#83 - Mount Kōya

South of Osaka lies Wakayama Prefecture, and there in an 800 metre high valley in the mountains lies the centre of Shingon Buddhism. The founder of this sect is one of Japan's most significant religious figures. Kukai (空海), also known as Kobo-Daishi after his death (弘法大師, The Grand Master Who Propogated the Buddhist Teaching) settled in Mount Koya in 819, and began to develop a monastery. Legend has it that, while studying in China, he threw his sankosho (a tool used in Buddhist ceremonies) towards Japan. Later, he found the tool stuck the branches of a pine tree on Mount Koya, and that's why he started to build his monastery there. The pine tree is still growing in the complex!

Today, the monastery has developed into the town of Koya (高野).  For visitors, there are about 120 temples and shrines to visit, as well as memorials and other structures. There is plenty to keep you busy for a day, but many people stay overnight. Around 50 temples offer lodging (called shukubo), so you can experience the simple, traditional lifestyle of Buddhist monks! And, Mount Koya is one of the best places to do it.

Okunoin 奥の院

The bridge towards Kobo-Daishi's mausoleum. 

Surrounded in forest trees, Okunoin is the site of Kobo-Daishi's mausoleum. It is believed that he didn't actually die, but instead he rests in eternal meditation awaiting the Buddha of the Future. Many people come to this site to pray at this popular pilgrimage spot. You can feel that it is a sacred site. There is a small bridge to cross, and you should bow to pay respects to Kobo-Daishi before crossing. Photography, food and drink are all forbidden past this point.

Between the trees.

Many people, such as prominent monks and feudal lords, wished to be close to Kobo-Daishi in death, and so they had tombstones erected here. This is Japan's largest cemetery, with over 200,000 tombstones. It is about 2 kilometres in length to walk the main path here.

Part of the pathway.

There are a lot of tall forest trees scattered throughout the area, and it makes the walk very atmospheric. You can definitely feel something spiritual here! Many guidebooks recommend walking through Okunoin at night, as it provides a very different experience than during the day. In the dark, it really feels like another world!

Kongobu-ji Temple 金剛峯寺

Kongobu-ji front.

Originally constructed in 1593 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉) in dedication of his mother, Kongobu-ji has now become the head temple of Shingon Buddhism. You can enter this building and see the rooms, including beautifully gilded sliding doors, audience rooms and kitchen.

A prominent feature of this temple is its rock garden. Called Banryutei (蟠龍庭), it is the largest rock garden in Japan (2340 square metres). The large granite stones were brought from Shikoku, the island where Kukai was born, and the arrangement is said to represent two dragons emerging from a sea of clouds to protect the temple.

The rock garden, Banryutei.

Pilgrimage Trails

Daimon Gate. 

Due to the vast number of temples and its historical and religious importance, there are a number of popular pilgrimage trails which connect Mount Koya to the outside world. Many people now use the cable car, but you could also hike the trails across the mountains using a more traditional approach. It is also the start and end point of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.

With Koya-kun, a mascot character.

Whether you want to hike to Koya, or just walk around it, there are plenty of smaller temples to see. You may even see the mascot, Koya-kun, like we did! Actually, you can sometimes find a picture of Koya-kun at some sites. Why? Standing behind him gives a good angle for photographs!

Candle Festival: ろうそく祭り

A path with candles.

I went to Mount Koya during Obon, a Buddhist event for commemorating your ancestors. Traditionally, lanterns are hung in front of houses, graves are visited and Obon dances are performed! It is a very important event for most people in Japan.

At Mount Koya, they hold a candle festival. The paths in Okunoin are lined with polystyrene and foil. This is so you can place lit candles into them. These run all along the entire trail of the forest, which is quite impressive! You can buy candles from stalls, so we didn't need to have our own luckily! 

Me lighting and placing a candle.

Walking through the forest and cemetery along a path of light was a very interesting experience. Hundreds of people were there to enjoy the festival. There was something spooky and spiritual about the event. 

At one part, there were some unlit steps. As we passed, a small girl in a white kimono silently appeared from the darkness. A Japanese woman saw this and almost screamed from fright and it looked like she was about to have a heart attack! Little girls in white dresses are an image of a ghost in some folklore, so that's why it freaked her out so much! 

Overall Impressions

I really enjoyed visiting Mount Koya. It was a place with a lot of nature, and it is really relaxing to walk around the small town and visit the temples and buildings. It was by total accident that the Candle Festival was happening. I didn't know about it before going! However, I will always remember that experience as unique. I would love to visit Mount Koya again, perhaps to stay overnight at temple lodgings! I didn't have a chance to do it before, because I only went there for one day. Perhaps in the future!

#82 - Nara : Temples, shrines, and deer

Nara is a city in the Kansai region of Japan. Nara Prefecture is located next to Kyoto Prefecture and makes for a good short trip for a day or two. Nara (奈良) was Japan's first permanent capital city from 710 until 784, which thus made of most of the Nara Period. Nowadays it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the so-called "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara". This is made up of eight temples, shrines and ruins, the Heijo Palace (平城宮 Heijou-kyuu) and the Kasugayama Primeval Forest. This has made Nara an important stop for temple-hoppers and history lovers.

Temples and Shrines

The eight UNESCO sites are: Todai-ji (東大寺), Saidai-ji (西大寺), Kofuku-ji (興福寺), Kasuga Shrine (春日大社), Gango-ji (元興寺), Yakushi-ji (薬師寺) and Toshodai-ji (唐招提寺). Nara is a fairly small place, so it should be fairly easy to get around to visit them. I won't go into a lot of detail about each temple or shrine here, but I will tell you some of the highlights.

The big Buddha at Todai-ji.

Todai-ji (東大寺) is one of the most famous temples in Japan and one of the most historically significant. In its main hall, you can see the Big Buddha known as Daibutsu (大仏). It is one of Japan's largest bronze statues of Buddha, which is 15 metres tall.

Horyu-ji Temple.

Horyu-ji (法隆寺) is one of Japan's oldest temples, dating from the 7th century. It was founded by Prince Shotoku, who is said to have introduced Buddhism to Japan. Some of the buildings within the area are the world's oldest surviving wooden structures. Additionally, Horyu-ji is wheelchair accessible, which is unlike many other historic attractions in Japan.

Kofuku-ji Temple.

Kofuku-ji (興福寺) was once the temple of the Fujiwara clan, the most powerful family clan during the Nara and Heian Periods. At one time it had over 150 buildings, but today only a couple remain. Here, you can see Japan's second tallest five story pagoda, which stands at 50 metres tall and is a symbol of Nara. Entrance to Kojuku-ji's grounds is free but you will have to pay to enter some of the buildings.

Deer

Sign about the deer.

Apart from the historical sites, Nara is also famous for its deer. Around the Nara Park area, many wild deer roam freely. You can usually find small stalls selling deer crackers (鹿煎餅 Shika-senbei) if you want to feed them. The deer in Nara are known to be a little adventurous, and will sometimes approach you boldly and try to take your food (like ice cream) from you! 

In Nara Park.

According to folklore, the god Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto appeared from a mountain riding a white deer and therefore the deer in this area are considered sacred. Killing one of these deer was punishable by death up until 1637! Today, however, the deer no longer have their divine status, but have instead been designated as national treasures.

How to get there

Nara is within easy reach from Kyoto. There is a JR train which operates between Kyoto Station and Nara Station. It costs about 710 yen for a one-way ticket and takes 45 minnutes. This is covered under the JR Rail Pass. 

You could also use the Kintetsu Railway which travels from Kyoto Station to Kintetsu Nara Station. Because it is a private railway, its costs a little more, usually around 1,130 yen one-way. The journey takes about 35 minutes.

#71 - Golden week in Kyoto - 28 April to 3 May 2013

Golden Week is a period of time in Japan where many public holidays fall in a very short space of time. Some companies close for this week. For most people, Golden Week (sometimes known as GW) is almost a week of holiday. Of course it goes without saying that this is the travel period! Flights, trains, hotels; everything will be fully booked (and expensive!). Make sure to book in advance!

I took this opportunity to go to Kyoto for a week. During that time, I managed to visit a lot of different places, and it remains one of my favourite holidays. I could write a very, very long entry about it all, but I think I will choose a few of the highlights.

Tourist map I found using a web search.
It shows the locations of the more popular spots.

Kyoto

Kyoto (京都) is in the central part of the largest island of Japan (Honshu 本州). About 1.5 million people live there, making it the seventh largest city in Japan. It was formally the imperial capital city of Japan for over a thousand years, so there are many impressive buildings. Of course, this makes it a popular destination for tourists. Many people try to spot geisha in the Gion district. I also tried, but failed.

It is very easy to get around Kyoto as a tourist. There are frequent buses that go throughout the city and stop at, or near, popular and historic sites. So, buying a day pass is great!

Kiyomizu Temple

Kiyomizu Temple (Kiyomizudera 清水寺, which means "pure water temple") is a Buddhist temple and a UNESCO World Heritage site. There is a wooden stage which reaches our from the main hall, which is about 13 metres above the hillside. This is maybe one of the most well-known views in Kyoto. Also on the site, there is a small love shrine with two stones placed 18 metres apart. It is said that if you can walk from one stone to the other with your eyes closed, then you can have good luck in love. Someone can help you walk between the stones, but it is then believed that someone will have to be an intermediary in your love life too.

My panorama of Kiyomizudera.

There are also lots of things to see within the temple grounds. For example, there is the Otowa waterfall. At one point, the water is divided into three streams by a structure. Each represents something different: long life, academic success and love. Using a cup on a long stick, you can drink the water and receive good luck. But apparently, if you drink from more than one, you are considered to be greedy. I waited in line to do this. The line was long! I drank from the middle one. I'm still not entirely sure which type of fortune it represented, but I hope it was love.

Kiyomizudera has great views during cherry blossom season and also during autumn, where the leaves turn red.

Kinkaku-ji

Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺 Temple of the Golden Pavilion) also known as Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺 literally, "Deer Garden Temple") is a Zen Buddhist temple which is covered in gold leaf. This is one of the most visited sites in Japan. As soon as you enter the gardens, you can see the pavilion across a large pond. The gardens are also lovely to walk through. I really enjoy looking at nature and plants, so I found it very relaxing. At one point there was a bowl near some small statues, with people throwing money into it, trying to get good luck if you get your coin inside. I did it three times! There is also a tea garden, where you can try green tea (matcha 抹茶) which is a famous type of tea from Kyoto.

Kinkaku-ji and pond.

Ginkaku-ji

Ginkaku-ji (銀閣寺 Temple of the Silver Pavilion) is one of my favourite places. It is a Zen temple in the east of Kyoto. It has a garden which has a quiet atmosphere which includes a moss garden and ponds, and a unique dry sand garden. The trail also leads partially up a hill, so you are able to see across the grounds and a view of Kyoto city behind it. The atmosphere was so relaxing and the plants and gardens were beautiful. I really want to visit again and again (or, when I am rich in the future, I can create my own garden like it!) 

Although it is called the "Silver Pavilion" it is not actually covered in silver.
It is believed that the name came to make a contrast with Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion.

Fushimi Inari Shrine

Looking down through some torii gates
at Fushimi Inari.

The Fushimi Inari Shrine, or Fushimi Inari Taisha (in Japanese, 伏見稲荷大社) is an important Shinto shrine which is famous for its rows upon rows of vermilion torii gates. These gates follow various trails which lead all across the mountainside, so it is a great place for a mini-hike. It doesn't take so long to get into the first part of the area, but if you want to follow the trails to the summit it can take a couple of hours or more (depending on how you are at walking steps!). 

Inari is a Shinto god of rice, fertility, and also business and commerce. The red torii gates are actually donations to the shrine from individuals or companies. On each one, details of the donor are written. Foxes are thought to be the messenger of Inari, so there are also many fox statues found in the area (as indeed for any shrine dedicated to Inari). The word in Japanese for fox is kitsune きつね. According to beliefs, foxes are said to enjoy eating friend tofu. Seeing as there was a small place to eat on the mountain, I ate kitsune udon, which is thick what flour noodles topped with deep-fried tofu. Delicious!

To get here, you would have to go south of Kyoto City. You can get there by train (there are two trainlines) and then it is a short walk to the shrine. 

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So, there you go. Those were some of my favourite places in Kyoto. This is definitely not an extensive list of things to do in Kyoto by any means. If you have any questions or want to know anything, let me know! I hope you enjoyed reading about Kyoto!

As a last note, I want to mention shrine books. They are called Shuin-cho (朱印帳) in Japanese. At most shrines and temples, you can get a stamp or seal (shuin 朱印) written into your book. It show the name of the temple or shrine and the date and often has red stamps symbolising the place or other things. It usually costs about 300 yen for a stamp, and you can see the priest or priestess writing the stamp with an ink brush. During my time in Japan I managed to complete at least 3 of these books! They make great souvenirs! If you are spending time in Japan and like visiting temples and shrines, I recommend getting a book!

#69 - Long Overdue

久しぶり。Or, in other words, long time no see.

I haven't updated this blog in a long time. I have several reasons for this. Firstly, after working hard, I didn't have a lot of time or interest in writing entries. This eventually led me to putting this to the back of my mind to eventually be forgotten. Secondly, and maybe the most importantly, I lost my password, then the email address I created this blog with, so I couldn't log in! And every time I tried, it got me frustrated so I had to give up.

For these reasons and more, I apologise to those who kept reminding me that I hadn't updated and that wanted to know about what I was up to.

However: good news! I now have my log in details (obviously), so I can once again post entries! Hooray! From my 14 months in Japan, I have accumulated a lot of photographs and stories, and visited many places. So, I thought that, as penance, I would slowly tell you all about what I was doing in Japan during the past year and a bit. So, keep your eyes peeled!

Before I go, I want to say something about my situation now. I no longer live in Japan. I have returned to the UK and I am back living at my parents house, looking for my next job (or even next adventure!). The reason is that I decided it was time for me to move on from Japan. Of course, I have no idea if, or when, I will have a chance to go back in the future. But for the time being it is the UK and Europe for me. One thing I can say about my experience is that I feel I have matured a lot more, both personally and professionally. My experience has been positive! But of course, I shan't forget there were negatives, too. But looking back, I feel that the positives have prevailed, so I would happily like to share some of them with you via this blog.

As for the new updates, I plan on posting one new entry each week. My last entry was at the end of March 2013. Coincidently, it is almost one year after (albeit approximately 1 month later), so I guess in a sense I will literally be reliving my time abroad following the seasons!

So, if you are interested in:

• Japanese culture
• travelling
• what I myself was doing

then come back soon and read about it!