Me, and TWO MILLION of my close personal friends...

Happy Japanese New Year!The view up ahead near the beginning.
Getting closer!

New Year's Day in Japan. The girls and I decided to visit Asakusa Shrine TODAY OF ALL DAYS. It seemed like every other citizen of Tokyo was there too. When we came up out of the subway, we saw the end of a great line forming in the streets. We jumped into the line and thought, why not? Let's give it 20 minutes. One hour and 45 minutes later, we had shuffled our way up the street, around the corner and down the grand walk way towards the main building. We were in a sea of Japanese heads, moving, flowing, being pulled on and on, starting and stopping along with thousands and thousands of others. Along the way, there were shops selling charms, fans, new year's thingies, food, yukatas, Japanese novelty wigs (I gotta get one!), purses, coats, snacks, sweets, stuffed animals...it was never boring. We'd duck into a store briefly, and then merge back into the shuffling crowd. About 3/4 of the way there, they started piping soothing traditional music over the throng. It was definitely a memorable cultural experience. Once we were at the steps, the police with their many bull-horns directed us in smaller groups up the stairs, into the open room where people were literally THROWING their yen over each other's heads into the collection boxes. I am sure many little old ladies got hit in the head with 100 yen coins today. We exited left, and wandered on our way, glad for the chance to walk a little more briskly. I found a couple of gifts in a shop that sells china and glass ware of all kinds, Betty found a spoon today, and Sandra got some hashi (chopsticks). It was a very cool Japanese New Year kind of day.



We are back home now, cleaning up from supper.



Here's a conversation I just heard between Claire and Betty, started by me:



Alice: (ever the gracious hostess) Please let me know when you need clean towels.



Claire: My towel's always wet.



Alice: It's very damp here. Remember, you are on an island in the Pacific.



Betty: If you hung your towel up on the rack, it would dry.



Claire: I DO.



Betty: There are only 2 towels on the rack, mine and Sandra's.



Claire: I'm using the green one.



Betty: But that's MY towel! I wondered why my towel was always wet!!!



(This conversation was followed by very un-Japanese-like open-mouthed belly laughter)