Day 4: Harajuku, Part Three

     We were doing fine out there on the streets of Harajuku. Seeing the sites, living the life. Then something happened. Maybe I missed it.  Between the adorable dogs and frilly costumes and the Obama Balloon Artists, a man's attention can wander. It didn't matter. It happened, and by the time I found out it was too late. I was already at the hotel, downstairs in the lobby to get a newspaper. When I came back, this is what I found:

     The Madness grips us all. The Madness. Grips us all.*

     *Previous sentence to be read in the Martin Sheen Apocalypse Now voice. For added emphasis/enjoyment, read the sentence aloud in said voice, then, when finished, karate punch the nearest mirror and stare at your bloody hand. Friends/Lovers/Co-workers will find this charming.

     It wasn't always bunny-hoodies and hoppy jumps. Oh no. Here's how we ended the Harajuku visit.

    

 

     The park in Harajuku is connected to the neighborhood by the Jingu Bridge, which is where you see all the lovely costumed folks gathered. It is home to the Meiji Shrine, a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of the Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken, who died in the early 20th century. This giant wooden structure that serves as a sort of gateway into the park, is called a torii.

    

      This shot is to provide a sense of how big these things are, and also to prove that not all of the shirts I own have comic book characters on them.

     

     Once inside the park, you follow a gravel path to the shrine itself. With the other parks and shrines, they were open enough that you could at least catch glimpses of the skyline or nearby buildings. Not so here. The trees form a canopy that completely blocks any trace of the surrounding city. No buildings. No trains. Most surprising, no noise. It's incredible. 

     

 

 

 

     From future-modern urban landscape to pre-industrial forest within the span of a 100 feet. The design of the city is a marvel.

     Barrels of sake.

     And French wine. All to consecrate the shrine. I like your style, Tokyo.

     This is the torii that serves as the gate to the main shrine. It is the largest in all of Japan.

 

     The entrance to the shrine.

     And the interior, courtyard.

      

 

     These are the steps we were standing on when we took the pictures of the courtyard.

     

     Prayers and blessings, written on blocks of wood called votives. 

     Priests hard at work.

   

      Wedding Processional. Or the most formal group of cosplay participants on Earth. You never know in Harajuku.

    Courtyard under cloud-cover. 

     With the sun creeping lower, we decided it was time to leave.

      We followed the path out and made our way back to the Metro to get to the hotel and prepare for the evening. Little did I know this would be waiting. 

     My God.

     [Punches mirror]