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vimeo - Setagaya Kannon

Took a trip this weekend to a small town called Sangenjaya near Shibuya. A few classmates and myself were in search of a temple that not even friends who lived here knew of. Setagaya Kannon is a unique because its only one of a few places in Japan that recognizes and memorializes Kamikaze pilots. With the exception of occasional chants and the pounding of a drum the temple was completely silent. I could feel a sense of awkwardness at times as a few Japanese men stared before paying their respects to the soldiers. Nonetheless the colorful trees and warm air provided a perfect place to take in some history and snap a few pictures. Shortly after we ate lunch and decided to take a trip into Shibuya where we did a little Karaoke and ate an unusual cake called “honey toast”, a toasted loaf of bread with a few toppings. Click the gallery above to take a look.