Saturday, May 1, 2010

Azalea Matsuri

     Azalea bushes have overtaken Tokyo. Florescent purple and pink tsutsugi lining every street take over like weeds, observed one tomodachi last week. Along Hyugazaka in front of the Manor a hedge of hot pink bushes blaze as far as the eye can see. Despite their profusion, flower viewers are obliged to make a pilgrimage to the Nezu Jinja for the Azalea Matsuri (festival). My rendezvous with two dear tomodachi falls on one of the rainest days of the year. But what about this storm? e-mailed worry-chan tomodachi. "No problem," e-mailed cheerful-chan tomodachi.  The three of us enjoyed ohanami (cherry blossom) under gray skies, and a little weather would not stop us now. 


    In raincoats and boots, each under a kasa (umbrella), past the campus of Tokyo University down the zaka we strolled to the Nezu Shrine. Since 1705 the shrine has been a landmark in the northern part of town. Under the red torii (archway) and over a footbridge, 3,000 azalea bushes in bloom lit up the side of a hill and contrasted with the  kasa-carrying flower viewers. Turtles lolled in the pond and, despite the mud underfoot, visitors posed and took photos of each other. No one in  Japan is camera-shy! For Y200 we were permitted to climb up the path to more closely inspect the variety of tsutsugi including one named for Aiko-sama, the young princess whose mother is too depressed to leave the Imperial Palace. Afterwards, we paid our respects at the shrine, designated as an Important Cultural Property.

     As no outing is complete without a sit-down and a snack, we repaired to an old-fashioned coffeeshop run by an older gent. How nice to have the place to ourselves! Tomodachi opted for the mitsumame, the allegedly healthy yet cloyingly sweet dessert topped with molasses, while I went for the yogurt and fruit. We stayed so long that the trusting proprietor had disappeared upstairs, probably to watch sports on terebi (TV).      Worry-chan gifted each of us with a precious CD of her father singing Western music and at the eki (train station) we promised to meet again at iris time.

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