Pray

In Tokyo praying is easy, because in every corner you can find a temple. The most famous is the Sensōji, also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple, but you can find them everywhere. In the corner of Shibuya and Dogenzaka districts, in the middle of all the enjo kosai, there is one of the most beautiful temples I saw while visiting the city. In the middle of Akihabara, the colorful electronic district, next to shops from well-known gadgets brands and posters of video games, there was another one. Seriously, no matter in which direction you walk the chances of finding a new temple are huge! Small or big, more or less colorful, they are always open, inviting you to pray… Even if you are a kid, at 7 a.m., and you are on your way to school! 

Next to the Fish Market there is, of course, another temple. I guess that it is there to serve the people that work in the several areas of the market, so they can pray before going to work, or even during (I don’t know much about the Shinto and Buddhism cult schedules), but on the morning we visited the market and found this temple the most enthusiastic prayer there was a little kid that literally dragged is mum there. Before going in I already saw both of them coming down the street. I noticed because the image of the energetic seven year old boy pulling is mum by the hand, while she could barely put up with his rhythm due to her high-hells, made me laugh. I couldn’t know, though, that some minutes later, the image of those two would make tears come to my eyes. So, I was already in the temple yard, in front of a red arch, a kind of door all the temples seem to have, just contemplating and enjoying the novelty of everything in there (at this point I have to explain that I’m a catholic and that was my first time in an Asian country, so it was the first time I ever visited a temple), without knowing very well what to do, when the kid and his mum came in. He was dressed with an uniform and had his backpack, but before going to school he wanted to pray for a bit. He came directly to the door, crossed it and went left, crossed it again and went right, came to the front of the arch, jumped several times and clapped his hands. And he did all that with such an innocence and enthusiasm, that I couldn’t help to shake. The entire scene was absolutely lovely. So full of joy, of energy, of childish simplicity and, from that moment on, I became a fan of the japanese openmindedness and freedom of cult!