Shuri Castle

Thursday, April 30th--The monorail is the only train that runs throughout ALL of Okinawa--and it only goes through half of the city of Naha.  It runs straight from the Naha Airport to Shuri Castle.  If you want to go anywhere else, you have to find other forms of public transportation.  Having just one little monorail to use to get around instead of the extensive metro system in Tokyo seemed a little strange to us.  Another difference between the Tokyo metro and the Naha monorail was that the monorail is completely above ground and gave us a good view of the city.

We went to the end of the monorail line and began our walk of a few blocks to Shuri Castle.  On the way, we noticed this lion dog or "shisa" outside of a small restaurant.  We took a picture with him, thinking he was cute and unique, but soon noticed that they are ALL OVER Okinawa.  They grace many rooftops and are at almost every entrance we saw throughout the entire island.
The Okinawa shisa come primarily from the Chinese, but have changed through the centuries from the fearsome and regal guardians of royal palaces to more frolicsome and fun figures.  Though this one is alone, shisa usually come in pairs.  One will have a closed mouth to keep in the good spirits and the other has an open mouth to chase away the bad. It is thought that one shisa is a male and the other one a female.  And although such guardian lion-dogs are found throughout Asia, it is believed that only on Okinawa are they placed on homes and commercial buildings. Elsewhere, they serve as symbols of authority at royal palaces and shrines.

We found the walls to Shuri Castle (on the east side) and walked around to the south looking for an opening.  We found a picture of one of the gates a couple hundred years ago......

....right next to the actual gate!  Here are some of the kids in front of the gate.  Unfortunately, this gate was locked and no one was around.  Shuri Castle is a very big deal....we couldn't figure out why no one was around.  We were probably at the back entrance.  This tends to be what we always do--we ALWAYS seem to find the back entrances and enter them first.  We decided to backtrack and walk around to the north.

As we were walking, we found a whole bunch of Easter lilies!  They were just growing in random spots all over the place!  Oh. So. Pretty.  We learned that the Easter lily is native to the Ryukyu Islands (the largest of these islands is Okinawa).  We didn't know that these pretty lilies had ties to Japan!  During our time in Okinawa, we saw Easter lilies all over the entire island.  They grow here like dandelions do in America.  We loved it!

The pathway along the rock wall of Shuri Castle.

Surely, we will find another gate that will let us in......

Things began looking up when we came upon this old shrine.  The gate was locked, but we could look down on it from the hill above and enjoy its beauty.  We found out later that this was the temple of the Ryukyu Kingdom's Royal Family.

By now, we were SWEATING.  It was soooo hot and soooo humid, and we just aren't used to this kind of heat!

On the path, we next came upon this shrine set in the middle of a small pond.  We crossed the bridge and explored it.  The shrine was made of wood and looked like it was very old.  It was no longer in use, but was fun to look at.  It was built to store some precious Buddhist scriptures that had been received from the king of Korea.

Next to the shrine, there was these two old and small stone structures.  A small pagoda and a block with a lily on it.

Ducks were swimming in the pond, and we found some baby ducks!  So cute!  We watched these ducks swim with their mama in the pond before moving on.

We next happened upon a really neat place!  We found the entrance to the Japanese 32nd Army Underground Headquarters!!  HOLY COW!!  They built these headquarters under Shuri Castle thinking that because Shuri is such a cherished historical place, it would be spared any bombing by the Americans and therefore would be a safe place for the Japanese to have their army headquarters. The series of tunnels that created the entire army headquarters was huge!
In December of 1944, construction of the headquarters shelter began, which mobilized numerous Okinawan students and local residents.  It was finished by March 1945 and the 32nd Army moved into the underground shelter and prepared for the battle against the U.S.

The shelter had five connecting tunnels, but these tunnels are now blocked and no one can go into the shelter.

Over 1,000 officers, soldiers, and the local civilians and students who served them lived together in the headquarters.  The shelter was equipped with facilities and the equipment necessary for the battle command and along both sides of the passageways were double and/or triple bunk beds for the soldiers to rest.

On May 22, 1945, the Japanese military command decided to withdraw to Mabuni in the southern region on Okinawa.  This was a hold-out strategy to delay a decisive battle on mainland Japan.  A full-scale withdrawal began in the evening of May 27th, and the main areas and passageways of the headquarters were destroyed.  Many precious lives were lost during the evacuation activities of both troops and civilians as the 32nd Japanese Army withdrew from these headquarters.  On May 31, Shuri was seized by the U.S. forces.  

Here are some pictures of what the inside looked like.  

The entrance was barred, and the only thing around to commemorate what a significant place this is was the marker with a plaque of information and the few black and white pictures.  There were also a couple of bouquets of flowers on the ground.

We moved on, still looking for main entrance to Shuri Castle.

The kids were amazed by the lush, thick foliage and by how big the leaves were.

Getting closer!  This is just outside the entrance to the castle.  It is known as the "Stone Gate of the Sonohiyan Utaki Shrine".  This stone gate was the place where the king of the Ryukyus prayed whenever he left the castle to ensure a safe journey.  The design consists of unique Okinawan techniques along with Japanese and Chinese influences.  This stone gate was a Japanese National Treasure before WWII, but it was badly damaged during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.  It was restored in 1957.  Logan is standing in front of it, and Audra and Nathan are wandering around in the corner of the picture.

We finally found the main entrance to Shuri Castle!  This gate is called the Kankaimon which translates into "Gate of Welcome".   It was originally built sometime around 1477-1500.  Notice the shisa dogs on each side.  From 1429 to 1879, Shuri Castle served the people of the Ryukyu Kingdom.  For 500 years, the castle was the center of the Ryukyu politics, diplomacy and culture and was where the king lived.  The castle walls are made from interlocking blocks of coral limestone, and measures to a length of 1,080 meters.  The walls vary in height, from 6-15 meters high and 3 meters wide.  

American Commodore Matthew Perry came to Shuri Castle twice, and demanded to see the king.  It is recorded that both times he was denied an audience with the king or queen.

In July 2000, the G-8 Summit was held in Okinawa.  During the summit, the world leaders from America, Russia, Germany, France, Britain, Canada, Italy, and Japan met for a banquet at Shuri Castle.  Along with lobster and a seaweed appetizer, the menu for the banquet held at the ancient Shuri Castle featured Okinawan delicacies such as pigeon meat wrapped in soybean milk skin, pig ear and herb salad served with either black sugar cane molasses or seaweed sauce dressing.  Our president at the time was Bill Clinton, and we saw pictures of him hobnobbing with the other world leaders of the time at the very places that we were standing as we toured this Okinawan historical treasure.  (Notice the picture of the world leaders standing in front of Shuri Castle in the lower left corner.....we stood as a family in roughly the same spot.)

Audra liked the shisa dogs, she thought they were cute and wanted her picture taken with one.

We went through the gate and found a large grassy courtyard with several small buildings scattered around.  We went through the courtyard and approached this large red gate so that we could get into the castle plaza.  You have to pay to get into the castle plaza and Shuri Castle itself, and it was a little pricey for our large family.

Once we passed through the red gate, we entered a large plaza....and in front of us was THE Shuri Castle!  It was absolutely stunning to behold!  Absolutely beautiful!!  (Remember the picture of the world leaders at the G-8 Summit?  Here we are close to the same spot.)

The ancient Ryukyu Kingdom did a lot of trade with China, Japan and other countries in Southeast Asia, so there were many cultural influences throughout the Ryukyu culture from all of these other countries.  We could quickly see that Shuri's architectural design and vermilion color differs significantly with the castles on mainland Japan.  We loved the beautiful dragons on the roof.  There are many dragons on the outside and inside of this castle because the dragon is a symbol of the throne.

The plaza itself was the site of many important rituals and ceremonies, including the New Year's ceremonies and the crowning of each king.  The red and white tiles form ranks to mark where officials and aristocrats of various ranks would stand for these ceremonies.  There is an aisle in the center--where we were standing--which was only used by the Ryukyu king, representatives of the Chinese Emperor, or others of similar rank.  Overall, the plaza and the buildings surrounding it were built as a miniature of the Forbidden City (the Imperial Palace) in Beijing.

This castle stopped being the Ryukyu kingdom's capital when the Japanese showed up in 1879 and demanded that Okinawa become a part of Japan.  

Most of the castle structures and and walls were reduced to ashes during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. During the bombing of Shuri Castle, much of the valuable cultural heritage that spoke of the history of the Ryukyu Kingdoms were destroyed.  Restoration began in 1972.  

The intricate details make this building truly a work of art.  Though this building is not original, it was rebuilt to be exactly in the same spot and same design as the original.  Notice the two stone dragons on either side of the stairs.  One dragon's mouth was open, the other mouth was closed.  Pieces of the original pillars are in the Okinawa Prefectural Museum.  While most of the castle's design reflects Chinese, Korean, and Japanese influence, these dragon pillars resemble those seen in palaces and temples in Cambodia and Thailand.  The Ryukyu traded heavily with that region during the 14th-16th centuries.

On the south side of the plaza is the Nanden, or "South Hall".  These buildings were very Japanese in style.  They were used to house Satsuma officials and Japanese-style ceremonies.

It is believed that these buildings were originally built around 1620, though some excavations indicate that it could have been before that.  In accordance with traditional Japanese architectural customs, these were never painted but instead the wood remained bare.

Sliding doors that can separate one large room into smaller rooms, lots of woodwork, and tatami mats...this is what we are used to seeing.

There are a few rooms in the back that the Ryukyu king would use as a place to take a break from his duties.  The straight lines and simplicity of the Japanese style along with the gorgeous Japanese-style gardens outside made this place very peaceful and serene.

We then went on a tour of the inside of Shuri Castle itself.  The entire inside was vermilion in color. It is three stories tall.

The castle had stunning decor.  After walking around the understated and serene buildings of the Japanese Nanden, Shuri Castle commanded your attention with the bright colors and liberal use of gold.  There were dragons everywhere.

Here are the kids in front of the throne room.  Kirstina is thrilled to be here, as you can see.  Audra wanted to wander around freely, but there were ropes marking off certain areas, and she wasn't happy that we were keeping her from going behind the ropes.  All of the kids are carrying grocery bags containing their shoes.  Just like everywhere else we have visited in Japan, we were required to take off our shoes.  We carried them with us the whole time we were touring inside the buildings of Shuri Castle.

Here is a good look at the throne without seven children in the way.

This is what the crown of the Ryukyu king looked like.

There were a few other relics behind glass, including these decorated vials.  

Talk about STEEP stairs!!

The pictures on the walls were painted scrolls, which is Japanese.

As we walked along, we noticed this glass on the floor that allowed us to look down at the stone wall below.  Since the beginning of Shuri Castle, the castle building has been destroyed four times because of fires and the Battle of Okinawa.  The stone pile that we can see through this glass are the remnants of a repeatedly destroyed and re-constructed Shuri Castle State Hall wall.

We left the castle and went into the Hokuden, or "North Hall".  This was built in the style of the Chinese and was where visiting Chinese officials stayed and Chinese-style ceremonies were held.  Commodore Perry was also entertained at a banquet in this building.  We went inside and found a few small exhibits that helped to learn more about Shuri Castle.  One exhibit was this model of the castle, the North and South Hall, and the striped plaza.  This model shows what the plaza would have looked like during a New Year's Day ceremony in which officials and aristocrats would fill the plaza.

This is a ceremonial umbrella that was used to shade the king and nobles during parades.  Fancy!

We were amused to see shisa dogs at the sink in the bathrooms.  There is a shisa dog on the tile above the sink, and a shisa head for the water spout.  A dragon was painted on the sink itself.

Besides the plaza and its surrounding buildings, there is a lot to see around Shuri Castle.  We wandered around some more, and even though we knew where we were, the whole place is so vast that we still felt a little lost.

Some of the Shuri Castle wall, the city of Naha, and the East China Sea in the background.

The kids were given these pamphlets containing a map of Shuri Castle and some information regarding the historical places to see while on the grounds.  There were specific places that it taught the kids about, and when you went to that spot there would be a table with a stamp.  The kids could stamp their pamphlet in the box provided next to the information and then move onto the next place.  It was kind of like a treasure hunt for them and they ran all over Shuri Castle bound and determined to get all of the stamps.

This gate was one of the places.  It was not totally destroyed by the Americans during the Battle of Okinawa.

Another place where the kids got a stamp was this dragon-shaped water spout.  This spout was saved from the rubble after the 1945 bombing.  It is believed to be thousands of years old.

This sundial was yet another stop on the scurry to get all the stamps.  This sundial was used to tell time at the castle from 1739-1879.

The sundial is on the left in this picture, and as the kids were getting their stamp, I noticed the beginnings of  sunset over the ocean.

The last stop for stamps was an outlook over the city of Naha.  It was a perfect time to come here, right at sunset!  We enjoyed the view for a bit.

With all of the kids' pamphlets full of stamps, it was time to leave.

On our way out, we meet this security guard.  The people who work at Shuri Castle wear traditional Okinawan clothing.  He was kind enough to take a picture with the kids.

The entire castle is lit up at night, and it is an impressive sight.  By now, our feet were killing us!  We were still sad to leave, though.  Loved this place!!  There is so much Okinawan history here, and the whole grounds is so vast that it's hard to take it all in.

The kids posed for the camera doing the infamous Karate Kid move.  Karate has its beginnings in Okinawa.

This is a very old picture of the original Shuri Castle with some men in the plaza refining their karate skills.  Christopher and Logan have been taking a few karate lessons in Tokyo.  Their sensei has taught them about the history of karate during these lessons.  They learned that sometime before the 19th century, Okinawan peasants were attacked by various warlords.  The peasants lived a simple life and didn't have weapons of any kind.  They developed karate as a means to defend themselves with their bare hands against the armor-wearing and sword-wielding samurai attackers.

Our afternoon spent at Shuri Castle was simply amazing!  We learned a lot about Okinawan history and enjoyed every bit of it!

Our We-Survived-Law-School Trip!

Thursday, April 30th--Law school has been hard for every member of our family.  To help us get through it over the last three years, we have often talked about taking a family trip after law school was over with to celebrate our survival.  It was our light at the end of the tunnel and it gave us something to look forward to.  During our second year of law school, we decided that we wanted to go to California because we decided that we wanted to see ocean animals (Sea World) and spend a lot of time on the beach.

But, we didn't know that we would be finishing up law school in Tokyo, Japan.  We also didn't know that airfare from Tokyo to Okinawa is very cheap....so cheap that we discovered that we would spend the same amount of money on round-trip airfare to Okinawa for the whole family as we would driving to and from California.  We held a family vote and Okinawa beat out California for our We-Survived-Law-School Trip!  Okinawa, here we come!

We were in Okinawa from April 30-May 6th.  The trip started out very stressful--and it all centered around Caitlin.  The night before, we stayed up very late looking for her misplaced camera.  We got up very early and continued looking for it....and finally had to leave without it.  Because we were looking for her camera, we left later than we should have and were practically running to Ebisu Station.  On the way, Caitlin checked the pockets in the stroller for the hundredth time and miraculously pulled out her camera!  We couldn't believe it!  We had ALL checked those pockets over and over again--we were all so excited that she had found it! 

Once we got to Ebisu, we had to catch a train to Shinagawa Station. We got in line and the train pulled up.  We all began to get on, but the doors closed faster than usual and Caitlin and Kirstin were not able to get on!  We were already in an extreme hurry to catch our express train at Shinagawa and didn't have time to get off at the next station and wait for Caitlin to meet us before getting back on a train and heading to Shinagawa all together.  I panicked when I saw the doors close and began to punch the door in my frustration.  I later wondered what the Japanese people thought of me beating the train up. 

Before the train pulled out, we were trying to yell to Caitlin to get on the next train and just meet us at Shinagawa instead of our normal routine that we do when we get separated.  She couldn't hear us, but luckily a lady on the metro with us had been separated from her boyfriend by the quick-closing doors and she called him on his cell phone and then he gave his phone to Caitlin so I could explain to her what I needed her to do so we could make our express train on time. 

We got to Shinagawa Station and Ray told me to go on ahead and find the platform for the express train.  He was going to stay back and wait for Caitlin to show up with Kirstin in the stroller.  The rest of the kids and I scurried with the luggage to the platform and anxiously watched for Ray and the two girls to show up.  We had non-refundable tickets for this train and we needed to catch it or else we would not be able to make our flight.  I talked to the conductor and tried to persuade him to wait just a couple more minutes for the rest of the family, but he refused.  I didn't want to board the train until we were all back together as a family.  Just as the doors were about to close, we saw Raymond poke his head out of the express train door.  He and Caitlin had run with the stroller all the way through Shinagawa Station and jumped on the train in the very last car and then walked up it looking for us.  We were at the beginning of the train trying to talk the conductor into waiting.  We grabbed our luggage and all jumped on just in time.  Whew!  We made it!  We counted kids--everyone was on--and found our seats. 

We were all a little stunned by the stress of making this express train, but we thought we could now relax.  And then, Caitlin checked the stroller for her camera since Raymond bounced and sped that stroller through the station as quickly as he did.  When she checked, the camera wasn't there and she was sure that it had fallen out.  She became very upset, but a few minutes later she checked again and it was there right where she had put it.  We told her to get that darn camera out of that stroller and put it in her pocket where it would be safe!

This train is an express train that would take us straight to Narita Airport just outside of Tokyo.  We were on this train for 1 hour and 20 minutes.  Once we got away from the skyscrapers, we could see the Japanese countryside--including rice fields.

You can't really see it in these pictures, but the rice plants were just beginning to come up in neat little rows.  Seeing rice fields was something that we wanted to see while we were here, so we were grateful that we were able to see them on the express train.

Getting through the airport was a breeze after the fiasco of trying to make our express train at Shinagawa.  We could finally get excited about our trip!

After a pleasant 1 1/2 hour flight, we began to see small islands in the bright blue water.  The kids were excited by the lush green of the foliage on the islands and by how clear the water appeared to be.  Finally, we were able to make out the island of Okinawa. 

We were greeted at the Naha Airport by lots of exotic orchids everywhere!

More orchids!

No issues with luggage this time.....things are looking up.

We got on the monorail and got our first glimpse of Okinawa.  By the looks of all the laundry hanging out on the balconies, it seems just like Tokyo.  We can already feel the difference in heat and humidity, though.  It's much warmer here!

We landed in the capital city of Okinawa, which is Naha.  Much of this city was completely destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa during World War II.

In honor of Boys' Day coming up, we saw carp flags hanging all over the place. 

Boy's Day has been traditionally celebrated with special food and the display of colorful carp flags outside of the home (one for each son) and samurai armor inside the home. The carp is a symbol of a father's desire for his son to grow up and be strong like a carp fish who swims upstream and also strong like a samurai warrior. Sons are seen as a tremendous blessing in Japan because they carry the family name and take care of the parents financially when they grow old.  Because we have 3 sons, we are often bowed to by strangers for how "rich" we are. ( Within the last few decades, Boy's Day has been called Children's Day and an attempt has been made to combine both Girls' and Boys' Days.)

We rode the cute little monorail from the airport to the station that was very close to our rental for the night.  On display at the station, there were carp flags that school children had made. 

We found our rental, which was small but very nice (could have been a little cleaner), dropped off our luggage, and then got back on the monorail to head to our first place of exploration--SHURI CASTLE!!

Dogwood Trees

April 30th--The dogwood trees are in bloom and they are so pretty!  This is the view on the balcony to Mom and Dad's bedroom.  There is a dogwood tree in our small patio area outside of the front room downstairs, and the top of the tree can be seen from the master bedroom upstairs. 

We love these dogwood blooms just outside the balcony!

The shopping street is lined with pink dogwoods and it is a beautiful sight right now!  These blooms are not quite the splendor of the sakura, but they are very close! 

Raid on the Imperial Palace

Tuesday, April 28th--The Imperial Palace in Tokyo has a really cool gift shop....but the only way to shop there is to go on the actual tour of the palace.  We wanted to get some souvenirs at this gift shop for some loved ones back home, so I tried to book another tour.  I could only secure one spot between now and when we go back to the states, so I went on the tour all by myself just so that I could get some things at the gift shop. 

It's a little warmer now compared to when we were here in March, and I found this lone bloom next to the feudal lord family symbols on the rock wall.....

....as well as enjoyed some other blooms on the grounds as I made my way through the palace grounds on the tour.

Since coming to the Imperial Palace in March, we have learned a little more about some of the cool things in history that happened here. 

The Japanese surrendered to America on August 10, 1945 to finally bring World War II to an end.  Not everyone, including Japan's War Council, was very happy with the surrender.

The emperor recorded an official Imperial Proclamation of the surrender and detailed what it meant for the country of Japan.  This recording was to be played across the radio waves so that the nation would be aware of the surrender and be able to hear it from their emperor's own lips.  This would be the first time that most of the country's citizens would have heard the emperor's voice.

The news of the upcoming surrender did not go over well, and on August 14th, more than 1,000 Japanese soldiers stormed the Imperial Household Agency building--remember the Imperial Palace had been destroyed in one of the many nightly bombings of Tokyo and this building was being used as the palace at this time--in an attempt to find the proclamation and prevent its being transmitted over radio. Think about that for a minute!  These soldiers were storming THEIR OWN castle to go against the wishes of the emperor--who they saw as a GOD!!  Fascinating!   Soldiers still loyal to Emperor Hirohito fought back against the attackers and a small battle took place.  When we came to the palace in March, we didn't know about this raid that took place on these very grounds--it was a battle over whether or not Japan should surrender to America. 

In spite of this raid that took place on these grounds, the emperor's recording was heard by Japan's citizens on August 15, 1945.  The four-minute radio address ended a war, obliterated the 20-year imperial ideology, and began Japan's rebirth into what it is today.  And on August 15, the emperor's voice—heard over the radio airwaves for the very first time—conveyed that Japan’s enemy “has begun to employ a most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is indeed incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives.” This was the reason given for Japan’s surrender.

Emperor Hirohito’s oral memoirs, published and translated after the war, recorded the emperor’s fear at the time that “the Japanese race will be destroyed if the war continues.”  As a family, we have talked about this decision primarily made by the emperor.  Surrendering is not the Japanese way....why did he surrender?  At this time, most of the citizens of this nation were starving, yet they were still deeply committed to the war effort.  They would have continued to fight and sacrifice as long as the emperor asked them to.  Why was Emperor Hirohito scared that the Japanese race would cease to exist?  We decided that it was because he knew this about his people.  He knew that the Japanese way is to never, ever surrender.  He knew that every last man, woman, and child would fight to the death for their country, for their emperor, for their honor.  And, he knew that the Americans would continue to drop more atomic bombs.  We decided that Emperor Hirohito surrendered out of love for Japan: its people and its way of life. 

On the evening of August 14th, after the raid on the palace to retrieve the recording proved unsuccessful, General Anami, the member of the War Council most adamant against surrender, committed suicide. His reason: to atone for the Japanese army’s defeat, and to be spared having to hear his emperor speak the words of surrender to the entire nation.
Most students in American schools are not taught about this raid on the palace to prevent the recording of the surrender from being played.  Most students in America are not aware of the Japanese culture and how dishonorable it was/is to surrender.
As I was walking through the tour of the palace for the second time, I kept thinking about the raid that happened at this very spot in an effort to prevent the end of the war.  I thought about the fighting that happened between Japan and the U.S.A. during World War II, and tried to better understand both sides of that conflict.  It was a solemn time to reflect.

When we got to the north doors of the Imperial Palace, I could barely make out a lit chandelier through the windows.  Being able to see a glimpse of the grandeur that is behind those doors was exciting.

The palace grounds are greener than they were in March....

....and spring has definitely arrived!

The Imperial Palace is truly a gem in Tokyo and in Japan's history.  It was very enjoyable to walk on these grounds again and bask in the beauty of this place.  It was also interesting to think about the raid that happened on this very spot in an effort to prevent Japan's surrender.  I was able to reflect on a part of World War II history that I have only recently become aware of. 

Pretty fascinating stuff!  How blessed we are as a family to be able to plant our feet on these spots and learn more about American history as we learn about Japan's history.

Demonstrations During Church

We go to church in the annex next to the LDS Tokyo Temple.  In the area are many embassies, and the China Embassy is just a few blocks from the temple.
One Sunday, I was sitting in Relief Society when all of a sudden, we could hear a large crowd in the street outside.  Someone was shouting into a bullhorn, and the crowd was angry.  Because they were speaking in Japanese, most of us in the room could not understand what they were shouting about.
I must admit, I got really scared, and so did several of the other women in the room.  My husband was in the next room, and my children were all scattered in various Sunday School classes in the floors below. (The annex is 5 floors total.)  I didn't know what the crowd wanted or if they would try to come into our church building....I just started to make a plan in my head for how I was going to quickly find all of my children and get them safe.
The kids also heard the shouting in their classes and became alarmed.  They told me later that their teachers told them what to do so that they would be safe and went on quietly with their lessons so as to try and keep all of the children calm.  We were all pretty scared--except for Raymond.  He could understand what the crowd was shouting about and knew that it didn't have anything to do with us....they were walking past the temple/church toward the Chinese Embassy to protest its existence in Japan.
The political situation between Japan and China hasn't been very good since WWII, and often a group will coordinate a protest against the Chinese Embassy having a presence in Tokyo.  Most of the Japanese people that we know do not agree with these protests and told us that it is very embarrassing for them.  They told us that these people do not adequately represent the feelings of the majority of the population.  They are a loud minority.  We have loud minorities in America, too, so we understand what our Japanese friends are trying to explain to us.
These protests have happened a couple of times during our Sunday church meetings, and even though we now know that they are in regards to the Chinese Embassy and not the Mormon church, it has still been unnerving to us as a family because of the history of the LDS Church.
The kids are aware of our church's history of persecution.  Throughout most of the 19th century, families who belonged to our church endured horrible atrocities simply because they were Mormon.  Last summer, we traveled to Nauvoo, Illinois for our summer vacation.  The city of Nauvoo was formed by Mormons and they were driven from it in 1845 and fled to the Rocky Mountains where they could finally worship how they wanted to in peace.  The kids were able to walk on the streets of Nauvoo and learn about our church's history there.  We found the plots of land that both mine and Raymond's ancestors owned as farms.  We talked to the kids about their heritage and how their ancestors were forced to leave their farms in Nauvoo and had to cross the plains and make a new home in Salt Lake City, Utah.  We honored our ancestors for their bravery and determination to carry on in their faith in spite of persecution and really, really hard trials.
While we were able to gain a deeper understanding of who we are and where we came from as a family and as Mormons during our time in Nauvoo, it became very real to us during that first protest when all we could hear were angry shouts from a mob outside of our church building and we didn't know why they were there.  We felt the very real emotion of panic and fear during the first few moments of the protest.  Here we are--foreigners and Christian, with an angry mob outside of the church building.  Nothing happened, but the kids and I--and several others in our ward--felt a little slice of the sheer terror that one feels when you think an angry mob is coming to persecute you and your family.  It helped us to better understand what our ancestors must have felt when the angry mobs approached their beloved city of Nauvoo and forced them out at gunpoint.
The second time the protesters went by our church, we were just getting ready to sing the opening hymn in Relief Society.  The chorister told us to sing so loud that we would drown out the shouting of the large crowd outside.  We don't have a piano, so it was just our voices against their's.  We sang loudly of Christ and love and we were able to drown out their angry shouts.  This reminded me that Satan's power is very real and very strong, but Christ's power IS and ALWAYS will be stronger. (Not that the protesters were evil--they aren't.  Their shouting was just scary to those of us inside of a Mormon church and their anger seemed to represent the evils of the world in my mind at that moment.)  Christ will always overcome evil. 
I don't think we will ever forget the protests that went on outside of our church building in Tokyo or how it made us feel.  It made us ever more grateful for our freedom to worship how and who we want.  What an awesome and sacred right that is.