Scott headed to the National Museum of Western Art, eager to check out the architectural design of a famous Le Corbusier building. Meanwhile, I spent a couple of hours at the Tokyo National Museum, learning about Japan’s rich history. The museum was really well-signed, making it easy to navigate and absorb fascinating details about Japan’s art, samurai culture, and ancient traditions. I loved the opportunity to learn more about the country beyond what I’d seen so far.
I had hoped to attend the 2:30 PM English Mass at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, which was either a 40-minute walk or a 24-minute train ride away. However, since I would have been venturing out on my own without internet access, I ultimately decided against it. The idea of getting lost in the world’s largest city with no way to call or text anyone was a little too daunting! Instead, I returned to our Airbnb and joined Fr. Mike Schmitz’s online Mass—not the same as in person but adequate given the circumstances.
Interestingly, only 1% of the Japanese population is Catholic, so Catholic sites in Japan are not prevalent. Inspired by Hallow’s Pray40 Lenten series, I’ve been listening to “Song for Nagasaki” (this audiobook is available for free on FORMED), which outlines the powerful conversion story of Takashi Nagai, a scientist, convert and survivor of the atomic bomb. It tells the moving story of his spiritual journey from Shintoism to atheism to Catholicism. It’s a great read/listen; I highly recommend!
The Disney crew returned around 9:30 PM, full of excitement and stories about their day. Hearing about their adventures made me wish I could be in two places at once—but felt good about my peaceful, history-filled day in Ueno!
No comments:
Post a Comment