"Big lantern!"
"Touya-sama, were there giants here in the past?"
"No, no, there aren't any...!"
While answering Hilda like that, I too look up at the Kaminarimon with the children.
We walked over to Kaminarimon, the gate to Senso-ji Temple.
Maybe because I’ve become a child, it feels so much bigger now.
On the right side, there’s the Wind God, and on the left side, the Thunder God. I think the formal name of Kaminarimon was 'Fūraijinmon.'
"This one is the God of Wind, and the one over there is the God of Thunder."
"Gods, you say?"
"Dad, have you met them?"
"Met... them? I don’t think so...?"
I haven’t, right? When I was invited to a banquet with the gods in the heavenly realm, I don’t think these types of gods were there...
But there might have been gods called 'Wind God' or 'Thunder God.' Whether these are the same gods as the Fūraijin and Raijin here, I’m not sure.
As expected, for the sake of memories, we all took a photo in front of Kaminarimon.
A foreign lady visiting for sightseeing took the photo for us. In return, we took a picture for her and her group. Give and take.
Thanks to the translation item, we don’t have any trouble with language.
As expected of one of Japan's major tourist spots, there are so many foreign tourists. Just like us, there are constant people taking photos in front of the gate.
Anyway, I told everyone to hold hands, especially the mother and child groups, so they wouldn’t get lost. Well, Kuon is only holding hands with Yumina and Alice, so she’s got both hands full.
Me? I’m alone. What’s wrong with that? I’m fine, even if I get lost, I can manage on my own. Not jealous, really...
When we passed through the gate, I noticed a magnificent dragon carved under the lantern. Since dragons also call the wind and thunder... Are they friends with the Wind and Thunder Gods?
"Wow! There are so many shops!"
"This is magnificent."
After passing through Kaminarimon, we enter Nakamise Street. It's the approach to Senso-ji Temple, and I heard it's one of the oldest shopping streets in Japan.
Various souvenir shops and food vendors are lined up on both sides of the street. Oh, Ningyo-yaki! I have to buy some of these. Grandpa’s friends often bought these as souvenirs.
"Ice cream is being sold over there!"
"They’re selling dumplings here!"
"That stuffed animal is cute...!"
"Ah, wait...!"
While I was distracted by the Ningyo-yaki, everyone rushed off to their favorite shops. Is this what they mean by family fragmentation...? No, that’s not it.
Well, everyone knows that if they just walk straight, they’ll reach Senso-ji Temple, so they won’t get lost too much... They each have smartphones, and if things get really bad, we can use [Search] as a last resort.
For now, I’ll calmly buy the Ningyo-yaki. I’ll get a few boxes with and without red bean filling.
Oh, I also need to buy some Thunder Rice Crackers over there. Oh, Asakusa Seaweed! I’ll take some of that too... Wait, I’m saying this, but I can’t really complain about the others...
But really, there are so many shops... From classic Tokyo souvenirs to handbags and hats. They’re even selling sandals.
These Geta, maybe I should buy some for the World Gods... These white sandals might suit Grandma Tokie.
Alright, I’ll buy both.
Oh, over there, Linne and Linze are buying sweet potato yokan. Over there, Arcia and Lu are eating soft-serve ice cream. They look happy, but remember to stick together!
After gathering the two groups, we continued down Nakamise Street, where Kuon was being fitted with T-shirts by Yumina and Alice at a clothing store.
Hmm, Alice... How about that T-shirt with 'Ninja' written in big letters? And Yumina’s 'I♡Asakusa' T-shirt... I don’t think that would be understood in another world...
When I stopped the two, they changed it to a more neutral Japanese-style T-shirt, and Kuon seemed relieved. Apparently, she had some doubts about their fashion sense. Things like that are aimed at foreign tourists...
...That said, I’m going to buy the Ninja T-shirt as a souvenir for Tsubaki-san and the Kunoichi trio. They’ll be the perfect ones to wear it.
As I picked up the fun... no, stylish T-shirt and was about to move on, I heard a surprised voice and a commotion from ahead.
Wondering what happened, I rushed over, and there, at the intersection, Yae was holding down a bearded man with a hunting cap, around 30 years old.
Huh!? What’s going on!?
"Hey, Yae!? What are you doing!?"
"Oh, master. This guy is a pickpocket. He stole the wallet from that lady’s bag. I chased him down and subdued him."
"Ah! My wallet!?"
When Yae took the wallet from the man’s pocket, a woman in her forties nearby cried out.
It seems he really was a pickpocket.
"Nice job, lady! You did well!"
"Hey, call the police, call the police!"
The surrounding tourists and shopkeepers cheered.
The pickpocket struggled under Yae’s grip, but with her twisting his arm and pressing his back with her knee, he couldn’t move at all.
Soon, two police officers arrived, and the pickpocket was taken away. The lady whose wallet was stolen thanked Yae multiple times.
This commotion caused everyone else who was in the nearby shops to come over, and before we knew it, we were all gathered together.
"We’ve become quite noticeable."
"Sorry about that..."
"Well, it’s not like we did anything wrong, so it’s fine."
It wasn’t a problem, but the man who sold Ningyo-yaki praised Yaee, saying, "Well done! Take these!" and gave her a bag full of Ningyo-yaki.
I had already bought some as souvenirs, but I wanted some for myself, so this was a pleasant surprise.
Happy with the unexpected addition to our souvenirs, we continued down Nakamise Street and came to a large red-painted gate.
It was the Hozomon Gate, leading to the main hall of Senso-ji Temple. To the left, we could see the five-story pagoda.
In the center, there was a large lantern with 'Kobun-machi' written on it. On either side were the Nio statues. One with its mouth open was the Agyo statue, and the one with its mouth closed was the Ungyo statue.
When I passed through the gate, I noticed there was also a dragon carved beneath the lantern, just like at Kaminarimon.
"Big straw sandals!"
"Huh?"
At the sudden shout from Steph, I turned around to see large straw sandals hanging on either side of the back of the Hozomon Gate, or rather the wall facing the main hall.
Since Yae and Eashen sometimes wear them, Steph must have known what they were.
I heard they were dedicated from Yamagata, but I wonder if there’s any special meaning behind them?
As I looked back at the sandals, I noticed there were places selling Omikuji (fortune slips) and Omamori (charms) with the Shrine Office nearby, and right in front of us was the grand main hall of Senso-ji Temple. It was huge...
I believe this is the oldest temple in Tokyo, with a history going back about 1400 years, all the way to the Asuka period, right?
"Legend says that two fisherman brothers pulled up a Kannon statue from the Sumida River, and that’s when the temple started. On the day the statue was pulled up, a golden dragon is said to have descended from the sky, which is why the temple is named 'Kinryuzan Senso-ji.'"
"Wait, that’s a bit too detailed...?"
"We should properly use the benefits of civilization, shouldn’t we?"
Saying that, Leen shook her smartphone back and forth. Oh, she just looked it up.
It’s convenient to be able to look things up while seeing the real thing.
For now, let’s skip the Omikuji and go to the main hall to pay our respects.
"I see smoke rising..."
Linze was looking at the large incense burner in the courtyard in front of the main hall, from which smoke was rising. Worshippers were drawing the smoke toward their bodies as if bathing in it.
Ah, I’ve seen this on TV before. I think it’s said that "if you apply the smoke from the incense burner to the parts of your body that are ill, it will help heal them."
When I explained this, everyone looked at me with puzzled faces. Damn, they all use healing magic regularly...
And since the wives are divine beings, and the kids are half-gods, they probably don’t need this...
Well, let’s experience it anyway, so I’ll bathe in the smoke... I’ll put it on my head. It’s not necessarily a good thing, though...
To the right, there was a Chozuya (purification fountain). It had eight dragons surrounding a statue in armor, from which water was flowing.
"What... what does this say?"
The pedestal had "Sakkyōrōryūō Zō (Shakura Dragon King Statue) " written on it, but I couldn’t read it. Well, it’s a Dragon King statue, right?
There are dragons even on the ceiling. There’s a lot of dragon imagery here, huh... Well, it’s "Kinryuzan Senso-ji," so I guess dragons are the protectors here.
After purifying my hands and mouth at the Chozuya, I finally headed toward the main hall.
There was a huge lantern hanging here too.
"Let’s see, two bows, two claps, and one bow, right?"
"No, that’s for shrines. At temples, we just put our hands together and bow at the end."
I answered Elze, who was holding Elna’s hand. I think that’s right. I remember being laughed at by Grandpa for clapping at a temple before.
Oh, I need to give everyone their offerings. While we were lining up for the main hall, I handed out coins for the offering box.
I made sure to avoid 10 yen and 500 yen coins since they have superstitions about them being bad luck.
When it was our turn, we all tossed our offerings into the box. We clasped our hands and bowed.
I prayed that this journey would be safe.
"Welcome back! How was your sightseeing in Tokyo?"
Dad came from the back. Since Dad is looking at Fuyuka, I guess Mom must be working?
"We went up the Skytree, visited Kappabashi Tool Street, and prayed at Senso-ji Temple."
"Huh? I get Skytree and Senso-ji, but why Kappabashi...?"
Dad looked a bit confused at my answer for a moment, but when he saw Asia and Rue, he seemed to understand and nodded in agreement.
After spending a week together, it seems like he’s starting to get everyone’s personalities and preferences.
"Now, let’s get started on dinner!"
"Mom, let’s try out the kitchen tools we bought at Kappabashi! Dad, please bring them out!"
Rue and Asia put on the aprons they had just bought with great enthusiasm. They were clearly excited to use the new kitchen tools. Well, I can’t blame them for that.
I take out the kitchen tools from [Storage] as instructed by them.
Huh, you want me to take out kids' meal plates and a boat for serving sashimi too? Looks like it’s going to be a very diverse dinner today...
It’s not exactly afternoon tea, but I place the Ningyo-yaki (traditional doll-shaped sweets) we bought on the table. Since it’s before dinner, everyone can have only two. I’ll put both the red bean-filled and the non-filled ones on the table.
"Ningyo-yaki, huh? It’s been a while. You can’t visit Asakusa without buying these."
Dad picked up a Ningyo-yaki with nostalgia and took a bite. Fuyuka, sitting next to him, was also happily munching on a Ningyo-yaki.
"Didn’t you live in Tokyo before you got married, Dad?"
"Yeah. I lived in Suginami, and the publishing house I worked for was in Shinjuku, so I didn’t go to Asakusa much."
Suginami is on the west side of Tokyo, I think? If his publishing house was in Shinjuku, he probably wouldn’t have gone much further than that.
"I met Tsuzuri-san, who had come to Tokyo to submit her manuscript, when I went on an errand for the editor I assisted. She was still a middle schooler when I first met her, but she was such a beautiful girl... Ouch!?"
"What are you telling the kids!?"
Mom, standing behind, smacked Dad’s head with her fist, making him writhe in agony.
She really hit him hard... That must’ve hurt a lot... Even if it’s to cover up his embarrassment, could she have been a little gentler...? I bet everyone—Mom, Dad, and the kids—were surprised.
I unexpectedly learned how my parents met, but Mom was in middle school back then, right? If she was fifteen, that means Dad was... twenty-one with a six-year age gap.
A twenty-one-year-old falling in love with a fifteen-year-old middle schooler... It feels a bit off...
I heard someone say "What about you?" though. Yeah, I know I can’t really say much...
"Huh?"
"Nothing, it’s fine."
I smiled awkwardly at Sue, who noticed my gaze. There’s a similar age gap between me and Sue, so... Is this what they mean by 'blood can’t be helped'?
Well, they’re living happily now, so it’s probably not a problem. Probably.
I cast a healing spell on Dad, who was still holding his head in pain. The pain should go away now.
"Ningyo-yaki, huh. I like the ones without red bean filling."
Mom, leaving us behind, took a Ningyo-yaki without the red bean filling and ate it. One of the reasons I bought both the red bean-filled and non-filled ones was because I thought Mom would prefer the non-filled ones.
Mom likes the skin of dorayaki more than the red bean paste. She’s not against red beans, but sometimes the paste feels too heavy for her.
"Dad, take out the stuffed animal I bought for Fuyuka."
"Huh? Oh, sure."
Following Elna’s instructions, I took out the yellow bus-shaped cat plush from [Storage].
"Nyambasu!"
Fuyuka hugged the plush with the biggest smile, clearly happy. It seems like Fuyuka really loves this anime. Well, considering it’s from Mom and Dad, I thought they’d probably show it to her. I was also made to watch it.
As Fuyuka happily played with the cat plush, I noticed Blanca behind her, staring with eyes like a Tibetan sand fox. Wait, you’re not jealous of a plush toy, are you? You’re supposed to be a god...
Eventually, dinner was ready, and a massive meal, with two large low tables put together, was laid out. The dishes that Rue and Asia had prepared were arranged in an impressive array.
Before the kids were plates of kids' meals. Why kids' meals for dinner?
There was a small omelette, Napolitan spaghetti, a hamburger, fried shrimp, fruit, and a mound of chicken rice shaped in a mold with a flag standing on top. It looked quite elaborate. Lots of effort was put into it.
In front of Dad, Mom, and the wives were regular-sized hamburgers and omelettes. There was also a boat of sashimi on the boat dish I had bought.
...And why is there a kids' meal in front of me too? Not that it’s a problem... A space shuttle kids' meal plate...?
I carefully eat the chicken rice, trying not to knock over the flag. It’s delicious.
While I’m savoring the chicken rice, Dad sitting next to me spoke.
"Have you decided where we’re going tomorrow?"
"No, if we keep dragging the kids around crowded places every day, they’ll get exhausted. I’m thinking of taking a break tomorrow."
We still have another week. If we keep taking them to crowded places every day, they’ll definitely get tired.
I don’t necessarily want to make memories by going to tourist spots. I want to make memories with the kids and us. The place doesn’t matter.
When you go to tourist spots, it tends to become routine: see the place, take pictures, buy souvenirs. While that’s memorable, it’s also nice to spend time relaxing at home.
Well, since my kids are so active, I’m not sure if we’ll be able to relax much...
"By the way, there’s a festival in the neighboring town tomorrow. How about we all go?"
"Oh, right. I almost forgot about that. Should I go buy everyone’s yukatas tomorrow?"
Mom agreed with Dad’s suggestion. What happened to my plan to rest tomorrow?
"We have enough fabric for our yukatas. I’ll make the kids’ ones now."
"‘Now’?"
Linze, smiling as if it were no big deal, said this, and Dad and Mom tilted their heads.
Well, with Linze, she’ll probably have ten yukatas ready in about an hour. Oh, does that make it eleven, since I need one too?
After dinner, Linze immediately started making yukatas. Only Alice and I were measured, though. She said the sizes for the other kids were already inputted.
"Eh... what’s with this speed...?"
"Are you using magic or something?"
"Well, it’s not exactly magic... more like Linze’s special ability?"
I answered the two, who were left speechless. I couldn’t explain it any other way.
The yukatas that were finished were the same color as Mom’s for the daughters, and Alice’s was an ice-blue yukata.
That’s fine. But why does Kuon have a normal yukata while I’m wearing a jinbei?
"Fuyu-san, I thought this would suit you better."
"Yeah, it suits you, Fuyu-kun... It really shows your playful side."
Dad, what exactly do you mean by that? Hmm? Everyone else seems to be trying hard not to laugh...
"Uh, there’s something on the back..."
"Huh?"
Following Kuon’s words, I went to the entrance and looked at my back in the mirror there.
Then, I saw that a large embroidery of Kokoro (in her baby tiger form) was on the back of my jinbei. What’s this...! I didn’t know because I changed into it... Linze, what did you do!?
"It looks great. Wear it to the festival tomorrow."
"Eh...? Really?"
Is this a decision? A decision? With Mom’s final word, my outfit for tomorrow’s festival was decided.
It might work as a kids' shirt design, but...
Well, it can’t be helped. I guess Kokoro will be coming to the festival with us tomorrow.
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