We had the heaviest snow in Tokyo since 2014 and experienced serious traffic disruptions.
I was visiting a research participant. The meeting went well, and we arranged for three-day observations in February. After the meeting, the snow was getting heavier, and I was stuck at a train station for two hours. On Thursday, Tokyo recorded the lowest temperature in 48 years of minus 4 degrees Celsius. Throughout the week, it has been freezing everywhere in Japan.
Shinto shrines
This week, I visited four Shinto shrines in Tokyo and Kanagawa with my father to pray for good health and for the smooth process of my work.
The four shrines are my favourites: Yushima Tenjin is the most famous shrine of scholars in Tokyo, Okunitama shrine is one of the five major shrines in Tokyo, Samukawa shrine is famous for removing bad fortune, and Tsuruoka-Hachiman-gu is a very popular place in Kamakura.
For me and many Japanese people, visiting shrines is an important ritual, and I often feel that I miss praying at shrines when I am in England.
Research activities
On Tuesday, I sent my short diary on the fieldwork to my supervisors. Since then we have talked to each other via email and I constantly get advice from them.
On Thursday, my initial plan for collecting data on this day was postponed. I am telling myself, “Be patient, don’t rush, I still have time…”
One more piece of news. I got an extension to the submission deadline for an online journal. I couldn’t make it for the initial deadline and gave up attempting to submit my work. But I am lucky. I will start working on it and will try to complete my paper by the extended deadline.
Goals for Week 57
- have some meetings with my research participants and attempt to arrange schedules for data collection in February
- continue working on my paper and editing chapters