JAPAN: Last Day

Our brief visit to Japan was nearly over and our time in Tokyo had disappeared as quickly and mysteriously as the geishas we glimpsed in Kyoto. Before making our way to the airport, we meandered the streets near our hostel in search of Senso-ji Temple, the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo. Hundreds of small shops guided our way up Nakamise-dori, a crowded souvenir shopping street to be avoided by the claustrophobic. At the end of the street looms the temple's Kaminarimon, or "Thunder Gate." The monstrous structure boasts an even more impressive lantern painted in reds and blacks, which suggest thunderclouds and lightning. Packed with tourists and practicing Buddhists, the temple's ornate insides were bursting at the seams. While in prayer, the hypnotic chants of monks filled the remaining space and subsequently pushed my over-stimulated mind and body outdoors. The peaceful surrounding grounds and Shinto shrines were quieter and much less animated.

On our way back to the hostel to grab our bags for the airport, we stopped for lunch at a money-machine restaurant—an authentic Japanese experience we wanted to check off the list. However, the authenticity wore thin once we realized the restaurant actually served curry instead of sushi; but everyone inside was staring at us so we deposited the money, pressed some buttons, and hoped for the best. Luckily, the food was delicious and we soon forgot the guilt we were having for not eating sushi from a machine.

Nakamise-dori—souvenir alley

Senso-ji Temple entrance gate (of course, the temple itself was under construction and covered in scaffolding).

The "Madeline" of Japan... so cute!

Outside the temple, people lit incense sticks and placed them in a giant burner. As the smoke lifted into the air, they wafted it onto their bodies in an act of purification and prayer.

The incense sticks inside the burner.

A monk and other Buddhists chanting inside the inner temple.

Some of the many smaller shrines around the temple grounds.

Octopus snacks

The "waiter" at our curry restaurant. Just put in your money and press some buttons!

A "liquor shop" on the street.... doesn't seem like a good idea.

Goodbye hostel

Goodbye Japan