In a certain TV program they said Asakusa was crowded
with people from many other countries.
When did I visit Asakusa last? A few years ago?
And yesterday I went to Asakusa by myself.
Somehow I don't like taking a subway.
Is it because I feel uneasy or I can see nothing
out of the window?
I seldom go downtown by subway---never alone.
Yesterday I said to myself, “If you are used to 大江戸線,
you'll be able to visit various places in Tokyo.”
I decided to go to Asakusa by subway 大江戸線.
I took the subway 大江戸線 at Nakai on the Seibu Line
and changed the trains at Daimon for Asakusa.
I had to go up and down many stairs.
I was lucky enough to be that strong.
Here I am at Asakusa!
Yes, the approach to the 浅草寺 temple was so crowded. There are a lot of shops on each side of the approach,
which is named 仲見世通り.
People were enjoying walking, shopping, talking or eating.
There were long lines of people waiting to get せんべい・
人形焼・ソフトクリームetc.
They all looked happy.
I saw nobody angry.
Some took 浅草寺 for a shrine.
They bowed twice, clapped twice and bowed again at the end.
This is the Shinto way to worship.
That's OK, I thought. They might be people from other countries.
I bought a glass of 甘酒 for 200 yen and 舟和のどら焼き for 210
yen.
On the morning of Nov. 29, I went to Nagaoka Station
by the Joetsu-Shinkansen.
Then I took a taxi to go to Tochio, my birthplace,
where my sister and her husband live.
The taxi driver happened to be a lady driver.
She was far younger than me and we enjoyed talking a lot.
Oh, how happy I was to see my sister!
What a relief!
She looked to be in good condition.
She was afraid of severe winter coming, though.
Everything was ready for winter.
The next day I called a taxi and we went to my favorite
restaurant in a village called すがばたけ.
My sister’s husband is getting harder to walk.
But he can stand up.
My sister and I supported him on each side and the taxi driver
took his both hands in his, and my sister's husband managed
to walk step by step into the restaurant.
How excited I was to be there again with my sister
and her husband!