Day 5 - Edo-Tokyo Architectural Park

We're not far from Koganei Park, which is home to an interesting open-air museum of the evolving architecture of the Tokyo area. It was hot again today and we walked a lot, but I loved hearing the girls get into history and architecture. The buildings in the park have been moved from various locations around the region, and you walk from house to house - traveling from era to era. As you enter each building, you take off your shoes and leave them on the shelf in the entryway (or carry them in plastic bags through the house if the shelves are full.)

 

The first house was the home of a government minister in the 1920s who was assassinated in the 2/26 incident - an attempted military coup. He was killed in a second floor bedroom.

Japanese people have always loved their baths, or o-furo, and this one is a good example of a cast-iron o-furo. You fill it with water and then light a fire under it that vents outside. A high incentive not to put too much wood on the fire.

The house had pretty Japanese gardens with lots of moss,

and these cool blossoms - can anyone identify them?

The park also had more modern exhibits like this trolley car,

 and these modern appliances.

The humid heat drains us after a few hours, so we've settled into a pattern of morning activities and afternoon resting under the A/C. Even though it's only been a few days, it's starting to feel like we belong here. (Every time Lila sees a sign in English, she says "this is just like America!" Finding food she'll eat is our biggest challenge so far.  So far - convenience store pancakes, chicken kara-age, and eggs.

Some of the girls are also sick of Japanese mosquitos.

Tomorrow we'll see if we can find the church. It will be interesting to compare it with my missionary memories from 25 years ago.

蒸し暑い！