Yasakuni Shrine

Today is Thursday which means typically Nena comes and I head to Japanese class, only our Japanese class has been canceled until the beginning of September. For some reason, lots of things simply shut down here during the month of August, so rather than go to class I opted to do some sightseeing with my classmate and without Miyako. Yes, Nena still came today, and I went out with only one thing in my hand - a purse! Well, and an umbrella because it was raining, but I felt so light and carefree not pushing a stroller, carrying a purse and diaper bag, or watching my feet as I walk waiting for a doll baby or book to accidentally fall to the sidewalk. Miyako LOVES Nena now so I knew I left her in good hands, and I got to have some adult talk with a girlfriend and enjoy some sightseeing without a baby. It was fun!

We went to Yasakuni Shrine, which is a Shinto shrine dedicated to war heroes. It was built to commemorate and worship those who had sacrificed their lives in duty to their country. The meaning of Yasakuni means "peaceful country." In spite of the light rain, we enjoyed feeding fish in a small pond. Notice in the picture how they swarm for the food. I felt a little bit bad for the smaller fish as the larger fish would not let them get anywhere near the food.

After visiting this shrine we walked to a nearby park called Kintanomaru Park where we stumbled upon a craft gallery show casing an exhibit about "colors" which featured beautiful pieces of artwork with color themes. My favorite room was the blue room, and not because I am a UK fan (GO BIG BLUE), but because the blues used in the artwork were stunning. Definitely not a kid friendly place, so I was thankful that Miyako was happily playing with Nena while I was touring an art exhibit. This park also served as the location for the Science Museum, maybe a fun place to visit when Miyako is a bit older. And this my friends, is what I love about being in a big city like Tokyo... lots of culture, museums, art work, parks, and other cool things to expose your children to. Of course, my child was not with me today. However, as we walked through the white room I saw a mom with two little girls doing a school type project and checking out the art work, and I thought to myself "what a great gift to give your kids and expose them to things such as art." The little girls seemed to really be enjoying themselves as they quietly walked through the exhibit with pencil and paper in hand checking off whatever it was they saw in the art pieces.

So next week, no class again! What will my classmate and I get into next? Stay tuned!