JAPAN: New year, new country: Everyone is praying and I commit my first sin!

Left: Girl in traditional kimono.

Right: Washing hands before approaching shrine.

Below: Masses of people at shrine., Japanese omelet type dish, and New Year’s trinket.

I spend the day visiting many of the famous Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in the city. They are all free to visit as the country is on national holiday through January 3rd. I, and thousands of Japanese, are all flocking to the same places. Amazingly, the huge crowds at the temples are peaceful. No one is pushing, yelling or screaming. Police guard the entrances to the temples and some even stand in watchtowers and direct the crowds by speaking into loudspeakers. I think these well-mannered Tokyo residents don’t need police direction; they seem harmless. Food vendors line their stalls all around the temples. They are selling noodles galore, big omelet like things that have pork and shrimp, meat on skewers and chocolate covered strawberries and bananas. There’s absolutely NO garbage on the ground. A similar event in the US would have ketchup containers, napkins and other garbage lying around. Not here.

My first sin

The main train stations in Tokyo are extremely busy. Luckily, I never take a rush hour train and feel a train station employee push me onto the train. Even though it’s so crowded, it’s not chaotic or loud like in NY. People don’t touch each other. I accidentally brush against a Japanese man as I am lost in the train station and he gives me a strange look. I guess I’ve committed my first sin of the year: I’ve touched someone. At this rate, I’ll amass more than 108 sins in my 10 days in Japan. I guess I’ll have to go to a temple where people bang the gong more than 108 times to repent. I may have to go for an all-night marathon!

There are very few non-Asians in the city. I definitely stick out. Winter is not a great time to visit Tokyo and there are probably more tourists in the spring or summer, but the city obviously does not see many gaijin. It’s extremely expensive here and not easy to navigate without speaking the language. Japanese bank machines don’t accept foreign cards. The airport has foreign ATM machines and then there are very few bank machines in Tokyo that except foreign plastic. I almost get caught without any money and have to go across town to find a Citibank. Strange. Tokyo is a major financial hub and I can’t use my plastic to get cash.