Day 281, Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan
For the past couple of days the weather has been rainy and barely above freezing. I haven’t even wanted to walk to cherry blossom park for a Starbucks. But today the sun made a showing, so we extracted the girls from their laptops and went out. Cali said she wanted to see something “very Japanese” while also getting getting some souvenirs for herself and her friends back home. We knew just the place, and went to Asakusa, which delivers her requested combination of temple/trinkets, shrine/souvenirs.
A weekday is less crowded than the weekends at Senso-ji. Perhaps the popularity of this site is how it combines the Buddhist Senso-ji Temple with the Shinto Asukasa Shrine. Since many Japanese are both Shinto and Buddhist it makes sense that these two would buildings would also coexist in the same location.
Thunder gate.
But first you must pass through the main thunder gate, Kaminarimon. The enormous red paper lantern hangs in the center. Forget having lion statues flanking your driveway, everyone should have a thunder gate. They are awesome. After you pass through the thunder, you shuffle with the masses through the crowded corridor of shops, do your penance shopping, and arrive at a second and equally impressive inner gate called Hozomon or the treasure house gate.
Looking back of Thunder Gate.
While you shuffle-shop your want to the temple, you may notice a few things. There are quite a few younger women wearing their kimonos out for the day. You need to have at least one friend with you who is also wearing hers.
This is the place to buy affordable kimonos. The shoe selection was my favorite part.
High heel geta.
There are also many interesting food shops. Most treats are put in sectioned boxes and wrapped in fancy paper. 
Madi and Cali left to get ice cream. Cali returned and said we had to wait because Madi was in ice cream jail. I went back and she was in the crowded little shop with everyone else, eating her cone. Before the man handed over the ice cream he pulled it back and instructed, “You no walk outside. You eat in my shop.” She had to agree before he would hand it to her. Here it’s not acceptable to eat or drink while you walk. There are also signs in Tokyo that you cannot walk while smoking, there are small designated outdoor smoking areas. On the subway trains there are announcements that you cannot talk on your cell phone and to please turn of cell phone ringers or notifications. All of these regulations and suggestions are an effort to make a very crowded city more pleasant for everyone. We’ve in favor of all of them, except for having an ice cream cone on the move.
Madi in ice cream jail.
There is a broad range of shops, kimono, samurai weapons and swords, fans, fancy treats. 
All of our little purchases were wrapped individually in the shops. The girls noted that we should have labeled them as we went.
We hit both of Cali’s targets for the day.