Like a few nights ago, I drove to Unidy (my favorite hardware store) at the wrong time and got caught in massive traffic. I know two ways to go to Unidy, my very careful sister-in-law's way and my mother-in-law's more risky shortcut. I got tired of waiting in traffic and decided to turn off and start my mother-in-law's shortcut early. Did I mention that Japan goes not adhere to the grid system of road planning? That nothing is straight?
I knew the road I wanted to be on was northwest of me but the road kept twisting and turning and dead ending. As I saw some open fields, I started to feel just a little panic that I had indeed gotten myself lost in the dark, possibly in the country-side, and not a phone or policeman in sight. In fact, I realized had arrogantly left the "getting found" card at home.
I repeated my mantra about getting lost (You're not really lost, you just don't know where you are, you haven't left Japan or fallen off the Earth, you know you're in the Matsudo area and home is in that general direction, the internal gyroscope is not wrong about this). And, just as I was wondering if I might have to sleep in the car, I saw a bright neon sign of a drug store I knew and I found the road again! Now I know a lot more about the area near Unidy.
However, getting lost doesn't always lead to panic. It can also lead to interesting discoveries. Like yesterday in Matsudo, I deliberately walked a different route and went down several interesting streets and found this- A little, old, dog shrine.
There were lots people with dogs around and I think they take their dogs here for a blessing
Look at this fierce little guardian
I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley.
2 comments:
Are these shrines kept up by the local public, an individual, or the city/state? This one is great; love the guardian.
I think it is a mix of support. I think little shrines are over seen by bigger local shrines but supported by donations from people visisting. I usually try to give a little when I visit.
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