Continuation of Asian Journey

This was another lovely day, and another day with some trips to places of note.  The most memorable one was a shrine that had HUGE trees and had been built to honor Emperor Meiji.  The most memorable thing about this shrine was a wedding procession we witnessed while there.

Can you imagine having a door like this one in your home?  And this one wasn't even my favorite!

Here's where my favorite part comes in; we saw a wedding procession.  The bride was Japanese and the groom was not, but almost all were in traditional garb.  The procession was led by Shinto officials and two temple assistants, then the bride and groom, a monk with a red bamboo parasol (my favorite part of the procession), then family members in formal wear.  They crossed a courtyard, went through a gate on the other side and were gone.  It was a special moment. 

And now my favorite door:

 The final photo was taken outside the shrine where a little boy was struggling with his new pull toy.  At the moment I took his picture, he had subdued the recalcitrant toy and was savoring the moment of victory!