Big in Japan? At Least with Ravens, I Am

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I'm just off the heels of a phenomenal trip to Japan. It was precious time, two weeks with the whole family. And though I did not pack my podcaster hat, I couldn't help but immerse myself in the country, the culture, and sought off the beaten trail places where ancient history was kept alive right next to mega-modern skyscrapers. I had to share some of my favorite stories, and moments, with you, and am doing a deep dive into the clay figurines I saw first hand at the Tokyo National Museum that are fixtures on History Channel's Ancient Aliens, dedicating an entire episode to dogus and the connection I feel they have with an ancient spiritual creature from Japan.

Let's get into it! Stories from Japan 2024!
General comments about the gift of travel

We travel for a myriad of reasons, to reconnect with people; to stretch out of our comfort zones, to shift or expand our perspectives; and at least temporarily to suspend the bellybutton-close vision we have of reality, yes zooming out on that miopic point of view.

My recent trip did just that. 6000 miles by plane, Japan is a country that spent most of its history isolated from the western world. Tokyo is a city that is as large as New York City and London COMBINED, which is hard to wrap my mind around.

Japanese culture is calcitrant in its manners, formalities, customs, and timeliness. Yes, even in the midst of modern times where everyone is plugged into social media; their culture remains intact. Though I did catch a few moments, slips of some pushing for this steadfast culture to change, subtle glimpses from the youth. Teeny tiny acts of rebellion; anarchy in a sense, but in order to spot them my vision had to become microscopic. And part of my vision came from being confronted by an officer at a baseball game.

But more on that later.
Sources and Materials

Asakusa's Sensoji Temple

If you wish to see the objects found in the burial mound I climbed click here

Great blog post about the place I went on my solo adventure - Todoroki Valley

Setagaya - a place of art and literature - guide

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