DAY 6

Hm, felt at peace today. Been dreaming about a lot of people, every morning I wake up feeling like I saw some of you! Did yoga, managed to vaccuum, eat miso and tofu, bathe and finish washing all and sundry, then get out after lunch. Walked along Wasada Dori (road) to find the Buddhist temple. I felt courageous and calm, walking with my camera, going into every doorway I could fit into. Taking loads of snaps. Sure there were a few stares, but I felt 'so what, I'll never see them again'. So much to look at. I had joked before leaving that I would be happy to while away time in a carpark in Japan...well that was exactly what I did! I took photos of drains and pipes and signs and windows etc. I feel shy about photographing people.
Saw a big group of women in kimonos walking together somewhere, the kimonos were much plainer and more simple than the ones I see on tv, and I realised this was actually their daily garb. In the West we have such homogenous clothing, I mean, we rarely wear frock coats or knickerbockers for instance, the vast majority of the places I have been to have adopted jeans and tees. ..I am sorry I haven't spent much time in Asia, I have missed out on a whole world of cultural presence.
Needless to say, they were all skinny.
The women here don't seem to bare their midriffs. I have heard that here, the belly is sacred and should be kept covered. Apart from in Harajuku, clothing is quite modest.
I found the temple, took off my shoes and was shown around by a very pleasant man who was struggling so funnily to speak English. He took me to a big room, with Buddha, and we kneeled, he clapped and gonged a bell, then a giant hump of a wooden fish, it was hollow and clopped. I was entranced. There's a cemetery next door and I walked around there as well. People burn whole packets of incense there constantly, and I loved seeing the turd-like ashes on a wire receptacle, all lined up.
On each grave these wooden planks are lined up with characters, many of them sometimes, and of varying ages. I loved seeing them, they are like chopsticks. There was also a pile of them being burnt.
The path was small stones, over very well swept hard brown dirt. It's the first bare earth I have seen yet in Tokyo.
Got some raw fish, made some cucumber salad and had some kimchi and a rice roll, with mango juice. Totally yummy.
I was thinking about what Lisa Kelly said about wanting a breakfast like ones you have at home, indeed I enjoy variety, but I also wanted some plain cereal. Couldn't find any, there were lots of sugary Kelloggs, and porridge full of berries...ended up getting Japanese cornflakes. Seeking muesli!
Tomorrow is my big night out with Sachiko, one of the studio managers, so I doubt I will post.
Tooroo!