All Our Bags Are Packed!

                                 Japan Blog # 4 - Shimizu

On the surface, this looked like a "normal" dock where the ship would tie up. Not the case. There were scores of "greeters" waiting to offer any assistance necessary and for some reason, they were playing "Fly me to the moon" over and over and over.

We took a cable car to Tokugawa's burial place - a special shrine located high in the mountains.

This poster is advertising a TV series depicting the life of Tokugawa.


 Vending machine art: This may be what Tokugawa really looked

like...

                     Or, perhaps this version of Tokugawa

Fortune telling: For seventy cents, people buy a piece of paper that forecasts the future

Or, for additional cost, it's possible to get a more elaborate version of a future prediction.

Reaching Tokugawa's burial place at a Shinto shrine requires navigating multiple levels with a large quantity of irregular steps.

               A place to rest before we climb to the next level

Shinto observers walk through the Torii gates as a process to leave the "ilk's" of life for a better place.

                                    Made it to the first level

Many visitors climb these stairs to the top in order to pray for something important. Washing hands is the first step to praying

Clapping hands twice and bowing is also part of the ritual                  


                       A very solemn moment

                                                More steps

                                            Almost there...

                                         Many of the shrines...


                                             are spectacular


                                 Halfway to the top

                                         We made it! Colorful design

Jerry used a hiking stick to help navigate the steps. When it was time to get back onto the gondola and head back to the bus, these "older" men took pity on Jerry and offered their seats to him and me. Then, one of the men looked at what type of hiking stick Jerry was using for the stairs and laughed. The man was amused at the shortness of his cane and the length of Jerry's walking stick. Everyone had a good laugh!

    The Tokugawa era is well known for the Samurai

Today, the samurai is depicted in a variety of movies, cartoons and other media.


Several years ago Tom Cruise played a roll in a Hollywood movie dealing with the last samurai.

Over the years, Japanese artisans depicted samurai using different techniques

Jerry actually designed a series of samurai/karate drawings similar to this one. Unfortunately, they were stolen.

Samurai learned their sword fighting skills beginning as a small child. The best swords in the world were forged in Japan.

The samurai is no more. But, myths, legends and history remain.

                                    Jerry loves samurai movies

                            Arlene does not like samurai movies. 

However, during the dating years and early marriage, she suffered and went with Jerry to see the these sword-fighting cinema adventures.

                    Nature and beauty is throughout Japan

Arlene asks, "Jerry, do you want to climb that tower? Jerry responds, "Absolutely not!" He didn't realize the tower was part of the tour.

                More school children with identifying caps

                        Find of the day. This is a manhole!