Happy Hiker Japan

Last night we arrived in Kyoto for our last two nights. At the Chion -in Temple we viewed the stunning gardens and temple buildings by lights - the maples and trees were well lit to make a magical display of colour and light. Peter beside the enormous temple bell. Today we visited two temples - again the gardens were the stars! But the crowds! Nose to back as hundreds of people crowed the walk ways. The highlight though was the climb up to the Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. This was a very long climb up through many Shinto gates to the top of the hill, 233 m above the township.  Many, many people trudged up this hill but not all made it - some.wearing traditional wooden shoes and socks, others in high heels! At the top! What an achievement! An afternoon in the shops of Kyoto finished our day - something for everyone from Amani to $2 shops - almost out of money we returned to the hotel for our last. Meal together. What an amazing trip it has bee - the food, the sights, the beds and ti...

We are here at the Benesse House on Naoshima Island in the inland sea after travelling from Nara by train and ferry.  It is truly beautiful here - very quiet and tranquil overlooking the sea which is a surprisingly busy sea lane (the inland sea is open to the ocean) with container ships plying backwards and forwards.  The island is famous for it's art projects and is dotted with sculptures and exhibitions. The tri annual art festival enjoys international recognition. Various artists undertake projects, often turning old unused buildings into respresentations of the past or spirit of the past as they interpret it. Some of the sculptures are just fun. Benesse House itself is a fascinating building and an extension of the art precinct.  It is austerely minimalist made from polished concrete and timber and surrounded by open space and water. The rooms are modern and feature original artworks but the tones are of greys and black with bare boards and timber furniture very simpl...

A quiet day with lots of free time turned into a day of exploration where we clocked up 12.3 k!  First we walked through the streets passing the Three story Pagoda to reach Nara Park. The symbol of Nara is the deer ( manhole covers elegantly depict the deer amidst forests) and these creatures are everywhere within the park asking for deer biscuits available from vendors. They can be quite aggressive if denied, even unzipping bags to find the treats and jumping up. Through the park, becoming increasingly filled with people, is the Todaiji Temple approached through the Nandaimon gate. This temple contains the Great Buddha and is the largest wooden structure in the world. Inside  Inside the temple three Buddhas rise nearly to the ceiling and the obvious antiquity of the structure is reflected everywhere. A final visit to another temple saw us released to explore Nara alone. Offering outside the temple.  After coffee we set off for Naramachi to explore the old town - narrow s...

Our hotel in Nara is a modern western hotel where we revelled in hot showers and chairs to sit in and had a traditional Japanese style bar-b-que on our first night - meat, chicken,pork and omelette - so good. Our goal for the day was our last substantial walk - 21k including a section of the oldest road in Japan. After a train trip we met our volunteer guide (78 years old) who led us through the old town to the start of the walk - did I mention it was raining? Our first stop was at a temple Isonokami Jingu Shrine which is the first of three national treasures on this site. The road then headed off through forest bordered with rushing streams with our guide setting a steady but cracking pace. We walked through small villages,one partly moated from ancient, less peaceful times, burial mounds and many small farms. Roads were very narrow and lined with wooden houses, many very old as well as agricultural buildings. Many properties were gated but revealed neat and treasured gardens with ele...

We rose at 5.30 to attend morning prayers with the monks at our in-house temple. Seated on low stools we listened as the head monk , beautifully gowned in black and gold and his assistant, also dressed in elegant robes but black and white, recited the Sutras accompanied by occasional cymbal flurries and drum strikes. This went on for an hour and we all sat very still.  We were then invited to approach a low table, bow to the Buddha and sprinkle incense three times - once for the Buddha, then for our ancestors and the third for world peace - going to need a lot of sprinkling for that one! We then were invited into the temple to bow to five different Buddhas and view the containers of departed spirits which lined the walls of the temple.  Finally the head monk departed and his assistant then gave a verrrry long explanation of Buddhism - every living thing has a life and we must respect all! We then checked out had a final coffee and cake at a little, warm coffee shop before catc...

0 degrees today! Only stopping to buy lunch ( sandwiches and a donut)  and very well rugged up we set off through the town for about a 1.5 k to the beginning of the Women Pilgrimage Route. Women were originally forbidden from entering Koyasan but devout women could traverse the mountainside trail and gaze down into the holy town. This embargo ended in the 1800's but the trail is now popular with walkers.  The first incline is steep and narrow and long stepping over tree roots and up steps - really a challenging climb to reach the shrine at the top - then an equally challenging climb down to the road. The trail continues, rising and falling through the dense forest, passing small shrines and the occasional statue guarding a stream.  In wet weather this trail would be unsafe and even today was slippery and muddy in places. Bears had recently been seen in the area, as the signs informed us but we saw no sign of life - no.bird sound, really quiet in the trees except for the s...

After a brisk seven k walk to the. Station at Nagiso we boarded the first of six trains, followed by two buses to reach the Holy town of Koyasan. Because of a landslide blocking the tracks the first bus laboured up the mountain road,often single lane, through forests of conifer higher and higher until We reached the Holy mountain. On the rush to the station we passed many rushing streams - it is a very wet area - no water restrictions here! A personal memorial along the road. The stream has a paved bed! Here 1200 year ago Kobo Daishi founded a monastic centre  and ever since has been a place of holy pilgrimage and is now a place of culture and historic assets.   Our room in the monastery (one of 52 offering accomodation) is quite palatial with a seperate room for sleeping and an "armchair"!! After a vegetarian meal served by a young monk we left for a walk (3k) tour of the cemetery accompanied by a monk. Here are over 200 thousand memorials and finally the mausoleum of Kobo D...

Well rugged up in wet weather gear we walked up through the village to join the ancient highway from Tokyo to Kyoto.  Despite the rain the trail was glorious traversing tall bamboo forests, maples ,cedars and conifers.  We passed through tiny villages, past vegetable plots, burial stones and small memorials.  Sometimes cobbled and stepped, sometimes earth rising steeply to the top of the mountain until descending to an ancient wayfarers stop where we enjoyed tea. Marg sitting on the stool where Joanna Lumbly sat in her Japanese trip! We reached our inn for the night, an even older inn and gratefully left our day packs.  Walking on we stopped at a little shop to eat. We lunched seated on the floor around the traditional fire and were serenaded by the chef. After lunch we walked onto the town of Tsumago-juju for a spot of shopping and hot chocolate before returning back for a kilometre or so to our inn.  Despite the rain it was a good walk - there is something mag...

After another experience with the Japanese rail system we arrived in Magome a mountain village about an hour from Nagoya. At Tokyo with only a tiny window to move from one platform to the next we lost three people - you do have to show your pass even when it is in the bottom of the pack and everyone else has shown theirs!  All made it even though traumatised by the experienc! From Tokyo through to Nagoya we were never out of the suburbs  - city and town merged - high rise, two story, traditional and gruesomely modern. Packed humanity. We took taxis from the train station, up and up the mountain roads until we arrived at Magome - and our ryokan for the night. Built around 150years ago it was a totally Japanese experience. A fire pit inside the door held the tradional kettle and we were shown to our room complete with futons up narrow wooden stairs.  How quickly our bashfulness has disappeared - we could hardly wait to get into the Onsens! Marg and I have never laughed so m...

Today we walked to Chuson-Ji Temple founded in 850. This impressive temple complex is set in ancient cedar forests towering over glorious scarlet and gold maples  and contains treasures and artefacts many from the 12th century.  But it is the landscape which fascinates and delights - groves of tall bamboo, sculptural maples, moss covered rocks and protruding tree roots which give an ancient air to the scene. Displays of flowers beautifully arranged dot the complex. We were really struck by the fact that we were the only westerners visiting and this was also so at our hotel! This part of Japan is rather remote from the usual tourist haunts and this is reflected in that signage in English is very,very minimal. During the walk, at the temples and in the village we saw no other Caucasians. We felt quite privileged to be here and enjoying a very Japanese experience. Afterwards we walked downhill through forests of maples, conifers and cedars along a boardwalk frequently punctuated ...