[Date & Time] Monday, September 19, 8:40—14:20
[Spots] Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Hasedera Temple, and Kotokuin Temple (Great Buddha)
[Visitors] 1 Spanish couple
[Attendant] 1 KSGG member
[Language] Spanish
In the morning of the tour, I received an e-mail with a picture of Totsuka Station. It said, “We are now at Higashi-Totsuka Station. Is this the right train?” I felt as if we were already friends because we had exchanged a lot of e-mails. When I met them for the first time, they did not seem to be strangers. At Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, first we purified ourselves by washing our hands and rinsing our mouths at temizuya (a water basin). Then they drew omikuji (a slip of fortune-telling paper). His fortune was kichi (second best), but hers was kyo (bad) with “Beware of marriage.” I smiled wryly because I had heard that he would propose to her during this tour.
On Komachi Dori Street they bought sake, tried tsukemono (pickles), and enjoyed shopping at a beans shop, filling their mouths with senbei (rice crackers). At Hasedera Temple, it began drizzling but stopped soon. We visited the garden of Room of Sutras Copy with kare-sansui (a rock garden).
At Kotokuin Temple, they were surprised at the huge size of the Great Buddha and got inside of it. After that we had lunch. He had sashimi-zen (raw fish and small dishes) and she enjoyed sukiyaki with beef from Hayama. He ate a little wasabi, mistaking it for avocado! They looked delighted with washi-ningyo (paper dolls made of Japanese traditional paper), which I gave to them.
As I had heard many times about Spanish greetings, we parted with a farewell kiss. I heartily hope they will be happy.
★Guiding the Couple around Kawasaki (second day)
[Date & Time] Wednesday, September 21, at 10:00–16:20
[Spots] Nihon Minkaen (The Japan Open-Air Folk House Museum) and The Fujiko・F・Fujio Museum
[Visitors] 1 Spanish couple
[Attendants] 2 KSGG members
[Language] English
This guiding for two days became an unforgettable experience for me. During this tour, I joined them at the most important moment in life when he proposed to her and she said OK. A new couple was born and after this moment their tour in Japan became not a mere tour but a honeymoon with a real meaning.
As they seemed to be very friendly with each other, I thought they were a married couple. I had asked a KSGG partner to prepare a set of washi-ningyo (doll-shaped paper bookmark) for the visitors as a commemoration of the guided tour. When I met them, the woman said that they were not married. I thought I should have prepared two sets of washi-ningyo. However, they decided to get married. The washi-ningyo may have become their matchmaker. When I handed it to them, explaining washi-ningyo, they said “Thank you” in Japanese. She was born in Niece, France and now teaches French, which she is good at.
When we were relaxing around irori (sunken hearths) in the room with a raised floor, he whispered into my ear that he would propose to her in The Fujiko・F・Fujio Museum, which features such anime as Doraemon. He showed me the engagement ring, asking me not to tell her about his proposal, as she didn’t know about it. Though it was Wednesday, the museum was so crowded that it was difficult to find a place for them to be alone. In the garden, when there were a few people around them, he set his camera in the selfie mode and recorded everything from his proposal to her acceptance. The picture shows their smiling faces after her acceptance of his proposal. I’ll finish my report, praying for their long happy married life.