After Hong Kong, we took a 4 hour flight to Tokyo. It was easy to take a train from Narita to our hotel. After muggy Hong Kong, the weather in Tokyo felt divine. The blue skies and sun were a welcome change.
On our first full day, we went to Meiji Shinto Shrine. The grounds are like Central Park - a green oasis in the middle of a big city. But, the grounds here are considered sacred. The forest is less than 100 years old - all the trees were donated to create this space.
There is a ritual of cleansing before entering a shrine. You wash your hands and mouth for purification.
We visited on a Sunday and were thrilled to see baptisms and weddings on the property.
The brides were absolutely stunning.
I would like to know more about the Shinto religion - no founder, no holy book, no conversion - just a value of harmony.
Everyone cleared the way for the procession. I bought a new zoom lens before our trip so I was able to stay out of the way but it made me feel better that the wedding guests were taking photos of all the Shrine visitors too.
I loved the traditional outfits in Japan. I was puzzled by the socks and flip flops until I learned that they have special socks with a space between the big toe and second toe. I loved this shrine and felt so invigorated after walking through the space.
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