Today I went to Utsunomiya to by a cell phone, and while I was waiting for the phone to be ready (it takes an hour) I decided to walk down the street to buy someone a birthday present.
I should thank them a million times over for having a birthday.
On the way back I took a short cut through a department store, and I came out onto the street across from a place where a shrine stands at the top of a tall hill. Tonight it was lit up against the horizon, just the gate at the top and the steps all the way up. I decided to cross the street and walk by for a closer look.
I crossed the street and stopped there, staring up the steps at the lighted gate, and without really thinking about it started across the concrete to the bottom of them. As I walked the J'pop blaring from the store behind me faded, like sounds do when you walk away along with the cars and the busses and all of the city souds, faded just like in a movie or a short story, and I started to hear the chirping of the various insects around the shrine. I started up the steps and put my hand on the rail and ran it up through the water beaded there from the rain earlier in the afternoon. I kind of got a chill from it, both because it was cold and because I just love water, even in beads on railings.
I came up the steps slow and noticed the minishrines on the side of the hill were less well lit. i thought that made them even prettier than in the daytime, but I kept going up until I reached the big, lighted gate.
There were electric lights inside the main shrine building, so I walked by and looked at a prayer board I bought last week, then I walked back to one of the smaller structures which pretty obviously didn't have elecric lights, but something light was inside there too. It must have been a candle.
I backed up, fished out five yen and went to the main part of the shrine again to pray. I dropped in my coin and clapped, but for the moment I just couldn't think of anything to wish for. It all seemed so silly to wish for when I had nights like this. I mimbled something in my head about happness for me and those I love
I left the shrine and went back through the gate, and as soon as I passed through it I heard busses. It's like the place is protcted from sound or something.
I also got a cell phone. All in all a very good day.