Day 16 Niigata

The last day of our cruise our ship docks in Niigata we say goodbye to the crew and board the Shinkansen for Tokyo. Asakusa is our first stop in this capital city.  Asakusa is an area full of fast moving shoppers all walking talking and enjoying as they proceed along and between several Shrines, Temples, Gates. Sensoji (the official name) is dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon, the goddess of compassion. According to legend, the statue of the Kannon was found by two fishermen. Hajino Nakatomo, the headman of their village, recognized the sanctity of the statue and enshrined the statue by remaking his own house into a small temple in Asakusa so that the villagers could worship the god. The blessing of the Kannon gradually received a higher reputation throughout Japan and people from near and far flocked to pray to the god. During the Kamakura period (1192-1333) it became the center of worship for the Kannon’s ardent devotees. Millions of visitors now come every month to pray for the Kannon’s blessings for both themselves and their families and give thanks for the patronage of the god. The Kannon is worshiped in many families in Japan as the Virgin Mother Mary is in Western countries. The face of Kannon is often depicted as that of a gentle and noble lady. According to Buddhist teaching, the Kannon is the god of compassion and has great power to release human beings from all kinds of sufferings. Kannon has great power to purify people and help them obtain true happiness. The sutra says “As soon as people’s cries of agony reach the Kannon, the bodhisattva takes pity on them and saves them from the torture of the Hell. If people offer sincere prayers to the Kannon, even fire cannot burn them, and water cannot drown them”. Using Tokyo as our new “home base” we explore more of the city and take day trips out to Mt. Fuji, Hakone, Nikko and Kamakura.