Old and New

新旧

Konpira Gu in the middle of buildings

As you know, Tokyo is one of the biggest city in the world.

While we see skyscrapers, we can see a plenty of old temples and shrines in Tokyo.

Sometimes they are seen at the same time as blow.

integration of a modern building and an ancient shrine 

This shrine is built in the middle of Tokyo where is near the governmental area, Sakurada-mon, Konpira Gu. The Torii of it is standing out with its unique animal statues on itself.

Zojoji Temple and Tokyo tower

Behind of the temple, we see a tall building. 

a beautiful combination of new and old things

They are Tokyo Tower standing 333 meters high and Zojoji Temple standing next to Tokyo Tower. The temple was built in the year 1393 initially. And it was moved its present location in 1598. The contrast of the modern architecture and the ancient architecture is awesome.

Sushi restaurant

お寿司

luxury food, Sushi

As you may know, Sushi is one of the representative Japanese food.
It is one of the traditional food. Since the Edo period, Japanese people have been enjoying eating it.
Sushi is kind of expensive and fancy food. If I have sushi at a "real" sushi restaurant, I would say "I treated myself for fancy dinner tonight".

But they say that Sushi used to be a fast food like Macdonald's back to the Edo period. They used to be sold in street stall.

Sushi grew cheaper and entertaining 

We have Kaiten Sushi restaurants while we have expensive fancy Sushi restaurants where the plates with the sushi are placed on a rotating conveyor belt.

At fancy Sushi restaurant, we sit at counter seat in front of Sushi chefs and order and a chef serves.

a Sushi chef

But we see chefs over a conveyor belt , even we can't see them at Kaiten Sushi restaurants. And Sushi will be conveyed on the rotating belt. We need to pick up Sushi we want to eat by myself. Sushi at Kaiten Shushi places are made by special machines, not human chef mostly. Kaiten Sushi places are kind of a fast food shop.

The first Kaiten Sushi restaurant was opened around 1960. When I just wanted to eat "Sushi like", I visited Kaiten Sushi places some times. Because they were less tasty than ones at fancy Sushi but much cheaper.

Sushi covered go around in a restaurant

However I realized recent Kaiten Sushi places are very entertaining too! Lately I visited a Kaiten place for the first time in the past 10 year to learn it.

We see no chefs there and can order what we want from the spacial device equipped with each tables, other than Sushis coming up on the rotating conveyor belt.

Desert plates are conveyed around as well.  It is fan to see them sliding forward on the belt.

Your orders are conveyed on another belt in front of you.

Prayer Wheel （Mani Wheel ）

マニ車

Prayer wheel is from Tibetan Buddhist. You would see them in Ruddiest temples in Nepal. There are some kinds of prayer wheels, hand-held small one , large one as like in the pics.

According to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, spinning such a wheel will have much the same meritorious effect as orally reciting the prayers.

They do spin large ones. I did. I joined an uncle spinning a large one. I didn't need to push it strong because he did. If I tried to begin spinning only by myself, it would have needed me more power....

When I saw a large one for the first time, something came in my mind. Yes this.

This is bell in Japanese Buddhist temples. We don't spin it but ring it. Doesn't it similar Mani wheel?

マニ車は、チベット仏教のものです。ネパールのお寺にいくとあります。手で持つタイプもあれば、写真のような大きなものなど、いくつかの種類があります。

チベット仏教によれば、車を回転させると、回転させた数だけ経を唱えるのと同じ功徳があるとされています。
もちろん大きなマニ車も回します。回しました。先におじさんが回していたので、その勢いを借りて回しましたけど、自力だったら重たかったんじゃないだろうか・・。

初めて大きいマニ車を見たとき、或るものを思い出しました。そう、これ。
日本のお寺にある鐘です。まわすんではなく、つくんですけどね。似てますよね・・？

Swayambhunath ~ A lot of ..... in Monkey Temple

沢山の .....

small temples and statues

Swayambhunath is a religious complex consisting of stupas, small temples and monuments and images of deities. You will see many statues surrounding the most famous huge stupa after you climb up the stairs.

Swayambhunath complex

monkeys

And you will see a lot of monkeys... of course.

stealing foods offered....

houses

You will see the overwhelming scenery of residential areas from the top.

 a lot of houses are spreading out

小さい仏堂と像

スワヤンプナートは、ストゥーパや小さい仏堂やモニュメント、像の宗教的な複合施設です。階段を上りきると、有名な大きなストゥーパを取り囲む沢山の像が目に入ります。

おサルさん

もちろんさるたちも沢山・・・

住宅

頂上からは圧倒される住宅地の風景が目に入ります。

Swayambhunath ~Vajra or Dorje in the Monkey Temple

モンキーテンプルのドルジェ（金剛杵）

on the top

You will see the big Vajra or Dorje (in Tibetan) at the top after you manage to climb up so many steps reaching the main entrance.

Varja or Dorje is a ritual Tibetan esoteric Buddhist object that represents a thunderbolt and spiritual power.

Vajra or Dorje 

When I visited this Monkey Temple, the weather was so nice and actually so hot that I managed to climb up steps. When I reached the top, I was already exhausted and overlooked this giant thing. I realized it was there and took pics of it. It is more likely "Golden"!!.

Vajra or Dorje 

頂上に

沢山の階段をなんとか登り切ると、頂上には、大きなヴァジュラまたはドルジェ（チベットではこう呼ばれる）が見えます。

ヴァジュラまたはドルジェは、チベット密教の法具で、雷と霊力の象徴らしいです。


わたしがモンキーテンプルにいったときは、すごい良いお天気で、暑すぎて、なんとかやっと階段を上がりきりました。頂上についたときには、疲れきっていて、ヴァジュラまたはドルジェを見逃しちゃったんですが、後で気づいて写真を撮り。ゴールド！って感じですね。

Swayambhunath ~ Monkey Temple

スワヤンプナート

eyes

Swayambhunath is definitely one of the must-see when you visit Kathmandu. You may have seen this. There are two eyes painted on the stupa.

Swayambhunath　stupa

Monkey Temple

First you need to climb up 365 stone steps reaching the temple complex.

stone steps 

While you walking up there, someone would be welcome to you. Yes, they are monkeys. This temple is called Monkey Temple.

a relaxed monkey

You must be careful to them. In my case, I happened to see a monkey's eye to eye. The monkey was sitting on the handrail and staring at me. Once I had eye contact with it, I could not take my eyes off it that looked as if it was going to attack me.

Scary!

I took off my eyes so carefully and slowly passing by it.

モンキーテンプル

スワヤンプナートはカトマンズにいったら、訪れるべき場所の一つ。これみtことあるのではないでしょうか。ストゥーパに描かれた目。

まずは、365の石段を登らなくてはなりません。上がっている間、お迎えしてくれる人がいます。ハイ、猿たち。このお寺、俗にモンキーテンプルと呼ばれています。

猿には気を付けないといけないです。私の場合、ふと目が合ってしまいました。猿は階段の手すりにすわって、わたしを凝視してたんです。ひとたび目があったら、襲ってきそうな猿から、視線を外すことができなくなりました。
こわかった！
そっとゆっくり視線を外して、通り過ぎましたが。