of dolls, babies, weddings and mochi
So the woman who gave me the man-catcher invited me to accompany her and her daughter to a museum with a hina doll collection. A museum displaying dolls. Perfect. (That was sarcasm, incase it needed explanation.) But along the way we stopped at the Meiji shrine, where wedding pictures were being taken in traditional dress and babies were being blessed in their little kimono wraps (both of which can be seen in the picture). We also had the most amazing Japanese meal I've eaten yet, which they ordered for me in a beautiful little restaurant. They had to teach me proper dining ettiquette with chopstics and multiple little plates and bowls, an experience both interesting and embarrassing. We passed by the D&G, Gucci, et al. shops on the way, which were a spectical in post-modern architecure. Gucci boasted two white-gloved doormen, both of whom could have been models (and that's saying a lot compared to most men I've seen here!) There was a traditional Japanese garden at the museum, and the plum trees were beginning to bloom, which means cherry blossoms are on their way! Afterwards, we wandered the high-end streets looking for a tea house, but could not find one to their liking. This was most fortunate for me since I have learned that dessert tastes can be very nation-specific and they wanted me to feast on red bean cakes. All-in-all, a pleasant day.