Walking to Shibuya...

Since it had cooled off a bit, we decided we'd walk to Shibuya rather than walking back to the station to catch the metro. Along the way, we stopped in a pet store and saw this adorable little pooch who costs a measly 1.5 million yen ($12,075). He made many of the other puppies look like bargains at under $2,500. All of the puppies we saw were tiny and would grow to less than five pounds.

We walked through a farmers market and saw this adorable kid; he didn't have a price tag, but imagine he'd be cheaper than the puppy.

We also saw this unusual statue.

We were baffled by this escalator at Forever 21. What's the point if you have to walk up stairs to access it?

We haven't seen a geisha yet, but I do enjoy spotting girls and guys in kimonos as we walk around, although this girl's huge purse seems out of place with her traditional outfit.

Ashlynn split off from us to have a sushi dinner with her Dutch model friends. Before Melisa, Andrea and I headed back to Roppongi, we went into 109, a round building with eight floors catering to teen girls. This section sold white maid's uniforms. I got politely told off for taking a photo, so didn't capture the other sections which ranged from goth to sporty to pink and frilly.

Intense Shopping District...

The shopping area in Harajuku was intense with flagship stores for Dior, Gucci, Chanel, you name it.

We were intrigued by the mirrored entrance of this mall, so wandered around inside for a bit.

We had read that there was a Barbie store, so were happy to find it.

Photos weren't allowed inside, but we did sneak a few in the entrance.

As we exited, a street photographer stopped Ashlynn and asked if he could take a few shots of her. 

He posted this on his blog, entitled "Barbie." His post says:

Isn't the girl as great as Barbie herself? The shop is visited by many overseas tourists and this Barbie-like lovely girl is traveling in Japan with her mother who kindly allowed me to take a picture of the girl. Thanks, Mom! When the Barbie doll was introduced to the market, nobody believed that this figure with a grown-up's proporation would see any success since they believed that the figure of a doll should have a that of a baby or of a very young child. Barbie proved this untrue. Isn't the Barbie figure now an eternal dream not only for young girls, but also for all women in the world?

Natural Spring and Sake Barrels...

After visiting the Meiji Shrine, we went into the lily garden where we didn't find any lilies, but did find a pond with koi and turtles.

Then we saw the source of the pond, this "well" surrounding a natural spring where water flows steadily year round.

I was intrigued with the sake barrels wrapped in straw outside of the shrine. While the barrels are empty, they apparently have spiritual significance. When people go to a Shinto Festival, they are given sake (rice wine) which makes them happy and closer to the gods.

Wishes...

Shrine visitors can write their wishes on pieces of wood and then leave them at the shrine in hopes that their wishes come true. Most people wish for good health, success, love or wealth. Others hope to be "Lacky," which is very sweet. 

Ashlynn was very intent as she wrote her wishes on paper and put the envelope in a box for the Shinto priests.

Love this wish for everyone to remember: Life is short, make every day worth it. Make the world a better place. 

Meiji Shrine...

Before entering the shrine, we followed the purification ritual of cleansing our hands and mouth with fresh water.

The shrine was originally built in 1920. It was destroyed during air raids in World War II and was rebuilt in 1958. It honors Emperor Meiji who was responsible for the emergence of Japan as a modernized nation in the early 20th century.

Our timing was perfect as there was a wedding procession while we were there.

It was fun playing paparazzi, but I hung back with these other tourists because I also didn't want to leave the shade.

Entering the Meiji Shrine...

On Saturday, we spent most of the day with Andrea, an American 16-year-old model from Salt Lake City that arrived on Thursday, and her mother Melisa (yes, with one "s"). Although they had just arrived, Melisa had done her homework on top sights to see in Tokyo and suggested that we visit the Meiji Shrine. This is the torii, the traditional gate signifying the transition from "the profane to the sacred" at a Shinto shrine.

It was another hot and humid day, so we were very happy that the trees provided so much shade.

The scenery was lovely and peaceful -- an oasis in the crowded city.

First Hash in Tokyo...

Considering the size of Tokyo, it shouldn't be surprising that I could hash five days a week, but I refrained and waited until Friday to venture out to the Finally Friday Fukov Hash (F3H3). The instructions said to take the metro to Naka-meguro, which was only four stops from Roppongi, and then follow the marks. I arrived early so I could walk around the neighborhood.

It turned out that the run start was actually about a 10-minute walk from the station in a park so that we could gather in relative privacy. Both the directions to the start and the trail itself were really well marked which was very helpful since it was quite dark during the trail. Between the hills and the mugginess, I walked a fair bit of the 8K and was relieved that I didn't get lost.

About 50% of the pack were Japanese and most of the foreigners were long-time residents that spoke Japanese. I was the only visitor, but as you can see, I wasn't the only hasher there who attended last year's Beer Odyssey in Brussels.

I know the quality of this photo is horrible, but it's a reminder that I ran under a beautiful blue moon, but was bummed that I missed Jimmy haring a FILTH (Full Moon) H3 run in Amsterdam.