So last day. Still blazing hot. Over 10,000 people a week are taken to hospital in Tokyo due to heat-related problems.
Note to self: avoid Tokyo in the summer.
You can not visit Japan without going to a shrine, getting your fortune, and filling out an ema. You can tick off these boxes at any of the major. Shrines or you can make an adventure out of it.
The adventure begins by taking the Subway in rush hour.
大谿山 豪徳寺
As The story goes long long ago, a lord on his way back from falconry was beckoned by a cat at the temple gate and decided to stop by. While spending time at the temple, thunder suddenly rang out and rain began to fall. Having gotten well out of a thundershower with an enjoyable conversation with the temple master, the lord was impressed by this luck that the cat brought. The lord was Naotaka Ii, the lord of Hikone domain. Financially backed up by Naotaka, Gotokuji temple was rebuilt in 1633.
Thus the Maneki Neko began.
On to the ema.
In good time on of the monks collects the ema and they are burned sending the wishes to the gods.
Leaving tomorrow. All checked in. Solid on how to get to the airport. I decided to spend the night in New Jersey and come on home on Saturday on the train.
