Final Project Hajimemasho!

I had my first interview today for my final project and it was awesome! The whole experience was so interesting it got me so excited to work on this.
I went to a local temple in Azabu Juban to interview the monk there and try to begin to understand how the temple acts in the community.
When I first got there, the outside grounds were filled with small children and their mothers. Tables were set up with food and goodies and everyone was enjoying playing, running around and eating. I was immediately welcomed inside and served a huge plate of delicious food. The picnic was in celebration of Girl's Day, which is officially tomorrow. Little onigiri dressed up in an egg "coat" were made to look like ohinasama, the little girl god prayed to for girls' health and happiness on this day.
I met the whole family of the temple. This celebration was a family affair with each member making one or two of the many dishes that were served. Everyone was so nice and welcoming and I immediately felt the close knit community that exists there.
I met the head monk and watched as he played games with children, running around with them in a sweatshirt and a track suit. There were little kids everywhere, riding on tricycles and playing jump rope, their attentive parents close by. For the monk, parent involvement is very important. One of the first things he said to me was that this program is different than a regular day care because the parents are not simply paying someone to take care of their kids, but doing activities with their children. He believes that this strengthens the bond between parents and children, and these bonds will last with the children through adolecense and into adulthood.
After taking some pictures of incredibly cute Japanse kids, we started the interview. All in all, it went well. He answered my questions honestly and thouroughly. The only unfortunate part was the camera battery, which died halfway through the last (and argueably most interesting) question.
I will go back to the temple later this month to interview some danka, or temple patrons, and watch a ceremony for a traditional holiday.
The monk was so excited that i was working on this project and he will come to Harajuku to see the exhibition. I am getting really excited to work on this project, and hopefully I will do a good job representing these amazing people.