While passing through a turbulent and uncertain economy

Today I am little bit out of mood as I could not meet one friend whom I used to talk with at the McDonald outlet. Yesterday also I could not meet him. We are all passing through a turbulent economy, which is overcast by uncertain future. This one is really harder and nobody knows what will be the coming days. It is so uncertain that even companies that performed well in the past are nose diving to declare massive lay offs and job cuts.

My friend from Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany whom I used to meet at the McDonald outlet is an interesting person to talk with on many topics on politics, technology and economics. He has been in Japan for the past 3 years. Since the business has come down and affected the sale of many products from outside Japan, his company is also in trouble.

It is interesting to mention here that I have one more friend from Vienna whom I used to meet at the ‘Makudonarudo’ (McDonald) outlet at Kiba.

Many of the Japanese use the word ‘Shrinking economy’ for the current economic phenomenon. Contraction of the economy another popular word in Japan used for the economic slowdown. My friend from Bamberg has planned for a vacation at the end of this month, but what happened to him today. It is unlikely that he will miss for two consecutive days.

My knowledge about Germany is very limited. He told me that Bamberg is a town area in Bavaria and Bavaria is the largest state in Germany by area. Bavaria is located at the south east of Germany.

He is interested to hear about my place and I will ask him about the places in Germany as if the whole Germany is very small for him to know everything about Germany. Japan’s association with Germany during Second World War is a historic fact, even though not so popularly welcomed publicly by many people.

The juicy chicken setto (Chicken hamburger) or Ebi fileto setto (prawns hamburger) with hoto kohee (hot coffee) is our favorite at McDonald. He also prefers the same. Some days we sit more than one hour with our hoto kohee sharing our ideas on world affairs and recent developments in technology.

If I am correct in hearing from my friend, there is a river named Regnitz. He told in Bamberg smoked beer is famous. It is called Rauchbier in German language. I still keep the tissue paper on which he wrote the spelling in German language.

Economic recession is deepening. I could not meet my friend today at McDonald outlet. I waited there for almost one hour for him sipping the hotto kohee slowly with the hope that the he will come.

I could not see any reduction in sales in terms of number of people at any of the McDonald outlets in Tokyo. This is my personal observation and I am not much sure about the exact number of people visiting each outlet. Before one year and now I could see equal number of people chooses to eat out at McDonald. In fact McDonalds had come down with economic packages like one chicken hamburger set cost 630 Japanese Yen before, is now available for 490 Japanese Yen. This is during 11:30 hours to 13:30 hours. This is the time they get peak business and many Japanese like the McDonald food. These 'stimulus packages' implemented by McDonalds attract more customers even at the time of economic slow down or shrinking economy.

My hotto kohee has cooled down. There is no point in waiting for him today. Economy is uncertain and we don’t know what is there for us tomorrow!

Japanese language friends reunion at Funabashi

There were lots of fun and play when our Japanese classmates met once again for get-together party at Remus’ house. We decided to meet at Funabashi railway station exit before moving together to his apartment. Remus, an Engineer by profession and a prospective young and gentle bachelor from Singapore is one of the few friends I got during my stay at Sakura for training. His Japanese language proficiency is good and he takes care to help friends – one of the rarest human values we slowly miss in the process of modernization and industrialization.

We saw some free medical checkup campaign tent built right at the entrance of the station. One of the volunteers approached us as part of inviting us to have a free medical checkup. The volunteer showed his interest in talking to us. He told, he had a neighbor from India when he lived at Osaka. He was all admiration to the beauty of Indian women! It was interesting to hear his experiences.

We, the Asian friends are from different countries, mostly from ASEAN. Ms Pappathorn Kongkrew from Thailand, Mr. Mohammad Mustain from Indonesia, Mr. Remus Sim Teck Huat from Singapore, Ms. Misaki from Japan, Mr. Wong from Malaysia and Watashi ('watashi' in Japanese means 'I') from India – it was an Asian friends get-together.

Remus had prepared East Asian foods to serve us. Such casual reunion of friends working together brings more excitement and color to the otherwise usual life. Sharing of experiences, communication with different nationalities, ideas on new cultural trends, travel experiences and related friendly activities are signs of healthy interpersonal relationships. I was always fond of such gatherings and longed for more in life, though came rarely.

Language sharing was useful as I learned some new Japanese words and forms of use. While we attended the Japanese class itself, our classroom was one of the lively one with more fun. Cultural information sharing among friends of different nationalities is an appealing way of learning new things in life. The essential criteria is to have friends of almost similar mentality.

One of the lengthy discussion was about the white elephants in Thailand. Ms. Pappathorn told they have white elephants in Thailand. Though I have learned in childhood that the Hindu mythical king Indra possessed white elephant named ‘Airavat’, it all seemed excerpts from Indian fairy tales. She told is a truth and to be frank, it is really a new knowledge for me. She told the elephant is not exactly white, but having grey shades or more like a cream color. Since I have not seen such elephants I can not comment.

My interest in elephants is natural and inborn as I hail from Thrissur in Kerala. Thrissur is place of temple celebrations with decorated elephants. Since my childhood, I can recall, our lives are very much associated with temple celebrations and decorated elephants. My native place, Kerala in India is known for its famous elephant pageant. Many of the stories elders used to tell us were surrounded to temples and elephants.

Possessing a white elephant may seem a metaphor for an encumbrance, a worthless possession. For people at Thailand a white elephant is a highly unusual creature to be venerated. Thai art and handicrafts are flooded with the pictures of elephants.




Ms. Misaki brought strawberries, which we tasted after lunch. Strawberry is called ‘Ichigo’ in Japanese language. Ichigo is one of the first few Japanese words I learned in India before coming to Japan. I loved to snapshots the lovely strawberries to my mobile camera.




It was almost 6’O clock in the evening when we decided to part away. I could not resist asking my friends to gather for a photo so that I can go back to memories of sweet shared moments and ruminate them once in a while. We said good bye to each others and diverted to six different directions along with the sun at the western horizon saying good bye to the earth in the cloudy sky.

BUSHIDO – an expedition to the enigmatic twirls of Japanese psyche

I have been reading through the book Bushido written by Inazo Nitobe. First published in 1900 written originally in English, the author of Bushido was Under Secretary General of the League of Nations.

One of my Japanese friends Mr. Hiranuma Yoshiaki suggested this book for reading, when I expressed my desire to learn more about the history of Japanese culture, mind and behavior. Mr. Yoshi is a nice gentleman working in firm engaged in education planning and research.

I have been almost with full admiration and surprise ever since I heard of Japan and the nature of Japanese people from a friend in my native village who was working with a Japanese bank at New Delhi. It is a coincidence that I got a chance to live in Japan.

My first encounter with a Japanese dates back to 12 April 1996, when I visited UN headquarters at Geneva. I was in Switzerland to visit a fiber optic cable production machine manufacturer at Lousanne, 100 km away from Geneva. The Japanese national was very happy to meet an Asian at Geneva. We became friends easily and talked about the culture and society of India and Japan. She was alone on her travel to Europe. That also excited me as generally even the highly educated Indian women are very conservative in nature and would not dare to explore the world alone.

It all surprised me to think what is special with Japanese people? Who taught them to become self disciplined? Japanese people are so disciplined by themselves that they do not need many of the external policing or separate rules to keep the society and environment clean. Majority of Japanese people are self ruled with high morals. There may be few exceptions as is with every culture and society. But the percentage of good people – that makes the difference to a society.

Majority of the Japanese people are not seriously religious. Religion has taken a third or fourth place to many of the Japanese. God is not a great thing in Japan. Still Japan has the lowest crime rate. Low records of violence. High morals at public places and high levels of self discipline are observed in Japan. Japan prompts to think: Is religion a necessity to make a good society? No! my experience in Japan tempts me to say this.

Coming back to Bushido, the book has good forward by Yoshio Hatano who was former Ambassador to the UN. The book is titled as BUSHIDO – The soul of Japan – An exposition of Japanese thought. My friend recommended a bilingual version of the book. The Japanese translation is done by Tokuhei Suchi.

It is interesting to mention how excited the author himself was when he travelled through the history of Japan and explored fine reasons to justify many of the present day Japanese behavior. Though it may seems his over anxiousness to prove his nation and people extra ordinarily, whoever lived in Japan and have chances to interact with Japanese people can not possess much different concepts as expressed in Bushido.

Woven with the history, psychology, culture and social systems Bushido is more or equally beautiful like a Japanese kimono. If borrowed from Bushido, Japanese psyche is represented by Sakura flowers!

I could complete reading the 299 page book. Now reading it once more gives more insight to minute details of reason. Bushido is interesting and a must read book. I may explore more on the Japanese psyche by reading Bushido once more.

J-pop music performance at Funabashi by MYST

Funabashi is a lively city, which I realized when I used to travel between Sakura and Kiba. Sometimes I get down at Funabashi and change the train to Nishi Funabashi on the way to Kiba.

Today, for purchasing along with a friend from Singapore, we chose Funabashi. From Higashi Ojima I travelled to Motoyawata in Shinjuku line. From there changing to JR Sobu line, reached to Funabashi. I had to wait 5 minutes for my friend. Just coming out of the Funabashi station’s exit, I could see a group of young Japanese men clad in traditional samurai kimono, singing and telling stories in Japanese. At first I could not understand the subject, but the whole scene was interesting as it was very new to me.

The main actor wearing the Samurai cloths had one sword at one side. While telling story he used to take out the sword and flashed for a while on air. It created a scene of Japanese feudal period and I was totally immersed in their activities. The visual images of feudal Japan that I got while reading the book Bushido written by Nitobe Inazo came out to mind again by seeing the group’s acting.

One girl distributed a notice of the event. It is written MYST on the top of the notice which also looked exactly like a Kanji letters. I could take some snaps of them. The main actor turned a singer suddenly. I thought of J-Pop music by hearing his songs.

Probably that was the fusion music. The group wanted to mix the pop music with the traditional Japanese way. It was very nice a samurai turned into a pop singer! The concept is excellent, though some tradition lovers won’t like the idea. I guess (I can only guess at present) the whole show was a promotion of their music CDs.

The whole show evoked feelings of Samurai Japan transforming to a westernized society by absorbing western music and culture in to theirs. This transformation was not a blind mimic of western culture. Japan by absorbing the western styles made their own style suitable to the land of sun and its people. J-pop is the best example of such fusion of west and east.

The MYST group can be accessible through this link; http://www.kagami.tv/

Till my friend reached, I enjoyed their performance. Right at the station exit, the map of Funabashi city is displayed which is convenient for new people to plan and locate their destinations before starting for a tour in Funabashi. Such guide maps are available in all Japanese cities which make the life easier in Japan especially for foreigners.

Statue of Ino Tadataka in Tomioka Hachiman Shinto shrine at Monzen Nakacho

When I visited the Shinto temple at Monzen Nakacho, I did not even know the name of the temple itself. During my stay at Day Nice Hotel last year, I used to walk on Monzen Nakacho streets at evenings to have a look at different varieties of Japanese food displayed in front of restaurants and Japanese shops.

I have seen two temples during such evening walk but feared to enter inside alone. The fear was due to my ignorance that I may need permission to enter into a Japanese temple. After hearing from friends that Japanese temples are not like the Hindu temples in India, where only Hindu people are allowed to enter, I had a desire to visit those temples at Monzen Nakacho.

I was alone today visiting the temples, and I was the only gaikokujin (foreigner) at the premise. Here, when I say I was the only gaikokujin it clearly reflects my inability to distinguish the Koreans, Chinese or similar looking foreigners from Japanese people. Though I could recognize many of the East Asians other than Japanese from the gestures, dressing style and attitudes it required more observations and not by a mere look at them. There might be more foreigners from Korea or China or some other East Asian countries. My face was the only ‘different face’.

Anyway alone, but with many friendly Japanese people all around, I never felt, I am alone or different from them. When I entered inside I could see a statue and started thinking who it will be. I had no idea. I thought he will be the founder of this Shinto temple. Let me tell you frankly, as I wrote in the first, I did not know the name of the temple itself!

But information always comes with exploration of new places and things. Had not I been visited the temple today, I would have still remained ignorant on some of the interesting information on Monzen Nakacho.

What to say, my pure luck? When I was standing in front the statue of a man and trying to interpret the Kanji characters written on the black stone behind to get some idea of the man, I saw one Japanese young man looking at me with his face full of friendly smile! Oh, I could approach him, because he was friendly and seemed interested in offering his help. To be frank, I have seen during similar situations, Japanese people are friendly and helpful contrary to what I read from many websites.

With a small introduction, he became my guide to the temple! He could speak English which I could follow too. Thanks to the stranger friend. If you happen to read this blog, please put your comments. There is a ‘Ta’ in his name, other parts of his name I could not remember and anyway, it is not fair to put his name on this blog without his permission. Let me call him ‘Ta-san’. As per Ta-san, the statue is Ino Tadataka, who was the great surveyor of Japan. Ino Tadatakasan started his survey from Hokkaido.

Later, after coming back to home, I searched for Tadataka-san and learned more about him. Otherwise, I would have forgotten the name of Ino Tadataka-san also with in a day or two. I have still that problem of remembering Japanese names.

Ino Tadataka was born in a village in Chiba Prefecture. He was adopted at the age of seventeen into the Trio family in Sawara. After working actively for the community of Honjuku and his family's business for thirty-two years, Ino Tadataka-san retired at the age of forty nine.

Ino Tadataka-san studied Western astronomy under Takahashi Yoshitoki, a specialist in the astronomy and calendar department of the Tokugawa Shogunate. With an order from the Shogunate, Ino Tadataka-san started a tour for surveying the whole of Japan to make accurate maps, using precision instruments for his astronomical observations.

During Edo period many Japanese people tried to imbibe Western science and technology into Japan for modernizing Japan. Ino Tadataka was one of such famous figure. His map of Japan won praises from all the quarters. Again, before forgetting let me write down the name of the shrine I visited today at Monzen Nakacho. It is Tomioka Hachiman shrine.

Just for you!

The second snowfall in Tokyo after more than one year

The snowfall expected on February 20 did not turn on as expected at the early morning. I pinched my cheek. That would have been a rare opportunity to witness the second snowfall for me in Tokyo. Unfortunately the snow turned rain.

It was not unexpected today as there was a forecast for snow after 10:00 hrs in Tokyo. It was an amazing scene for me to watch through the window glass the snow falling outside. I could not resist asking my boss to go out to watch the snowfall.

Memories travelled back to childhood when we sat at the stairs in front of our ancestral home to watch the monsoon rain. That was just rain, the plain water drops showering from heaven. Then we could hear the elders at home discuss about the snowfall at countries where the temperature dip lower than the freezing point. Did they mention ‘Japan’ when they talked about snowfall? I am not very much sure. I remember, they sure mentioned the name Siberia. Subsequently, what they told was due to Japan’s proximity to Siberia, snow fall is usual in Japan too. Then the mind imagined a place called Siberia, where people wear many thick leather dresses to protect themselves from cold wind and snow. Not sure whether I really could imagine a snowfall but really wished to experience a snowfall. How thrilling it will be! The heaven throwing down the white cotton bundles!

The elders were talking about the science behind the rain and snow. When the ground temperature is below the freezing level, the snow falls from the sky as it is with out getting converted into water drops. If the ground temperature is above the freezing level, the snow will be converted into water drops well before it reaches to our visible range of height in the sky. This transition from snow to rain happens at a midpoint in the sky. It was something like this that elders at home discussed and wanted to convey to the little ones.

The monsoon rain slanted along with the wind and touched our feet. We pulled back our feet to play with the rain drops. There was fun while playing with rain, but the nature’s mysterious sequences excited us to explore further. We were not allowed to sit more time with our feet outside to let the rain drops fall. The elders at home were strict and they allowed us to play with rain five to ten minutes. Then the call from inside will come first for everyone as a group, then for one by one repeatedly till everybody of us get into the rooms.

I am free now to enjoy the full snowfall outside. Not only I can show my legs to the snow, but I can also go out and have a walk around to allow all the snow to fall on my head!. Why I need umbrella? Snowfall has just started at around 10:00 hours. While going for lunch, we could take some snaps. Most of them are inside my friend’s camera. Hope I can post them soon to share with all of you.

Today's (27/02) snow did not pile up to form a thick layer like the one happened last year. The snow was melting immediately once it touched the ground.

I was half wet while taking the photo. Even though the snow was melting, it remained on the dresses for sometime.

NAMASTE FOODS - A Home away from Home for Indians in Tokyo

Namaste Foods at Higashi Ojima – Indian spice, grocery and food shop

I was an occasional customer at Namaste foods at Higashi Ojima when I was staying at company apartment at Kiba. Bala-san used to help me to get the Apa Kabar? International prepaid telephone calling card and tell the number over phone. Higashi Ojima was not so far away from Kiba. It is only a 30 minutes by Tokyo Metro trains. I need to take Tozai line from Kiba to Monzen nakacho then from there change to Toei Oedo line up to Morishita. From Morishita, I will move to Toei Shinjuku line to reach at Higashi Ojima. Since Balasan’s apartment is near to Namaste foods he did not mind to help me.

The meaning of ‘Apa kabar’ is ‘What is the news’ in Indonesian language. Apa kabar card is an attractive selling item for many of the Asian expatriates in Tokyo. The cost of one Apa kabar card is 2400 Yen at Namaste foods. With one apa kabar card I can call to my home at India for 6 hours 40 minutes (to mobile phone) if I use the Yahoo BB landline phone. When I moved to Higashi Ojima on September 2008, one of my problems, the availability of Indian food is almost solved. The Namaste foods at Higashi Ojima have many Indian food and snack items at their store.

Namaste foods is owned by a Japanese man who like India and Indian Culture. Running a grocery stores like an Indian shop at Higashi Ojima is not only a business for him. More than business it is his passion towards India that interests him to help the Indian expatriate society in Tokyo. It is a service he does to the Indians living in Higashi Ojima and the near places.

The most important thing is the owner of the Namaste foods ‘Katouno Tatsuhiro-san can speak Hindi apart from his mother tongue Japanese. He is also good at his English skills. One day I was surprised to hear him talking in Hindi to one of his customers over phone.

Namaste Foods have many Indian food items like Ready to Eat brands from MTR, Priya etc. MTR is one of the largest selling Ready to Eat brand in India and outside India. Sambar Rice (Curry Rice), Kesaribhath, Channa masala, Dal fry, Palak Paneer, Rasagulla, Mixed vegetable curry, Muttar paneer, are some of them I used to buy.


The snacks from India like the murukku, mixture, moong dal, Raita boondi, Shahi garden, Nylon sev, Haldiram’s masala peanuts, masala channa, etc are also available from Namaste foods. Maaza mango juice is really cheaper in Namste foods. One liter bottle of maaza mango juice costs only 200 Yen at Namaste foods.

Katouno-san told he will soon start home delivery service and this will help many Indian expatriates and Japanese people who wish to try Indian food to order the items from home. This will enable the Indian people living away from Higashi Ojima to get the Indian food delivered at their door step. The shipping charge is free if the total purchase is more than 10,000 Yen. The margin for free shipment is very attractive as the food items purchased at home for one month will generally cross this amount. The delivery will be through Fukuyama Transporting Co., Ltd. The payment as per the information from the website can be Cash on delivery or Bank transfer. Please check from the website for the details of bank for bank transfer.

Namaste foods at Higashi Ojima is easy to access. The Indian store Namaste foods is near to the Higashi Ojima station in Toei Shinjuku line. After getting down at Higashi Ojima station you have to pass through the Ojima exit. It is near to Shin Ohashi street. Stepping down the staircases of the railway station, Namaste food is just less than one minute walk. The store is on the ground floor (First floor in Japan) of the building No. 9-3-12. The address and telephone numbers are given below:

NAMASTE FOODS
Higashi Ojima Metoroad 18
1F, 9-3-12, Ojima, Koto-ku, Tokyo.
Tel: 03-5836-6638, Fax: 03-5836-6639
Email: shop@namaste-foods.com
Or info@namaste-foods.com
Website: www.namaste-foods.com

Contact for Indian foods now!

I highly recommend shopping at Namaste foods, Higashi Ojima. Katouno-san is very kind and well mannered gentle man who possess good knowledge about India, Indians and the culture of India. He had visited India many times and is fascinated by Indian culture.

Snowfall in Japan - exquisite and mysterious as the name Yuki

Today it is 4 degree Celsius now in Tokyo, but feels like less than 1 degree. Snow fall is predicted in the midnight in Tokyo. When Balasan conveyed this message that snowfall is predicted in the midnight, I remembered the 3rd February 2008. Almost more than one year now. It was on my fourth day in Japan, I saw the first snow fall.

I was staying in Day nice hotel in Koto-ku. Day nice hotel is near to the Monzen-nakacho Tozai line exit. Initially for around 5 days I stayed in Day nice hotel before moving into the apartment. Balasan invited to visit his home on 3rd February 2008. When I got ready and came down to make a phone call to him, I saw the pure white cotton like snow falling on the road. Balasan told it is snow rain in Higashi Ojima too. The snowfall was there in the whole Tokyo. We could not meet, but I could witness the snowfall for the first time.

Our program got cancelled as it was difficult to go out. The temperature was too low and walking outside was really difficult. It was the first time in life I witnessed a snowfall. When I visited Switzerland and went up all the way near to the Alps mountain on April 1996 also I missed the snowfall. It remained a desire in me to enjoy the snowfall.

On the fourth day in Japan I could watch and enjoy the snow fall. I went outside and walked on the road here and there without any purpose only to experience the snowfall. There were children playing on the road with full body covered with jackets. Their face was only visible and they were fully clad with sweaters and jackets. Small bushes on the roadside were fully covered with snow. Top of the buildings got entirely covered with snow and it looked amazing!

In Japanese language, snow is Yuki. It is a lovely name for many Japanese women too. Yuki – beautiful and mysterious like snow…pure and white in heart….Yuki gave poets in Japan enough food for imagination.

Snow is rare in Tokyo, but a common at the northern prefectures of Japan. The heavy snow area of Japan is probably the Hokaido. Visiting Hokaido is till now realized for me, while many of my friends visited there they say it is a place to see and enjoy. Japan is a land of snow. Japan due to her proximity to the Siberia get the colder wind.

The climate reports say the heavy snowfalls of Japan's snow country are caused by moisture-laden clouds bumping up against the mountains along the backbone of Honshū and releasing their moisture under the influence of easterly winds blowing off the continent or down from Siberia. As a result, the region includes some of the world's snowiest spots at the same latitudes, as well as the northern hemisphere's southern-most ski resorts.

Life does not come to a standstill due to snowfall. Nobody stops walking or take a leave in the name of snowfall. The life continues just in the normal way in most of the cases. If the snowfall is too heavy and disrupts the rail transportation, then it becomes a trouble. I could see even old people walking on the road which was filled with snow. Ward authority staff were engaged in removing the snow from the road which blocked the vehicle movement.

Even though I could not take the snaps of last year snowfall, Balasan had taken some nice photos. The date on the photos says the snow remained on the 4th morning also. I requested him those photos to share them here.

Fully Automatic Hi-tech Japanese Toilets – Ultimate human engineering skills!

At first I was really baffled and thought to use the old manual way of business in the toilet of the Hotel room at Katsutadai. It was the first time I encountered a Japanese hi-tech toilet after I landed in Japan. Confused and bewildered I tried pressing on the buttons randomly to know what happens.

When pressed a button at the keypad provided near to the arm rests, a nozzle like thing looking like a squirt gun came out from the bottom of the flush and started jetting water all over the toilet.

Even though embarrassing at the first experience, the hi-tech toilets in Japan is really convenient. People who are used to it will never like to do their daily morning business in any other old fashioned toilets. I could not see this much automation in any of the toilets used so far in any of the luxury hotels at places I had chance to visit and stay. Japan is home to the real hi-tech toilets.

Virtually the toilet will do almost everything for us. The only thing we have to do is to do the thing properly for what we can in!

There is a control pad with many buttons on the side. The sitting pad can be heated to make it warm during winter. The sprinkling or Jetting speed of the water which will squirt water beam to clean the backside once the business is over is also controlled. There is low pressure, medium pressure and high pressure. As we like we can control the speed by pressing it. Also the warm water and normal water options are there in the control pad.

The toilet senses once the business is over and even if we forget to flush, the toilet will do it. Japanese toilets are also self disciplined!

In public toilets, there is provision to place kids which is very convenient for mothers who carry their kids to the toilets. The safe use of toilet and the baby seat is also displayed inside the toilets through instructions. It is amazing that Japanese care even minute details of every walk of life. It is beyond words to praise those genius minds who planned and implemented all these conveniences to the common people in Japan.

Japan is the world leader in producing automated hi-tech toilets. Japan’s biggest automatic hi-tech toilet maker Toto sells their toilets for a price approximately at US$ 2000 to 4000. There are some toilets which will chemically analyze the urine of the user and tells the medical problems! I am not sure, just heard about it.

Toto have their market in the United states. They sell the automated toilets at a lower price in US as per information I have, which I am not sure to comment. Please check with Toto USA for prices and related inquiries.

The use of tissue paper is also almost eliminated in Japanese modern toilets, but the option is still there. The work instruction for use and change of tissue paper is also displayed in the toilet.

Japanese hi-tech toilets are good example of ultimate human engineering skills. First embarrassed though, once get used to, people get addicted to use these hi-tech toilets even though it is a few minutes business. Some models display the time too. The clock will say how much business we did inside! Wow!

Visit to the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa with many memories of bygone years

Once upon a time, but Japanese history says it is in the year AD 628, there lived two brothers in Asakusa near to the Sumida River. Their names were Hinokuma Hamanari and HIinokuma Takenari. They used to fish from the Sumida river. Everyday they got lot of fishes and people enjoyed good meal with fishes they caught. Fishing from the Sumida river was their job and they continued doing that sincerely.

One day as usual they went for fishing in the Sumida River. The brothers were astonished to see that they got a statue from the river. They realized that they fished a statue of Goddess Kannon. Goddess Kannon is the God of mercy in Japan.

They thought that statue has no value and threw back into the river. Again they started fishing, but to their surprise they again got the statue back to them! The statue was ready to leave them. They brought the statue to the village and told their experience to the villagers. All of them were surprised. The village chief Hajino Nakamoto san realized the divine value and sanctity of the statue.

Hajino Nakamoto-san preserved the statue of Goddess Kannon at his home in Asakusa. It is believed that he remodeled his own home to a small temple to preserve the statue. He thought that the statue possess divine power and the villagers by worshipping will get the mercy of Goddess Kannon.

The Sensoji temple was thus formed in AD 645 to worship the Goddess of Mercy in Asakusa. Thus Sensoji temple became the oldest temple in Tokyo. Japanese people worshipping at the Sensoji temple started getting good results in their life by the blessings of Goddess Kannon. The word spread throughout Japan soon and people started flocking to Asakusa to seek the blessings of Goddess Kannon.

I heard all the story of Sensoji temple from my friend and told him that I will write this story in my personal blog. After visiting the Omiyage shops in Asakusa I decided to visit the Sensoji temple.

Sensoji temple is also known as Asakusa Kannon temple. I entered through the Kaminarimon. The meaning of Kaminarimon is Thunder gate. This is the outer gate of the Sensoji temple in Asakusa.

Asakusa is symbolized by the Kaminarimon, we can say. Walking through the gate I entered to the Nakamise dori, which is about more than 200 meters length starting from the Kaminarimon to the second gate of Sensoji temple. The second gate is known as Hozomon. The gigantic paper lantern was painted Red and black and some Kanji letters were also written in that. This is really thunder!

I could see many Japanese Omiyage shops and traditional local snacks prepared and served there itself in Nakamise dori. People were enjoying the snacks. There were shops of Kimono, Yukata, Ukiyo-e and painted and colored folding fans.

Passing through the Nakamise dori, I reached to the Hozomon gate. Hozomon means ‘Treasure House Gate’ in Japanese. Sure, there is treasure inside, that is the treasure of Mercy! Built in traditional Buddhist architecture, with dramatic color combinations and structures, Hozomon gate stood with its dragon like corners.



Entered to the temple complex, I could see smoke and a small crowd in the forecourt of the temple. There was a small structure inside which a incense sticks were burned as part of traditional worship. Devotees were seeking blessing by waving their hands to the flame and smoke coming out of the metallic pot and showing it to their head. It is a concept that they are blessed.

At the side of the Sanctum sanctorum building, I could see a big statue of Lord Buddha. My mind travelled back to 563 BCE to one of India’s small kingdom where Gautama was born. The prince Gautama left all his worldly wealth and went in search of ultimate truth and meaning of life. Now, even at this 21st century, He is being worshipped by one the world’s most intelligent people in the world – Japanese people!

I entered to the main worship area where the idol is placed. Stepping up to the sanctum sanctorum, there were many devotees throwing coins (Japanese yen) to the metallic box placed in front of the idol. There were lights all around. It reminded me the Hindu temples in India. Hindu people do the same kind of worship.

Stepping down from the sanctum sanctorum, I decided to take snaps of the five storied pagoda. It looked gigantic in the sky. The Asakusa shrine was built by the Tokugawa lemitsu.

World war II destroyed a major part of the temple and Japan rebuilt. But in the courtyard I could see a tree to remind us of the Second World War, which was hit by the air raid bombings by Allied forces. The tree is a symbol of Japan and its people, I believe. The tree has grown again from its old husk! Exactly the same way Japan has grown after world War-II keeping almost all its traditions and customs!