Into the main shrine.

As you can see by the sky, another beautiful day in Tokyo. Since we have arrived, it has not dipped below 40C. It is 32C every day but feels like 40C due to the humidity. The UV is in the teens and at 4:30AM – the sun is hotter than it ever gets in Canada. It makes it a little hot to get to work (I am in this awkward position – half way between the train station and the office, so I just walk/bike there) but all in all, quite wonderful. I never need to see snow again during my regular daily routine (Japan skiing is some of the best in the world – so we will be heading there) and everyone says the 20C fall is spectacular ….

Enter the shrine and you come upon a courtyard.

In the center of the courtyard is a tree, with wooden placards surrounding it.

Or in this case, a divine tree holding the wishes of many.

We spent quite a while reading the various wishes. A few that jumped out at me (lots written in English). The business person:

This one stopped me – it should be quoted. The thinker:

The lover (or teenager):

Perhaps he was looking at this when he wrote it.

The courtyard has a shrine (no photos allowed) where you make a small donation and in return get a waka (Japanese poem), one of the 100K+ that Emperor Meiji wrote during his reign. Empress Shoken wrote more than 30,000. From the Emperor:

For the times to come

And for meeting what must be met

All of our people

Must be taught to walk along

The path of sincerity.

From Empress Shoken:

By making wider

The paths of deep friendship

We, without travel,

Have come to know the customs

Of lands throughout the world.

A wonderful day out.