Ochanomizu, Tokyo Jun.15, 2024
Nikorai-do, Meiji University and Pork-cutlet Curry at the cafeteria
I went to Ochanomizu this Saturday. There was a gathering among enthusiastic readers of Miura Ayako’s books to hear from Mr.Tatsuei Morishita, Miura Ayako Literature Museum’s researcher, about Mitsuyo Miura, the author’s husband. She is known as the author of Hyoten, Freezing point. Ochanomizu is known as town of colleges. Around the station, there are universities like Chuo University, Nihon University, Tokyo Medical & Dental University and Meiji University. I am an alumnus of Meiji University School of Political Science and Economics. I graduated the school way 40 years ago. It was about 30 years since I visited the town last time if I remember correctly. On my way to Ochanomizu station, I was wondering how the town has changed since then. I took the Minato Mirai line at Motomachi Chukagai station, changed to the Tokaido Line at Yokohama station and to the Chuo Line at Tokyo station to Ochanomizu station. It was just an hour to get there.
When I got out of the station, I could not find any trace of the streets I knew back then as many of the buildings have been rebuilt since my school days. It was Saturday and students were a few. However, the atmosphere of the town was the same as when I studied there. There are still a lot of music instrument shops along the street. I found there is still a Fuji Soba noodle shop near the school building. I was not able to find a coffee house like Lounge. I used to buy a cup of coffee and stay a few hours with friends. Now after some 40 years, I even do not remember where it was. I realized that many of my memory got blurred now.
I have never visited Nikorai-do, Holy Resurrection Cathedral of Orthodox Church before. I decided to walk toward the Cathedral following the map on the road. It is just a few block from the school. I do not know why I never visited the Cathedral even a once during the school. When I got there in the morning, the cathedral was close. The notice at the door says thee cathedral is open to public only in the afternoon. I decided to return later in the afternoon after the lecture.
You can enter and view inside the cathedral with a donation of 300 yen. You can see large wide space with high ceiling. At the wall in front of you has series of icons telling the life of Jesus. I was deeply impressed that there were some orthodox believers seriously praying in the serenity. I was expecting I could see some icons painted by Irina Rin Yamashita but I learned from the staff many of those icons were lost in the fire during the Great Kanto earthquake in 1923. So I learned there is no icons painted by her on the floor. She painted some 300 icons during her life and many of her paintings are displayed at Orthodox Churches in Tohoku and Hokkaido areas.
I had lunch at the cafeteria of the university on the 17th floor of Liberty tower looking down the city. I would often have a lunch plate of Fried chicken cutlet when I was the student. I remember it was large and came with shredded cabbage, rice and a cup of miso. It was around 500 yen or something. Unfortunately it was not on the menu. Neither I could find a similar menu. I chose a pork cutlet curry instead. I paid 500 yen, picked up the dish and had at the table near the window, where I could see the blue roof of Nikorai-do. I would not have imagined back when I was a student that the cafeteria would become like this.
After 40 years since I graduated the school, I am now over 60 years old. I have a few years left before retirement. I could say that I am around the corner of another graduation. I need to think what I should do after the graduation. My visit to Ochanomizu to see the place I used to study has given me an good opportunity to think about my next chapter in my life. Life is short, really short.
