Gen and Project's Day of FUUUUUN! (but with heaviness too...)

Our first Saturday (our weekly free day) was spent with most of us going out to Tokyo station to see the Imperial Palace and then to Asakusa to see a famous plaza with a few huge Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.

The Imperial Palace was easy to find, but it turns out it's only open like, never, and we could only really walk around the perimeter of the grounds, which were surrounded by a moat, which is pretty cool.

But it's a gorgeous area with huuuuge open spaces of grass and trees, so it provided for some awesome photo opportunities.

AND right across the street is a small plaza of fountains where we got some great shots!
Haha... I kinda crack myself up in this one...

It's like a 10-member band's photoshoot.

My personal favorite... ...where you can see remnants of my figure skating days. Check out that arch!



Then over to Asakusa.

At the beginning, it was great- the temples/shrines are pretty impressive (although the main Buddhist temple was boarded up on the outside for renovations- probably in preparation for the IOC. Tokyo is a finalist bid city for the 2016 Olympics- the host of which will be decided this October). I put pictures up of Asakusa from my year as a Project participant on my 07 Project blog (genintokyo.blogspot.com) so you can see what it looks like there.

Then things got a little more serious...
We went inside the main temple (still open, inspite of exterior cleanup) and were impressed by the ornate decorations for about 1.5 seconds. Then we saw the people and our hearts were just shattered. In my two years since the last time I went to Asakusa, I'd forgotten just how much i hated that place. Hordes of Japanese people were flowing through the temple, throwing money into the wells and praying- PASSIONATELY- to the altars and golden decorations, which I'm guessing represent their many gods? See, I grew up in Tokyo, but my parents protected me from this kind of thing, being in a Christian home. So it was hitting me all over again just how lost these people are. Throughout most of the city, all you see is a very efficient, "put-together" culture of extremely friendly, seemingly happy people. And then you scratch just an inch under the surface, and you see a hopeless people, seeking promise and salvation in all the wrong places. They come to the temple to pray to gods they have no idea about, they put blessing smoke on their bodies not really knowing what it'll do, they drink blessing water, just hoping that it'll bring them good fortune and satisfaction. Seeing this just broke my heart... I turned around and saw a few of our team members just JET out of there, overcome with emotion.

Like I said, I was reminded of how much I hated that place, but at the same time, it was a wonderful reminder of how much the Japanese people need hope. And it was great to realize all over again how amazing the hope that we have in Christ is! We want it for these people so badly.

I'm reminded of the words of a worship song that's fast climbing my favorites list:
"You are God of this city
You are King of these people
You are Lord of this nation
You are

You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City"

He is LORD. So in being Lord of creation, Lord of the earth, Lord of the New Jerusalem which is to come, He is Lord of all and is most certainly Lord of Tokyo. The enemy was trying hard to discourage us by trying to show us just how much of a stronghold he has here in Japan. But God is bigger and He made sure that all we got was a broken heart for the people of Tokyo. God was answering the prayer in another one of my favorite worship songs:
"Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause
As I walk from earth into Eternity"

It really was a great day. Lots of fun moments, cool sightseeing, and great revelation from God. I love that He wins. I love that He has already won. And I love that we get to share in that victory.