NA MU AA MI DA BU TSU

Good Morning Japan! Good Night Blighty! I got religious this morning! We said Buddhist prayers this morning. If there's anything that would really space you out, it's that.

We woke up at about 6, and it's still stupidly humid at that time in the morning. You thought it was humid during that heatwave last week? Exactly. Isami then collected us, and took us to the temple next to where we are staying.

Rather stereotypical, but c'mon, it looks lovely

Shoes then came off (everywhere in Japan does it), and we wondered into the main hall of the temple. We met the priest and his apprentices/ assistants (I'm not entirely sure what to call them) and we started praying.

Everything is handbuilt. Tatami is everywhere too!

We were given specially translated prayer sheets, and I followed it quite well! I sat next to a man whose name who I rudely didn't ask for, but he helped me read through and and what to do. There's lots of drone singing, and as I said, makes you space out.

Then after we finished, we moved into a different hall, separated from the main temple. We were given more prayer translations, and again, I followed along quite well. And then they sped up, aaaand there was no chance of me managing to ad-lib my way through. We then stopped for pictures with the priest, who suggested 'thumbs up'. How un-Japanese! Thumbs instead of the pecace sign? Weird.

Anyways, I'm now back, and eating lots of sweetbread for breakfast. In a while, I will meet up with my host family, and I will spend a day and a night with them. I genuinely have no idea what to expect.

Namu Amida Butsu!
Niall