Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Sunday With My Friend - Lunch, Half Year Festival, Sumpu Castle Park, and Cappuccino

Sunday I took the train to Shizuoka City to meet up with a friend I hadn't seen in a while. We had a nice time catching up.  


First, we enjoyed lunch at an Asian restaurant called Colonial Kitchen. We each ordered, then shared our meals.





Very close to the restaurant is this shrine. We had visited this shrine in 2018, and as it happened, the same time of year.  It was again the Half Year Festival.



I think this is the name and address of this place.




Here is what this is about: First, you go through the straw hoop and come around to the left.  Next, you pass through the hoop again and go around to the right. Finally, you go straight through and touch the papers hanging down. This is supposed to end the bad things that happened in the first six months of the year and let you start out the second six months fresh. Or something like that.









This cute tiny car was parked at the shrine. I don't know, but I imagine it belongs to the priest.



Next we went to Sumpu Castle Park and walked around, talking.



This is the famous Tokygawa Ieyasu statue.



Finally, we went to a coffee shop and each had a cappuccino.



After this, it was getting late.  We said good-bye and promised to get together again soon.

6 comments:

Queeniepatch said...

A day like this, fills you with energy, doesn't it? Perfect to recharge your batteries after having wiped off any bad things from the first six months of the year.

Vireya said...

I would like a way to wipe off the first half of the year and start fresh! I wonder if it works if you just walk around in that pattern without the special hoop to go through?

Jeanie said...

This sounds like a wonderful day. I love the photos of your meal. And what a great time you had!

diamondc said...

Pamela: You have such an amazing life, you are such an interesting person to follow, thank-you for sharing all the beautiful trips and stitching you share with us.
It is so much fun reading about Japanese traditions, I tell my husband about some of the places you have shared with us, he can remember the ones he visited when he lived in Japan, some of the same you have visited.

Catherine

Leonore Winterer said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful day! Did you and your friend go through the hoop?

Toki said...

I'm glad you met your friends after a long time and had a good time.😊
I also like illy cappuccino.