of the Senso-ji a symbol of Asakusa.  A shopping street of over 600 feet, called Nakamise Dori, leads from the outer gate to the temple's second gate, the Hozomon.  Besides typical Japanese souvenirs such as yukata, casual summer kimonos, and folding fans various traditional local snacks are sold.  The shops line both sides of the street leading up to the temple.

Entering the second gate to the temple.

On this wall are hundreds of small drawers. Each one contains a fortune. You first shake a canister, which contains many sticks that each has a number on them. You shake one stick out of the small opening which has your number and you open the corresponding drawer and you receive your fortune.

 My number was 37 and my fortune was:

*The direction is clouded so thick that east or west are not seen. Though you want to be famous in career, a chance doesn't come yet.

*You should wait for a chance with patience until the time comes. Just like to hunt 2 geese with one arrow, you can get eouole happiness.

* Your request will not be granted. * The patient get well but takes long. * The lost article will be found late.* The person you wait for will come but late. * Building a new house removal are both well. * To start a trip is well, with no harm. * Marriage and employment will be well at last.

Before you enter the temple, you must wash your hands and rinse your mouth.  You take the ladle in your right hand and rinse your left hand and then you switch and rinse your right hand.  You then put a small amount of water in your left hand and rinse your mouth. You then raise the bowl of the ladle and let the water run down the handle and place it back on the stand.

                                      Our guides with Ed saying good-bye to us after our tour was finished.

                                            A view from inside the temple looking back.

                               Five story Pagoda on the grounds of the temple.

 

Ed and the Buddha

We did not get to stop at the shops on the way in so we checked them out on the way out. 

Myra checking out the yukatas ( casual summer kimonos).

These statues of cats are in all the shops and business. If the right hand is raised up, it is a sign of welcoming good business and good fortune.  If the left hand is up, it is a sign of welcome, good luck and happiness.  We got one with the left hand up.

Along the street that leads to the temple there is the Kamiya Bar.  It has been there since the late 1800's.  They produce their own wine, sake, and shoju ( very strong sake).  We , of course, bought one of each.

Special Date

The first week end in March Ed took me on a Big Surprise date.  It was a big surprise for me and it was heaven for Ed. We went to see the Eagles in live concert.  Ed loves the Eagles.  We missed them when they were in New Orleans so Ed was over the moon when he found out they were coming to Tokyo.  They were wonderful. They put on a really great show. 

Ed, Myra, and Danny, Ed's co-worker originally from Bunkie, Louisiana.

 After the concert, we went for a very nice dinner at a restaurant on the 43rd floor.

As you all know March 11, 2011 was the Earthquake.  This is the email I sent out to everyone that evening.
First let me say we are okay.
I was out this afternoon meeting a lady from our church.  We were in a Starbucks in Midtown, Tokyo having tea.  The building was really shaking and everyone got under the available tables.  It lasted for a long time.  Frances, the lady  I was with, has lived here four different times for about 19 years total and she said this is the worst she has ever felt.  She has never seen the Japanese get emotional as one of the workers did.  They had to escort her to the back of the shop.  Everything calmed down and then a second shock came through and the workers at Starbucks had us evacuate the shop.  The emergency personnel directed us to a large park that had a large open space.  They were evacuating the business from this building.  There was an Englishman there and he had been on the 44th floor.  He said the building was really swaying.   He was visibly shaken.  Frances and I walked to our church which was near by there.  We had to use the restroom.  They had book shelves that had fallen over and a statue which had fallen and some plants knocked over.  I tried calling Ed but could not get thorough so I sent him a text which I could not figure out the space bar so the words were all ran together.  The subways were not running so Frances was going to walk home.  She would have normally taken a subway.  I walked home because that was what I was going to do anyway.  It was only a fifteen minute walk home for me.  I even stopped and bought wine on the way home.  I did come in the front entrance just to check if there was any problems.  The electricity was out and the elevators were not working so I had to walk up five flights of stairs.  There was sheet rock on the stair ways.  I guess from when the building was shaking.  A picture frame and a phone was on the floor and a wine glass fell off the dish rack an broke but that was all the damage.  The sliding glass door to the office was opened which was strange.  I tried calling Ed from the land line but all the phones were not working the system was too busy.

Then Dinah called me on our home phone and she was watching it all on the news.  She was quite upset.  I could connect to the Internet with the sling box so I was able to see the news with Dinah.  We talked for a very long time while I looked for a flash light and the earthquake kit that the apartment management issued to us.  I found out the electricity was on.  I tried getting in touch with Ed and sending text but the circuits were still busy. Ed finally got through.  He was walking home, he and several co-workers and hundreds and hundreds of other people.  They tried renting a car but the computers were down and none of the taxis wanted to take them to Roppongi which is where we live, a suburb of Tokyo.  So, poor Ed is walking over 15 miles home.  I think once he gets closer to Tokyo or in Tokyo he will be able to get a taxi.

We are fine.  I am safe in our apartment and Ed is on his way home.  We have had two after shocks since i have been home, mild ones.

It took Ed five hours to walk home. He was in such a state but just happy to get back home and to know that I was safe.

Welcome Dinner

Ed's team decided to have a "Welcome to the Family Dinner", to welcome me back any excuse for a get together or Team Building, as they like to say. I am always up for the outing. We went to a Hokkaido Restaurant in Kawasaki, Yokohama.

We were on the 23rd floor.   It was a great view.

They are noted for their crab.  You order the dishes with this electronic pad. Danny, one of the team originally from Bunkie, Louisiana,  just keep ordering and ordering and the dishes just kept coming

Ed and I were busy peeling crab. Moses, from Malaysia, is making a toast with Saki.  Linda sitting next to Ed is originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana. The girl in front is the wife of Suresh, from India. Sorry, I can't remember her name. She is having a baby in April. The other team members are one from India, also and Australia.

Tokyo Diva Group

I returned to Tokyo in February and got in touch with my Tokyo Diva Group.  There are four of us just now.  We are all Exxon wives and we get together once a month for lunch and an outing. I was still and for the most part I am still uneasy about traveling on the trains and subways by myself.  I am afraid I will get lost since I am directionally dysfunctional. Zana meet me at my station and she traveled back with me to make sure I got home okay.  I was late getting home or should I say Ed was early getting home and already in a panic because I was late and he thought I was lost.  The cell phone was not ringing in my pocket or I didn't hear it.  We were joining a co-worker for dinner and he was just about to walk out the door to let them know I was lost and he was going in search of me.  He was writing a note when I walked in the door.

The statue of the dog is the Hachiko. It is a statue of the dog who would follow his master to the train station everyday he went to work and just sit and wait for him till he returned. His master died suddenly but the dog continued to go to the station and wait everyday and then he just stayed at the station waiting until he, the dog, died. They made a movie of the story with Richard Gere.  I had just seen the movie when I was home.

The crazy smile comes from me saying "whiskey" to help me smile instead of saying cheese.