Kameido Tenjin Shrine

We had a Wisteria plant in TN.  I had a love hate relationship with it.  It didn't ever bloom the way I think it was supposed to and instead just got really wild.  Every year I'd hack away at it hoping that trimming it would make it grow better.  In TN they also had wild wisteria that would grow along the freeway.  I loved seeing that every spring.  So, maybe I can't grow Wisteria and it always attracted bugs but I still really love to see a Wisteria bush in bloom.  I was excited when we moved here and saw so many trellises with Wisteria and couldn't wait for them to bloom this spring.  Felicity, who is basically my primary adventure buddy, and I, headed to Kameido Tenjin Shrine to see the wisteria.  They were setting up for a festival that was starting that night so we got to see some other interesting things like fish on a stick and Felicity got to eat a chocolate covered banana.  We made a few stops at parks on the way, one that is on our route to the subway, and another bigger, fun park right at the exit of the subway in another part of the city.  It was supposed to rain on us and we did get some sprinkles but thankfully, the real rain held off.  It wasn't a super close shrine--maybe 45 mins away--so by the time we made the trip, saw the wisteria, and headed back to the station, Felicity was hungry and needed a potty.  I found a mall and a McDonalds.  I thought I was ordering her chicken nuggets and fries but the interaction with the lady at the checkout counter was really awkward.  Usually, with a place like McDonalds, they provide a menu that you can point at what you want but this one didn't have that option.  I'm sure it looked pretty funny to an observer to watch the two of us try and understand each other.  Regardless, she was pleased with her nuggets.  The wisteria at the shrine was beautiful and we even ran into some friends who were also out adventuring, and then some more friends at the park.  In a city as big as Tokyo, I thought that was pretty lucky.  

Covid hit our house soon after so I wasn't able to go on any more trips to find wisteria.  Next year.