The itinerary declared that we had free day in #Kyoto, but as @Yasuna's hometown there was always more on offer. Changed it up a bit and had a morning stroll filled with stories of "ear mounds" and temples. And once oriented, we all scattered to do our own thing and then regrouped at the end of the day for a rooftop dinner.
Today's highlights
Mimizuka -This was an interesting highlight to start our morning stroll with @Yasuna, in fact we were so incredulous we had her repeat it three times to be sure we heard correctly. Yep, this was #Mimizuka, which was a monument dedicated to the sliced noses of killed #Korean soldiers and civilians, as well as those of #Ming Chinese troops, taken as war trophies during the #Japanese invasions of #Korea from 1592 to 1598. The monument enshrined the severed noses of at least 38,000 #Koreans and over 30,000 #Chinese killed during @Toyotomi Hideyoshi's invasions. He was a mean S.O.B. And that was one big mound of salted noses.
Rengeo-in Temple - #Sanjusangendo is the popular name for this temple. Perhaps my favourite so far. It features 1001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy (no photos in here.) The temple was founded in 1164 and rebuilt a century later after the original structure had been destroyed in a fire (familiar story.) At 120 meters, the temple hall is Japan's longest wooden structure (I am not cycnical, just always amazed ... of course it is.) The name #Sanjusangendo (literally "33 intervals") comes from the number of intervals between the building's support columns, a traditional method of measuring the size of a building. All the precision and symmetry is always fascinating.
No photos inside - just the approach and trying to catch the last of the cherry blossoms
In the center of the main hall sits a large, wooden statue of a 1000-armed @Kannon (Senju Kannon) and this is flanked on each side by 500 statues of human sized @Kannon standing in ten rows. No two are the same and plaques mark the original ones that were saved from the fires. There are 28 individual statues representing deities that stand in front and each one is intricately carved and brought to life by crystals inserted in their eye sockets. Together they make for an awesome and imposing sight. Row after row, lined up, staring, still and with their delicate hands and holding tools of blessings they are mesmerising.
From the cover of the brochure
The long Main Hall is also famous for long-range archery. Since the Momoyama period (the latter half of the 16th century), archery competitions were being held to see who could accurately shoot the most arrows over 120 meters from the southern tip of the west edge of the hall. Today, on the Sunday closest to January 15, an archery competition is held in honour of the Edo period long-range archery.
And with that morning session complete with @Yasuna, we were launched down the hill and off to source our own number 5 bus to get us to our independent adventure.
Never in doubt
Fushini Inari - Unforgettable vermilion torii gates that stretch up the side of #Mt Inari is dedicated to the deity with a large shrine in the entry that is dedicated to a good harvest and to success in business.
Once past the hustle and bustle of the shrine, there was a bottle neck at the entrance of the trail of the torii. A beautiful tunnel of orange. The first 10 minutes was shoulder to shoulder, but once past the first double aisle of gates the trek clot of people thinned out.
All of #Fushimi Inari Shrine’s Torii were donated by #Japanese businesses, as a way to honour the #kami, ask for a wish, or say thanks for a wish that was granted. Each gate is printed with the business name and the date that it was donated. While the large #Senbon Torii are the most famous attractions, the grounds actually contain more than 10,000 (and some say up to 32,000!) torii gates of different shapes and sizes - I even bought a small one to bring home.
We thought we might go 30 minutes in and then turn back, but you sort of get sucked in and want to keep going. There was lots of encouragement from other trekkers and between gasping for breath and taking a blow-break for jelly legs, there was plenty to see and talk about. You didn't know if you were "there yet" - the maps kept changing and often didn't include the top part of the climb and was NEVER to scale. And there were stairs up and down and around and even going up when you were going down. The doco claims there are 12000 steps on this climb. I'd believe it
Even going down had stairs up through gorges
We later found out, that @Yasuna's grandfather was a rice farmer and to improve his prospects for harvest, he did this climb and made his offerings every week! Thought we were super stars even making it, let alone cracking the three hour mark.
I'm definitely over steps - in any direction.
At one stage of "another pose," @ Mac asked me how many photos of orange gates do I need - I guess we took close to 300 shots! We definitely have the evidence to say "we did it."
Took the easy option for lunch and found ourselves in a little quiet back street arcade that had seats and was not overcrowded. We were hungry after the exertion of the climb and settled on a burger.
A picture paints a thousand words ... light lunch
It was easy back tracing to the bus home and have to say, once again, once you know what you are looking for it is easy to be in the right place for the bus to arrive as scheduled!
Walked back home along the river and caught a few last blossoms - someone had even made a love heart! No time for a rest- we had to have the luggage out ready for collection and then off for the dinner meetup. It's a pain to always be meeting the luggage and backpack deadlines - but an absolute winner not to have to cart them around yourself. Getting much better at living light.
Dinner was a rowdy affair on the veranda of a local restaurant recommended by @Yasuna and glad we were outside because the quietly respectful group suddenly let their hair down, and fuelled by a few drinks, the laughter was non-stop as secrets were shared and stories embellished. No attention to workplace or guest safety here - it was rough and ready but there were green vegetables on the menu and it was every man for himself. And absolutely baffled how it happened, but @Mac not only received his meal a good 30 minutes after everyone else, and it was such a tiny skillet serving of scallops that people in the group felt sorry for him. Didn't matter, he ordered another drink as his top up.
The billing was a challenge, but @Mac is even better with numbers than he is with a map so he helped a very grateful waitress through the challenge of splitting the bills. Mission accomplished it was a short walk home and aching calf muscles were very relieved to call it quits.
Weather: cloudy all day, 19 degrees
Steps: 18 426
KEEP CALM THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am. Bernard Baruch
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