Hi, my name is Millie Reitherman. I am a sophomore in high school in the bubble of a city we call Santa Barbara, California. I am lucky enough to live in a city that is a travel destination in itself, with beautiful, cascading mountains that seem to flow right into the Pacific Ocean. I am also lucky enough to have also traveled outside of my little bubble to places in Asia, Europe, and all around North America. Reflecting on what I love about these places as well as my home town have lead me to the same conclusion each time; I love the hidden things. Whether it be a small coffee shop or a secluded temple, adventures are so much more meaningful if there is an essence of discovery and a lack of feeling mainstream. This is the main inspiration for my blog; what if I made a cite where tourists could find the best gems for a certain city instead of the basic destinations that ten million people have already visited? Because, being the selfish people we are, we all love a little originality to brag about;)

This previous summer, I took my biggest adventure yet. I went to sprawling Tokyo, as well as a small riokon near Mt. Fuji and the classic city of Kyoto which I will feature in a future blog. Tokyo was insane and that’s basically all I can describe it as. The culture is different by leaps and bounds and it was a huge shock for me just how new this section of the world is from my own. Tokyo is one of the most populated and visited cities in Japan and there are millions of major tourist attractions that, me included, visited. Fresh off the plane, my family decided to climb to the observation tower at Tokyo Tower with a commanding view of all the city. The emmesity of it completely dumbfounded me. After climbing down and heading back to our hotel, we came across our first hidden gem and the star of this post. Zojoji Temple.

This wasn’t any normal temple, if any temple is anything close to normal to us dumb (no offense) Americans. The large gates in front make a perfect picture frame from the most amazing contrast; an old, classical temple with the metal, Eiffel Tower on steroids, sky scraper behind it. The surrounding grounds were full of hidden artifacts and Buddhist sculptures that were beautiful in their own ways. My dad, who is a photographer, and I were in heaven and went picture crazy, trying to capture every little moment in this secluded area.

The coolest part of this temple and the surrounding area were hundreds of stone figures of children, each adorned with little hats, colorful windmills, and small accessories. Looking closer at a sign next to this display, we found that each little figure was dedicated to a child that died before he or she was born and is titled the Garden of Statues of Unborn Children. This kinda stopped us all in our tracks. The beauty of these small children against the lush green bushes and trees in the background created a very symbolic and peaceful display of respect. If the Japanese know how to do one thing well, it sure is respect. Through all the temples as well as the way everyone conducts themselves and honors filial piety, proper admiration is everywhere in this Asian Island. This is something that is beyond respectable and is a true testimont to why Japan’s society is generally so peaceful.

Zojoji Temple is high on my list for anyone wanting to travel off the map in Tokyo. Stay tuned for next week when I share another hidden gem this world has to offer!!