Relaxing Travel

I'm not quite sure where I went with my host parents this time but we got off at 御茶ノ水 (ochanomizu) and this was where the elite class mainly the samurai class under the bakufu studied Confucianism when it was still pretty big in Japan. (The highlight of one of my classes was when the professor described how there's still a building left in Tokyo and I had already seen what he was talking about!)



The entrance way.


Statue of Confucius (and according to my professor, possibly the largest one of him in the world?)


A close up.


My host mom said these were the leaves for Japanese tea/Green tea!


The main building.



Confucian relics and.. things...


Tags with wishes/hopes/お願い's left by people who visit.


In case of fire... The round thing on the basin thing is the crest of the Tokugawa family according to my Host dad and if I remember correctly that is..


Entrance to the Kanda Myoujin Shrine.


Following my host parents in.


We had to wash our hands first- something about being clean/cleansed before entering further into the shrine.


Baby tradition- perhaps just a couple of months old? The baby is clothed in something like a kimono with extra long sleeves. My host mom has a picture of her holding her grandson too!


Interesting statue.


There was a wedding going on in the main building!! Shrine visitors would come up to the entrance and do their thing regardless though.. The box in the front is where you put in some coins and stuff but the coins would clunk on several things before falling to the bottom.. and I felt kind of bad taking this picture but.. oh well.


One of those dog statues that stand on each side to protect the building/whatever is behind it. This one had its mouth open and apparently the pair are call "a-un" dogs, one saying "Ah" and the other "Un," sort of like in response.


The portable shrine that is carried around on certain festivals.


You could Almost miss the shrine entirely...


Ochanomizu JR train station with Marunouchi line trains passing below. Following the water leads to Akihabara (the main electronics district in Tokyo).


This is 明治大学 Meiji University. Can you imagine going to a school in a building with so many floors?? It looks like a hotel!


A quaint and quite missable cafe in 神保町 Jimbocho, a place known for tons of new and used book stores near Ochanomizu. It's really a shame that I still can hardly read Japanese with all its Chinese characters... otherwise I think I would have enjoyed this place a lot more.
The cafe though is one that my host parents frequent when they are in the area. I thought it was quite romantic to picture the two of them going to this cafe together often and sipping coffee...


With brick floors and tango music playing on a record player in the background, a slanted roof and wooden pillars in the midst of the room... it was quite relaxing and had non-Tokyo/Japan feeling.

以上です!