I was in Tokyo for the World Championship in Mah-Jongg. The first morning, there were no tournament events scheduled, so I took the subway to Sengakuji.

Sengakuji is the site of the shrine of the 47 Ronin. If you aren't familiar with the story of the 47 Ronin, I highly recommend that you check it out. You can do a Google search for "47 ronin" or click here: http://www.samurai-archives.com/ronin.html. I also recommend the book "The 47 Ronin Story" by John Allyn (probably available at Amazon.com).

I have been to Sengakuji a few times before. The purpose of this visit was twofold: I needed a new kootsu mamori (divine blessing) for my car, and I needed some souvenirs to use as prizes for a contest on my website.

The smell of incense was heavy in the air. A couple of Japanese folks were placing incense at the grave markers of the ronin...

...and there were some American tourists on a guided tour. The guide thought he was at a "smoke-out!"