Nikko and Temples

             On Monday we took a long journey by train out to Nikko, where the first Shogun built enormous shrines and temples among the mountains about nine hundred years ago. Clouds were shooting across the sky, and although it threatened rain nothing much ever fell. Except for the odd splat of a drop from the trees, which were mostly gigantic cedars and surrounded the temples.
The first drawing is of the stairs at the entrance to the temple area in the forest. It's across from a beautiful river. The restaurant in the second drawing is set on the other side of the bridge. It's a deep red in reality. Red and green are the colours of Nikko. The stairs were absolutely enchanting. They run away under the shadows of the great cedars from the bright roadside, and the shrine gate you can glimpse is like the statue from Spirited Away, promising magic beyond.
              The other one is from the top of the stairs near the shrine of the sleeping cat. I can't imagine a more badass deity. If I was a monster, I would go nowhere near a sleeping cat-protected house. There's no knowing what it would do if it woke up.
             Finally, it's the bottom of one of the eldest cedars in the park. Every ancient stone was covered in moss, which tiny leaves and ferns erupting from the gaps. There was an incredible sense of the weight of empty space around the gates, temples and trees. It was magical.

Asakusa and Central Tokyo

- Aki Oka at dusk -

- Tokyo seabus -

- Coffee sack umbrella -

On Saturday we went on a grand tour of central Tokyo. We saw Kaminarimon (Lightning Gate) which is at the head of a busy market full of fun touristy things and leads to a beautiful shrine. I had a shot at wafting smoke over myself, but can't say for sure that it healed anything. Got smoke in my eyes waiting for Adrienne to take a picture. It was ridiculously hot, and as atmospheric as you could hope for.
We were taken on the seabus. I have no idea how we would have fared without Kuni and Akemi to guide us, but it would not have been nearly as rich and full a trip. Some of the sketches below are from the boat.
We ended up in an indoor craft street called Aki-Oka. Superb handmade stuff of all descriptions, and we ended up in a coffee roasting shop. The barrel is full of unroasted coffee beans, and is sporting an umbrella made from a sack. The photo is of the street outside. Many of the shops were beneath the skytrain.