Pictures from around Tokyo

Many of you have not seen a lot of the pictures that we share on Facebook, so I decided to post some here. Please enjoy!

Asparagus Bun

This is an Asparagus Bun. The Japanese seem to like including things in their bread that we would consider to be odd in the USA. I often see some various vegetables, corn,
small fish, etc. included with bread. Some popular breads are also hotdogs and buns with spaghetti on them, which are both left out in the cold.

Shinkansen

This is one of the bullet trains that can be found around Tokyo. They travel at a top speed of about 200 miles per hour. On board it is a very smooth ride. They are about equal in price to a domestic airplane ticket.

Ema

This is an "Ema", or a Shinto prayer request poster. Basically people write their pray-requests on a piece of wood and hang it here in the hopes that a spirit will see and answer it. They are common around Shinto shrine areas.

Gacha Gacha Toy Machine

This is a Gacha Gacha toy machine. They are all around Japan because Japanese people love miniature things. Here is a detailed video on it: ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b9xoU0cy28 ) Just like in many American grocery stores you can buy these cheap toys in a plastic bubble for anywhere from $1 to $5.

Mini Bike

Japanese people love miniature things. This was a miniature bike that I got permission to take a picture of. It was kind of funny seeing a tough guy with a cigarette and a tiny bike!

Pagoda

In Japan in special places Pagodas can often be found. This particular Pagoda was on top of a mountain in the Okutama City area. It was certainly unexpected. We basically came upon it at the last second on top of a mountain. I did not even know that it was going to be there. Japanese like to build shrines, temples, and pagodas on top of high places. In the Bible in the Old Testament when I think of 'high places' that were used to worship pagan gods, I often think of the same thing here in Japan in their high places.

Apartment Mailbox

This is an average apartment mailbox. Most Japanese people live in 'Mansion Apartments' which are huge flats with hundreds of rooms. This particular apartment had 500 separate rooms in it. Whenever I talk about putting out 250 gospel tracts a day, these are the types of places that I go. This particular apartment took me two separate trips to completely fill up. Tokyo has millions of people, so it is quite easy to put out hundreds of tracts each day. To day I have put out close to 70,000 tracts in apartments. (These don't count the ones that I hand out in person, or leave in places.) In Tokyo there are about 40 million people, so I have barely dented the population with basic gospel tract coverage. Usually about 1-5% of people will actually read the website on the back of the gospel tracts. The website has youtube videos and websites about Christianity, God, Salvation, Evolution, and good churches. Please pray for those people who are interested to be saved and connected with a good Bible believing church!

Salted Roasted Fish Stand

This was an unusual treat to see. These are salted roasted fish for about $3 to $5 dollars. A traditional Japanese snack indeed. Throughout Tokyo there are many traditional type foods and stands to sell to passersby. One of the neat things about being in a large city area is to see the great varieties of foods.

Buddhist Shrine

This is a Buddhist shrine that is close to where we live. In Japan practically every street corner has some kind of a Buddhist or Shinto shrine. They are deeply embedded into the local culture. We often see people praying at this particular shrine in the morning. They will pray, ring a bell, and throw a coin in. Often times they pray for prosperity and health. Their idea of God is more of a mysterious energy, rather than a personal loving God. Most people do not actually believe in Buddhism or Shintoism when asked. They just follow these traditions because their ancestors followed these traditions. Nonetheless they are strongly influential upon their souls as they are dedicated multiple times in Shinto temples throughout their childhood.

Squatting Toilet

This is the famous "squatty potty". For the Westerner this is highly unusual. If you ever go to Asia you will see them. (Probably some ares in Europe too!) You basically stand and squat over the front part near the flushing handle. It requires a lot of balancing to do correctly. As Americans we could probably not imagine an older person trying this, but in Japan it is quite common as the people here are very limber.

Tanuki

This is a Tanuki. They are considered to be good luck animals that can also be mischievous. They are basically a unique raccoon - dog type animal that exists here in Japan. Often these little statues are seen outside of restaurants. Japanese people love to make small statues of various animals and people to place around gardens, houses, and public areas.

Busy Tokyo Train

This is a typical shot of the morning Rush-Hour on the train in Tokyo. Usually the train capacity is two to three times its norm during this time. It is not uncommon to be crushed by a wave of people trying to get into the train in the morning. Usually Japanese people do not touch each other, however in the morning they have no problems with getting close and comfortable with each other on the train to work! Here is a typical video of such an occurance:( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7kor5nHtZQ )

Wheat Field

Finally, this is a picture of a wheat harvest happening right in the middle of an urban neighborhood. In Tokyo the Japanese people make the best use of the small bits of land that they have to plant various crops!