A Tokyo Weekend
After a very busy first week in Japan, students were finally feeling less jet-lagged and ready to venture out on their own to see and experience many of the different areas of the city.
Some travelled by foot while others went by bus or train
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On Saturday some of the students chose to go as a group to observe a local neighborhood matsuri (festival). They went to a Shinto shrine where they witnessed the annual ritual of transporting the shrine's kami or god in a palanquin around the neighborhood. First they observed a blessing by the Shinto priest.
After the blessing a large group of men lifted the palanquin on their shoulders and proceeded to slowly shuffle their way out of the temple groups and onto a sort of parade route throughout the neighborhood.
Meanwhile students enjoyed trying some of the festival food and taking in the local neighborhood scene
On Monday morning students met in a new classroom with the Tokyo skyline out the window.
Temperatures continue to be quite pleasant with sunny to partly cloudy days in the 70's to mid 80's. The Olympic Village is a lovely respite from the city. This view, taken from one of the tall skyscrapers in Shinjuku, shows just how large the Yoyogi Park that surrounds the Olympic Village is.The pink buildings in the lower right are where we are staying.
