Japan Pick-chuhs! [Part 2]
Jul. 3rd, 2008 01:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
athenaltenaI'll start with something scenic, mainly the view from the top of Mt. Hiei:
Getting to Mt. Hiei was a bit of a trek, but I think it was worth it. When we told our hosts at the ryokan where we were going the husband seemed genuinely surprised, since that's just not a place Westerners tend to go. However, it was more amused surprise rather than "Why the hell are you going there?!" like we were going something wrong. The people going up there with us (mainly a group of grandparently Japanese who took up most of the cable car) seemed similarly pleasantly surprised to see Americans up there.
The Shinto shrine on Mt. Hiei. One story I read while over there said that in the 7th century there was an argument within the court about whether the country should be Buddhist or Shinto, so they sent one monk off to meditate on it. He came back with the message that they were two versions of the same path, so they've been worshipped (often literally) side-by-side ever since. Hence it's pretty common to see a Buddhist Temple and a Shinto Shrine right next to each other, which results in quite a bit of confusion here in the west as to which one's which that I myself have experienced. The basic rule seems to be the gates: If they're torii, they're Shinto, if they're more Chinese-looking, they're Buddhist. Maps represent them as torii gates and manji respectively.
The bell at the temple, a common sight. I recall seeing an illustration somewhere of someone trying to ring the bell that had them lifted clean off their feet, and I assume the message was within the range of "Don't swing it too hard or you'll be lifted off your feet and it will be funny for us but unpleasant for you."
More exterior shots of one of the temples up there. I'm honestly not sure which one, since there were about 12 up there on that one compound. Cool place, and extremely peaceful. Almost made me feel tempted to run off and be a nun for a few years.
The exterior of the Nashinoki Inn where we stayed. There was a Shinto shrine literally right down the block from us, and at night we heard what was apparently the husband of the place doing some sort of warding ritual that involved hitting a stick on the ground. I stuck my head out the window a few times to try and see what was going on, but I never got a good look at who was doing what, but we certainly heard it. It sounded like he went up and down the street about 4 times.
One of the many little Buddhas scattered around.
There are also flowers absolutely everywhere. I in particular like hydrangeas, and it makes me sad that we nearly managed to kill our one at work when they grow so easily up there and are such a wide array of colors (including some plants that have more than one color blossom on them).
Next up, Takayama!
Getting to Mt. Hiei was a bit of a trek, but I think it was worth it. When we told our hosts at the ryokan where we were going the husband seemed genuinely surprised, since that's just not a place Westerners tend to go. However, it was more amused surprise rather than "Why the hell are you going there?!" like we were going something wrong. The people going up there with us (mainly a group of grandparently Japanese who took up most of the cable car) seemed similarly pleasantly surprised to see Americans up there.
The Shinto shrine on Mt. Hiei. One story I read while over there said that in the 7th century there was an argument within the court about whether the country should be Buddhist or Shinto, so they sent one monk off to meditate on it. He came back with the message that they were two versions of the same path, so they've been worshipped (often literally) side-by-side ever since. Hence it's pretty common to see a Buddhist Temple and a Shinto Shrine right next to each other, which results in quite a bit of confusion here in the west as to which one's which that I myself have experienced. The basic rule seems to be the gates: If they're torii, they're Shinto, if they're more Chinese-looking, they're Buddhist. Maps represent them as torii gates and manji respectively.
The bell at the temple, a common sight. I recall seeing an illustration somewhere of someone trying to ring the bell that had them lifted clean off their feet, and I assume the message was within the range of "Don't swing it too hard or you'll be lifted off your feet and it will be funny for us but unpleasant for you."
More exterior shots of one of the temples up there. I'm honestly not sure which one, since there were about 12 up there on that one compound. Cool place, and extremely peaceful. Almost made me feel tempted to run off and be a nun for a few years.
The exterior of the Nashinoki Inn where we stayed. There was a Shinto shrine literally right down the block from us, and at night we heard what was apparently the husband of the place doing some sort of warding ritual that involved hitting a stick on the ground. I stuck my head out the window a few times to try and see what was going on, but I never got a good look at who was doing what, but we certainly heard it. It sounded like he went up and down the street about 4 times.
One of the many little Buddhas scattered around.
There are also flowers absolutely everywhere. I in particular like hydrangeas, and it makes me sad that we nearly managed to kill our one at work when they grow so easily up there and are such a wide array of colors (including some plants that have more than one color blossom on them).
Next up, Takayama!
