The otherday it was the festival for the start of the

hagoita, which is an old traditional bat and ball game
which Japanese think somehow resembles Badminton



We went to have a look about, and see what was there,
and rub shoulders with the crowd.


Out the front are lots of young lads, just waiting to take
you for a pull around the local area, it was a cold day, and
while they provide blankets for the passenger, I noticed that
they were all sweating





The front gate has a VERY large paper lantern, this places is 
called kaminari mon (this means Thunder gate)





Once through the front gate, on the way to the entrance to the temple
grounds, there are LOTS of folk selling all manner of foods, and
souviners ... just more potential garbage, but that is the subject
of another www page.






one of the things that is sold, is a small food called O-manjyu which
is basicaly a sweet pancake type pastry, over the red sweet bean called
anko



here is the inside after a bite of it, just to let you know
what it looks like ... the taste, is quite sweet, and best eaten very fresh






Another thing sold is a little red man, with one eye called a daruma.
you buy these fellas and then set a target of some nature to attain
and after you have achieved this, you then paint in his eye to symbolise
that you have done it. The fifth fella in the second row from the right
was looking at me, so I thought I'd take his photo.

  


Just infront ot the temple, there is a big bronze bucket, with a very
smokey fire in it. There are many people standing around it, and waving
the smoke into their faces, this is said to bring wisdom. I hope
that it works :-) 





The front steps of the temple lead up to a box, where your are supposed
to throw some money into, before going inside.  Of course since Buddists
are supposed to seek a life where they renounce all of the sins of the flesh
I thought that I'd help them by not providing them with temptation of
money...







Around the side of the temple, and away from the bustle of the crowd
is a taste of the calm and scerenity that temples are supposed to be





with some very nice gardens too




Outside of the temple grounds (while walking back home) we came across
an old fellow, selling pipes, and cleaning pipes. He worked out of a sidecar
on the side of his bicycle, and had been working there (then riding home) for
40 years!!





in the back of the stall, there is a very cute, perfect minature boiler
which he uses to operate a small bloody loud whistle to let the customers
know that he was about.  As well the boiler provided power to steam clean
the tar out of the pipes ... I didn't consider a cuppa char with him ;-)

 


to keep warm, and to cook his lunch, he had an new style Hibachi, these
are interesting, as they don't use coal to provide heat, but chemical heater
like in webbers or in some of those camping stoves that burn a small
brickette




either way, it keeps his feet warm, and his Mochi cooked
I had lots of fun, and it was another of the interesting places here in Tokyo