Although my first day in Japan was accompanied by rain, my second (and final 😦 )  day in Japan was extremely beautiful! 🙂

I traveled to Asakusa to visit the Buddhist Temple, Sensoji.  I was blown away by how the beautiful architecture was made EVEN MORE beautiful by the way it was decorated with intricate designs and beautiful colors.

Before I entered the holiest part of the temple, there were some traditional actions that I needed to do first. (Fortunately, I had a friend with me who was able to explain what I had to do. 🙂 )

First, I went to the smoke well, scooped out smoke with my hand, and placed the smoke on the part of my body that I felt was ailed. It is believed that the smoke will heal you.

Second, I went to the cleansing fountain. I took a ladle, scooped out water, and poured it into each of my hands. Then, I put water from my hand in my mouth and spit it out in the drain surrounding the base of the fountain.

Once I got to the holiest part of the temple, I made an offering, clapped, bowed, and said a prayer.

After this, I learned how to get my fortune.

First, I made an offering. Then, I shook a box (labeled “fortune”) until a stick with a number on it came out.

Then, I found the drawer that matched the number on my stick. This was where I found my fortune.

After this, I left the Buddhist Temple and visited the Shinto Shrine located next to it.

Afterwards, I traveled to Ueno Park in order to see many beautiful sakura (cherry blossom) trees! When I visited Japan, I was super lucky because the cherry blossoms bloomed earlier than normal! This park was just BREATHTAKING! ❤

My trip  to Japan was only 2 full days, but it was TRULY AMAZING! ❤