Aishiteru, Takah!
Chapter 15's
The car stops in front of a fairly modern building that reads Toshimaen Niwa-No-Yu (Toshima Hot Water Park). The name Hot Water Park was given because this place is located side by side with Nihon Teien (Japanese garden) which is very broad.
Nihon Teien is an artificial garden created to recreate the beauty of the natural landscape in a traditional Japanese way.
In addition to the natural Onsen that is located facing Nihon Teien, another attraction of this place is that visitors can enter the body zone by wearing a swimsuit.
***
After getting the room and putting our suitcases away, taka and I headed to Onsen which was right outside using the bathrobe (a dressing dress made of towel or other cloth that could absorb water) provided by the inn. We rented a private Kashiki or Onsen facility because of a common Onsen rule one of which prohibits tattooed visitors from using the facility.
The onsen we rented was made of natural rock that was stacked in such a way and not too big. This onsen has direct views over the beautiful Nihon Teien.
***
I woke up with a body that felt fresh when the sky was still dark. Soaking in natural hot water is actually efficacious to make the body relax and sleep more soundly. Taka had woken up a while ago when his phone rang and showed me the prayer time. From the corner of my eye, I saw him perform dawn prayers and pretend to be back asleep as he tried to wake me up.
"Do I have to remove the tattoo on my hand?" ask when I get back up on the bed.
"Why ask like that?"
"From the article I read, tattoos block the entry of water that serves to purify themselves. Would my worship be accepted if even water could not purify my body?" said it.
For a moment, I stared at him stunned, "For that matter I think you can discuss it with the people in Tokyo Camii. It's nothing, my understanding is limited as well, so if I explain something related to religion to you, I'm afraid of giving out misinformation.
And as for the matter of worship, I also cannot decide whether your worship is valid or not. No one knows whether their worship is accepted by God or not. The point is to carry out the obligations ordered, that's all," I explained my thoughts to Taka who was then embraced.
"I understand" he said slowly. We were silent for a while before he returned to his voice. "Go back to sleep, we'll go to the studio to hand Shinoda your passport. Maybe after that we'll go for a walk."
I smiled broadly at her words and pulled a thick blanket over my body.
***
Shinoda's condition already looks funny with a cast attached to his right foot. When he met me, he was busy telling me why his legs could be sprained. All the other band members are also gathering for a trip to South Korea. Me and Taka spent until lunch and then we decided to go to Ikebukuro.
***
Ikebukuro is a commercial and entertainment district located in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. The district is adjacent to Nerima district, where we stayed.
Our destination is Ikebukuro Station. As I said, in Japan there are many tourist attractions around the station.
In the central part of Ikebukuro there is a train and subway station. At the western exit, there is a Chinatown inhabited by Chinese immigrants. They came to Ikebukuro in 1986 and still survive to this day. Many of them sell various original products from China. Although quite crowded, Taka said that Ikebukuro Chinatown is smaller and less popular than Yokohama Chinatown located in the southern part of Tokyo.
Near the city center there is an owl statue called Ikefukuro-zo which means owl statue lake. This owl statue is quite famous as the Hachiko statue located in front of Shibuya Station.
We spent the afternoon at Otome Road, a leading shopping area for Otaku products aimed at women. Otaku is a Japanese term used to refer to people who actually pursue a hobby. Many Otaku come and look for their collectibles in this place.
