There was only one place on the agenda for today. It took a little while to get there, but it was definitely worth the trip.
I confess to being a fan of Japanese whisky, and, in my humble opinion, you can’t beat Suntory. As they are the oldest whisky distiller in Japan, I am not the only one.
Isn’t it pretty?!
To make the best whisky, you have to try several different techniques and methods. How many? This is probably only half…
I’ve no way of getting any home, so I made good use of the tasting room.
Don’t worry, those are about 1/2 ounce.
My second round included some of their best (the top shelf went for $230 an ounce… a bit rich for me, but mine was still delicious and special).
How do they describe it?
If you take your time, you will experience it just as they describe. It was a fun day.
Tonight, I will find one more bowl of ramen (I’m sushied up for at least a week) and then return to the hotel for the final pack. After a little shopping here in Osaka, the packing will need to be creative.
Oh… the mark I got on my arm yesterday just kept growing. Guess I’ll have to live with it.
Blessings to you all. It has been a great trip. Homeward bound.
Day nine of Japan started with a nine-hour nap. That was absolutely brilliant. Afterward, I got up and started moving. I had a nice breakfast downstairs, and then it was time for church.
I had the option of attending an English language service, but I chose a Japanese one instead. I wanted the experience of it. The rhythm of the service is the same and they provided me a bulletin in English so that I could follow along with the lessons. It worked out just fine. It was beautiful. I wish I knew what the priest was saying because he was very excited about it. Regardless, his enthusiasm was catching, and I felt like I had definitely heard a good sermon.
The works in the church were produced by Cecco Bonaotte, and the design of the church was done by his son, Pier Paolo Maria Bonanotte.
This church was planned by 5 churches in umeda area, Osaka. It is a four-story complex facility, produces an impressive space with the fusion of tradition and modernity. In other stories of the building, there are the satellite campus of Sophia University, the bookstore of Sanpaolo, which deals with the books of Catholic and so on.
Utilizing the natural light, the pure white church marvelously brings out the grace and lightness of the bronze sculpture by Bonanotte.
Beneath the altar / Last Supper
Processional Cross
The sanctuary was quite full (I was the only non-Japanese), and the congregation was very welcoming. If you find yourself in Osaka, I can highly recommend Holy Family to you.
Oh… I don’t know what kind of wafers they used for Mass, but they were “different.” I may have to try and find them for St. Matthew’s. Definitely not your standard styrofoam.
After all that work, It was time for an early afternoon snack. I went to my local favorite—Minori. Enid does not need another Mexican restaurant. It needs an Açai Bowl restaurant!
Peanut butter with honey, almonds, blue berries, strawberries, banana, peach, coconut, granola, açai. Yum!
After a brief rest, I headed back out. While wandering the city, I bumped into something and can’t seem to get it off my arm. Very strange. Maybe it’ll wash off tomorrow.
Being Sunday night and all, I thought the city would be quieter. That was not the case. I suppose they are getting in every minute of the weekend before back to work.
And, if you stand in this one spot for long enough, the camera comes on and your up on the big screen. Yes. I’m a dork, and stood there and took a picture of me taking a picture of myself.
That is all for today, my Japan virtual companions. Tomorrow is my last day here, and I have only one item remaining on my Japan itenerary. Am I ready to come home? I suppose I probably am. I miss you all and I miss The Queen. So, for now, I’ll leave you with this thought…
I have an idea, let’s go find lunch/supper on the Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street the longest Arcade in Japan.
First, we walk, then take a train, followed by a bus.
This is followed by more walking until we come to the street we’re looking for. Aha! There it is. It’s time to walk a bit more.
Now what to eat?
First stop? Yeah. Sushi time! There’s a raw quail egg under all that smelt roe. Nice and rich. The bonus: those little orange eggs get caught in your teeth. Even after brushing your teeth, there’s a good chance you’ll find one or two still lodged up in there and have them for breakfast tomorrow.
Yummy!
That was the appetizer; from there, I moved further down the street and found this tasty dish. I’m not sure what to call it, but omelet works just fine. Pork on the inside with a tangy sauce.
Also, yummy!
After stopping in two different restaurants, I felt like this “Do not cross” sign was intimating something about my current condition.
After more wandering about, I head back to the hotel, via walking, bus, walking, train, and walking a little more.
5,222 steps and all the rides later, and I’m back at the hotel. I’m thinking that a little later, I will head back to Minori for another Açai Bowl.
As for the riding and walking, it is how you get anywhere. Sometimes, the trains are literally packed like sardines. You can’t even turn. Other times, they are almost empty. It depends on the time of day and where you are headed. The bonus: they are highly efficient. I’m impressed with Google Maps and its ability to even let you know if a train is running late and by how many minutes.
Tomorrow is Sunday and I’ve found a Catholic Church near by. They have an English language service, but I plan to attend the Japanese language one for the experience. Given the flow is very much like ours, I’m guessing I’ll have some idea as to what is being said. So, if I can find a church to attend in Osaka, Japan, you can certainly find one near you. No excuses (even if it is a Morning Prayer service and your priest is out galavanting around somewhere!)
Vision is entirely a creative faculty: it uses the body and the mind as the navigator uses his instruments. Open and alert, it matters little whether one finds a supposed short cut to the Indies-or discovers a new world. Everything is begging to be discovered, not accidentally, but intuitively. Seeking intuitively, one’s destination is never in a beyond of time or space but always here and now. If we are always arriving and departing, it is also true that we are eternally anchored. One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things. Which is to say that there are no limits to vision. Similarly, there are no limits to paradise. Any paradise worth the name can sustain all the flaws in creation and remain undiminished, untarnished.
Henry Miller / Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch
The list: USA, Italy, Spain, France, Ireland, Norway, Japan. Not an extensive list, but respectable. I still hope to add at least India to it.
Now, don’t think I’m slipping over the edge here. Just having a think is all…
In the places I’ve visited and the resources required to experience them, have any of them made me happier/a better person/more wise/etc/etc/etc, than 2426 Sherwood Drive with The Queen in my lap and a good book in my hands? The short answer: no.
To see the beauty of God’s creation and those things created by His creation is a gift and a delight. To have walked through the halls of the Sistine Chapel, to have gazed out over the Grand Canyon, to have been a total tourist and ridden the elevator to the top of Tokyo Tower—I know that I am blessed (and spoiled) to have had these opportunities. I would not trade the experiences, but to write sermons and preach the Gospel, sit with friends and play Uno, write silly blog posts, are (I was going to say “equally” as enjoyable, but..) far more enjoyable and life giving/experiencing.
My friend, Mr. Miller, said, One’s destination is never in a beyond of time or space but always here and now. If we are always arriving and departing, it is also true that we are eternally anchored. One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.
In this life, your destination is where you are at this very moment. You can choose the place where you will experience those moments, but the place is not your life. The place is the backdrop.
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
Today was a much quieter day. I had to check out of the hotel by 11 AM and make my way to Osaka. I had a late breakfast, packed up, and headed to the station for a one-hour train ride. It was not one of the bullet trains, but it was still quite pleasant.
After dropping my bags at The Gala Hotel Umeda (check-in was not available until 3 p.m.), I spent some time sitting in the lobby, reading, and wandering around fairly close to the hotel.
Along the way, I came across what looked like a very interesting restaurant, Minori, where I could get a snack.
The restaurant had probably enough room to seat 15 people. It was about half full when I arrived, and I was the only guy in the building. It was filled with happy chatting young Japanese women. What was served? Açai bowls.
What exactly is açai?
Açai is actually a small, dark purple berry, which comes from a palm tree in the Amazon rainforest.
“Similar to blueberries, acai is high in antioxidants and fiber,” says Melissa Keeney, RDN, clinical nutrition manager at St. Vincent’s Medical Center. “Grown in the rainforest, they’ve long been used in medicine – but have recently become popular around the world for their benefits with immune health.”
Like broccoli, avocado and sweet potatoes, açai is considered a superfood, meaning it’s packed with nutrients and linked to countless health benefits. (Source)
That’s the official description. My unofficial description is that it’s a bit like a mullet. Business up front, and party in the back! All that healthy stuff is on top, and then all that delicious goodness is below. I was convinced that it had some Nutella mixed in there. I will probably have to stop by there at least once more before I leave.
Afterward, I came back to the hotel and sat out in the lobby to read my book, and then I remembered… Books. Not just any book, either. A very special book. A quick search in Google Maps found me a bookstore about a half mile away. I started walking.
I typed out my request in Google Translate and handed it to a clerk on the second floor. They read my request and immediately directed me to the third floor. The clerk there brought me to the correct section, but these were English language books. This will not do. Back to the clerk, and I revise my request. The clerk had an “Aha” moment. He brought me back down to the second floor, and there they all were. I can’t read a word of it, but it’s my favorite souvenir so far! A Japanese version of The Shining by Stephen King!
And for the record… I am not a nerd! I smiled all the way back to the hotel (not The Overlook!) and then some. It’ll go next to my Norwegian version of Carrie.
Tomorrow, I don’t plan to go far. I’ll step out for a bite to eat and all that, but I will take a day of rest and enjoy not moving too much.
I hope you all have a good day and that you are well. Thank you for following along on my adventures in Japan. I hope you are enjoying these block posts because I enjoy writing them.
Today was another travel day, and you don’t always expect travel days to be that exciting, but today was really kind of great. In the picture above, you should say if it was really kind of great, then you should be smiling, but as fast as that train moves, you can either take a picture or smile. It’s going pretty fast.
My travels today consisted of a 20-minute bus ride to the train station and then a three-hour train ride to Kyoto. It was peaceful and not crowded.
What strikes me about the countryside is that it is very much like Oklahoma. The only difference is that instead of growing wheat, they are growing rice. On any flat piece of ground, if there is not a building on it, there will be a garden, and in most cases, that garden will be growing rice.
Look familiar? If you’re from Oklahoma, it most certainly does. Although they have a lot more water than we do.
After arriving in Kyoto, I took another bus to my hotel. I read the reviews about this hotel, and there were some complaints about the rooms being too small. However, given the fact that land is at a premium in this country, I don’t think you can expect to have a sprawling room with lots of wasted space. Everything you need is right here, only a step away. I find the rooms to be absolutely delightful. The staff is very kind… Oh, I’m at the Hotel Resol Kyoto… it’s in the middle of everything, and there’s nothing that you are without. So, you can complain if you want, but this is a lovely place.
Besides, you have traveled 13 1/2 hours to be in Japan and an additional four hours to get to Kyoto from Tokyo, and you’re going to complain about the size of the room?! Get out and see the world, for crying out loud. You came this far. You are here. You are blessed and fortunate.
And then we hit the bucket list jackpot! Now we have discussed sushi, and you know that I am quite fond of the raw fish. Anytime I have the opportunity, I will try to eat my weight in the raw fish. I find fish, whether it be raw, broiled, fried, boiled, baked, canned, poached, etc., etc., etc., to be absolutely amazing. You know this. However, my all-time favorite is the sushi, and tonight I found the sushi conveyor belt. You pay based on the color of the plate. It goes round and round and round, and you just pick up what you want and eat it.
I kept saying to myself, “John, don’t embarrass yourself. John, don’t embarrass yourself.“ I reached a point when I just didn’t care! It was good, and I was happy. I was in a sushi-eating frenzy.
Look at all that loveliness go rolling by! It desires to fulfill it’s purpose in life by being eaten by me! 
Oh, don’t judge me! The yellow ones are beer. LOL. 
Afterward, I wasn’t quite ready to return to the hotel, so I wandered up and down the street for a bit, eventually ending up in a very small basement cocktail lounge. I was the only one there, along with the bartender, Uno. What a fantastic conversation we had. I understood most of what he said, and he understood most of what I said. We talked about Oklahoma, red beef, the differences between the big cities and the smaller towns, and, of all things, Pink Floyd.
My new friend, Uno, plays guitar. He’s a fan of Deep Purple but had never been introduced to Pink Floyd. He pulled up a track from The Dark Side of the Moon, and he’s hooked forever.
He gave me several recommendations on local restaurants that I need to check out, and I’ll do just that. He’s only about two doors down from my hotel, so I told him after my day was done tomorrow that I would swing by and let him know how things went. He seemed quite pleased with that.
What a good day.
Tomorrow is looking to be an exceptional day as well, including the fact that tomorrow’s blog post will include the word psithurism. One of the other spots I planned to visit means that I will need to get up early to beat the other tourists. Considering how I’ve been doing that every day, tomorrow should not be a problem.
That’s all I know for today. I pray your day has been good. Sleepy time in Kyoto. 
It was a travel day, but I still had the opportunity to see a little bit more of the world.
After breakfast, I left my hotel in Tokyo and took a cab to the station, where I caught Kodama721, a Shinkansen (bullet train) to Odawara.
As we sped along, I saw a mountain in the distance and wondered if it was Mount Fuji, but no. I believe that it was Mount Oyama.
The entire trip took exactly 30 minutes, whereas if I had traveled on a regular train, it would have taken a little over two hours. Go fast! From there, I rode the local train to Hakone.
Hakone is a bit of a resort town, and my hotel meets that requirement. I didn’t plan that; I just happened to get lucky. I’ll take lucky whenever I can get it! There is a beautiful bridge crossing over to the hotel from the train station.
You know what I had for breakfast (and it was tasty), but I did not see lunch coming. I had some time before I could check in and after perusing the menus of the three restaurants that are here, I picked one thing that I was not likely to find anywhere else, except in Japan—shark fin soup. It does not taste like chicken. It’s quite good with a very thick gravy.
Afterward, I went for a walk. I strolled through town, which is just one restaurant after another, and then found my way to a trail I just happened to come across. I walked up for several hundred yards and reached a dead end. I turned around and headed back towards the hotel when I saw a Y in the path, so I decided to go in that direction. I figured I needed to do penance for my shark fin soup.
At this stage, Fat Boy should have turned around when he hit the first switchback, but I kept going—switchback after switchback, climbing, climbing, climbing. I saw that there was a temple at the top and thought that could be fun. I will pay for this walk tomorrow, but it was worth it.
The first thing I saw as I came down the mountain was a Buddhist cemetery. Seems appropriate as I thought a couple of times during the climb I was going to need a cemetery. There is something very humbling about walking among the dead. It’s a good reminder. I’m serious. We only really think about it during the Season of Lent, so the occasional unannounced reminder is good for the soul.
As luck would have it, the temple was closed. However, the grounds are beautiful, and I spent some time just looking around.
It was a 15-minute walk back to the hotel, and it was definitely time to prop my feet up and take a nice cool shower. It seems that this place is famous for its Onsen (public bath.) Can I just say that’s not going to happen. It’s definitely the thing to do while in Japan, but I’m just a little too private for that one. I’ll spare everyone from having to look at this sexy beast. Instead, I’ll see what kind of Japanese whiskey they have in the bar. I still haven’t had the opportunity to say “Kanpai!”
I’m only here for the night. Tomorrow, we’re off to Kyoto. I’ll spend about three days there. It’s a place I really want to see. I suspect that it will be quite different from Tokyo.
I pray you all are doing well. Thanks for traveling along with me. Say a prayer that I’m smart enough to avoid the switchbacks in the very near future. 
How do we begin to describe this day? Well, given that it is the Lord‘s day we went to church. Saint Albans Episcopal Anglican Church in Tokyo. It was about a 30 minute train ride and I made all my connections. Arrived early and was able to pray my rosary before the service began. A very small church in size but it seemed to be a vibrant congregation. I would say that half the members were African.
The service was straight out of the Book of Common Prayer. Very few deviations. I like that in a service. The sermon was good however following the sermon (the priest was a graduate of Nashotah House) the former priest to the church (also a graduate of Nashotah House) gave a small presentation on a gift that he had received and that he was now giving to the diocese. The gift was a FUMIE.
A fumi-e (踏み絵, fumi “stepping-on” + e “picture”) was a likeness of Jesus or Mary to which the religious authorities of Japan required suspected Christians to step, in order to demonstrate that they were not members of the outlawed Christian religion. If they refused, they were put to death and a most horrible way.
The priest who gifted the fumie to the diocese provided us with a detailed description of how they were put to death. I’m not going to go into that here. They were the Martyrs of Japan. It’s worth reading up on.
During the announcements, they invited the visitors to tell who they were and where they were from. Yours truly spoke up and gave a loud shout out for Enid, Oklahoma! Funny thing, that was not my only connection with Oklahoma for the day.
Following the service, the day turned into a bit of a tourist outing. As I turned the corner on the street that leads up to the church I saw the Tokyo Tower.
I said to myself, “Self, you’ve got to get up there!” Both self and I were of the opinion that we would not be climbing the stairs, but we took the elevator. What a ride. It goes up and up and up.
Standing 1,092 feet high in central Tokyo, Tokyo Tower (東京タワー) is the world’s tallest, self-supported steel tower and 10 feet taller than its model, the Eiffel Tower. A symbol of Japan’s post-war rebirth as a major economic power, Tokyo Tower was the country’s tallest structure from its completion in 1958 until 2012 when it was surpassed by the Tokyo Skytree. In addition to being a popular tourist spot, Tokyo Tower serves as a broadcast antenna.
820 feet up is the top observation deck. Yours truly wrote the elevator all the way there. I can honestly say I felt a bit woozy at times, but what a view.

Selfie of the day.
What goes up must come down…
To get my feedback on the ground, I traveled to the Imperial Gardens. Most everything has bloomed except for the azaleas. The variations of green were fantastic though.
At this point, I had been on the go for about eight hours and I had not eaten since breakfast. I was hungry. I took two trains to get back to the general area of my hotel, and then found a sushi bar. I ate my weight in sushi. I also had four very tasty beers. I had the salmon, shrimp, eel, salmon roe, tuna, mackerel, shrimp… and when all that was done, I looked at the guy and said, “I’ve never had sea urchin before. I think I need to try that.” I did. Salty and earthy. I would eat it again, but it’s not on the top of the list. I topped all that off with a salmon skin roll garnished with salmon roe. Dang! Good eats for sure!
Now, when I ordered the sea urchin, I noticed the two girls at the end of this bar about three seats away from me. They were very friendly and we chatted a bit. But they watched me eat that sea urchin, and then we discussed it. Come to find out, they were from Stillwater, Oklahoma. They both work at OSU. We had a really good laugh about that. They have one more day here and then they’re on their way home. How strange is that? There are over 14 million people living in Tokyo and I happen to run into two people from Oklahoma. A very good day.
Tomorrow, I have absolutely no idea what’s on the agenda, but I do believe that I’m going to go and visit some more of the churches that are here. I don’t know what the architectural style is but I have not seen it before. More on that tomorrow.
I pray you all are well. My cat sitter extraordinaire sent a picture of The Queen. She seems to be doing well.
Silly photos…
Of course, Godzilla had to make an appearance!Too cloudy to see it, but it’s in that general vicinity. 
I left Oklahoma City sometime yesterday with a layover in Dallas and then a 13 1/2-hour flight to Tokyo. I’m not gonna complain about that flight because I got to come to Japan, but I will say… Dang! It’s a long flight. I flew American Airlines and they did pretty good. I fly Japan Airlines on the way home. 
I arrived at my hotel intending to get out and explore the neighborhood. That didn’t happen. I got to the hotel about 5:30 PM and I was out like a light by 7:30 PM. I don’t sleep real well on airplanes, but I slept good last night. I woke up at about 5:30 AM Tokyo time and started the day at 6:30 AM with a nice cup of coffee. Breakfast at seven… Now that was fun. I have no idea what I ate to be perfectly honest with you. I know there were some eggs involved and possibly some toast but after that, I really don’t know. There was some kind of fish there were noodles and some very tasty morsels that I said to myself, you’re here,  you might as well try them.
I was traveling by 7:30 AM and exploring the city. It’s crazy here! There are people everywhere. My first destination and the one place on the list that I wanted to see was the Gotokuji Temple, also known as the cat temple, but it is temporarily closed because of a certain festival that is going on. I don’t think I’m going to get to see it as it will be closed for three days. I’ll keep watching the schedule to see if it opens up. When that didn’t work out, I jumped on another train… Speaking of trains.
The trains go everywhere. They are color-coded. For the most part, the trains are all underground. You spend a lot of time underground in this city. I’m slowly figuring it out, but I will say that I have gotten on the wrong train more than once and gone in the wrong direction several times. It starts to make sense after a while and all I can say is thank goodness for Google Maps. It keeps you going in more or less the right direction.
My next stop was the Shibuya Scramble Crossing which is pictured above. It’s a place where everything comes together. It was fun to see, and I did cross it several times (a couple of those times were because I was going in the wrong direction.) Everyone gathers at the crosswalk waiting for the green go-ahead, and then you just start walking in the direction you want to  go. It’s marked off but basically, folks go wherever they wanna go. It is highly recommended that you not go when you’re not supposed to go. It’s a good way to get run over. After such madness, I decided I needed a little bit of calm and made my way to the Meiji Jingu Shrine, which is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken.
Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan, deeply rooted in its culture and history. It’s a polytheistic religion with no founder, sacred text, or dogma, emphasizing a sense of harmony with nature and veneration of the “kami,” spirits or deities believed to reside in all things. Shinto practices include visiting shrines, offering prayers, and observing festivals, often intertwined with everyday life and traditions.
OTORITHE GRAND SHRINE -GATE) this is the biggest wooden “Torii” of the Myõjin  style in Japan, rebuilt and dedicated via pious benefactor on December 23, 1915 and model both inform and size exactly after the original built in 1920. The material wood is “Hinoki” (Japan Cypress). 1500 years old from Mount Tandai-san Taiwan.Sake
During the Meiji Era, Emperor Meiji, whose divine soul is enshrined here at Meiji Jingu, led the industrial growth and modernization of Japan by encouraging various industries and supporting technological development.
Due to their grace and virtue, Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken, the beloved mother of our nation whose soul is also enshrined here, are held in the highest esteem by the Japanese people.
These sake barrels are offered every year to the enshrined deities by members of the Meiji Jingu Zenkoku Shuzo Keishinkai (Meiji Jingu Nationwide Sake Brewers Association) including the Kotokai, which has made offerings of sake for generations, as well as other sake brewers around Japan wishing to show their deep respect forthe souls of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.
In addition to stating our humble gratitude to all of the brewers who have so graciously donated their sake, we also pray for the continuous prosperity of the sake brewing industry and all the other industries maintaining Japan’s traditional culture.
Just on the other side of the street are barrels of wine!
The barrels of wine to be consecrated at Meiji Jing have been offered by the celebrated wineries of Bourgogne in France on the initiative of Mr. Yashiko Sata, Representative, House of Burgundy in Tokyo, Honorary Citizen of Bourgogne and owner of the Chateau de Chailly Hotel-Golf. Profound gratitude is due to the winemakers who have so generously contributed to this precious gift to be consecrated here to the spirit of world peace and amity, with the earnest prayer that France and Japan will enjoy many more fruitful years of friendship.
Once you arrive inside the shrine, they ask you to not take pictures. However, just outside of the shrine was a wedding party. The bride was all smiles.
I then made my way across town (after getting lost on the train a little bit) to the big 3-D cat billboard. It’s just one of those things you got to see! Everybody was standing around with their phones pointed up towards it.
This was followed by a stroll around the city. I came to a wildly popular place that was jammed up with people.
Can you see Godzilla?
This is where I learned an important lesson: Japan is a very clean city. You will very rarely see any garbage on the ground or in the gutters. IF you begin to see garbage on the ground and the place gets a bit smelly, you are in the wrong part of town! You need to turn around and go back. You will be offered all sorts of things as you pass through this area. I don’t feel like it was unsafe, but it was definitely not somewhere you want to linger.
From there, I found a nice little restaurant and enjoyed a bit of lunch. I also reached the point where I was hot and tired after going for about eight hours. I took a couple of trains and actually made the right connection on the first try and arrived back at my hotel, which reminds me… Not nearly as confusing as the train, but still requiring a certain amount of study is the toilet. 
If all goes as planned, I’ll be at church tomorrow at Saint Albans Episcopal – Anglican Church. See you then.
Candle in a Cave 