Graduating Japan

The young ones opt to stay behind this morning while Laura escorts my mom and I to visit her favorite places near Mejiro Station where she lived for a time.

Wise choices

Laura is sure we’ll love one of her old haunts, AntenDo Bakery. I don’t know if it’s Japanese or just big city better options but the pastries everywhere have been super.

Koi contemplation

With pastries and coffee in hand, we follow an alley a short way to Mejiro Garden. Seeing Laura gaze into its central koi pond is a connection across time to teenage Laura carefully hand feeding koi in our Boise backyard pond.

“The rain is really perfect,” I suggest. “The colors are vibrant and it smells so nice.” It’s likely kept other visitors away, Laura adds, leaving us to quietude.

While Laura sits in contemplation, my mom and I slowly explore. It really is a delight to pause and absorb each tiny landscape (coffee in hand).

I’ve been curious about the absence of electric scooters around these small Tokyo streets where it seems they’d be perfect. They do exist, I see.

We return to our hotel and team up for the next big adventure near Harajuku Station.

With space at a premium, even minor Tokyo stores seem to have three to five floors.

Geta

There is plenty to see along the touristy Takeshita Street. Traditional Japanese shoes, geta, are basically platforms on wood blocks. They’ve been found in excavations dated to 5,000 years ago, and now look like this.

A kind of enthusiasm

It isn’t obvious where amidst the crowded retailers along Takeshita to enter to find the kimono rental shop. Finally Laura finds it and we, like butterflies, undergo a transformation.

From crowded Takeshita Street, we cross into the sacred forest of Meiji Jingu and follow shadowed paths inward toward the shrine.

Cultural appropriation

I think my mom looks quite regal.

Brenna and Hunter make sport of causing Laura consternation. Brenna feigns (I hope) contempt for local customs. Hunter threatens to cause disturbances. Family love.

We each have in mind a few items we’d like to find for those back home. One thing on my list is Kirby stuff for Jonah.

After returning our kimonos and changing back into civilian clothes, some of us take the train to the next stop, Shibuya, to visit the official Nintendo store to find Kirby.

Hunter wanted to experience Shibuya Crossing here, a Tokyo icon. Umbrellas out creates an extra dimension, the need to tilt, lift and lower while also weaving among the throng. It’s a little bit fun.

A guy standing near a quintessential Tokyo drift car catches Hunter’s eye and the two chat. The guy offers a ride but Hunter recognizes this is more likely a financial than new-friend situation, and declines.

I actually expected he would accept and be lost to Tokyo.

Well Kirby, here we come.