After much packing the night before, we started today early but ready to go. After a fight through the breakfast buffet queues we were checking out and sending our luggage on to Hiroshima ahead of our over night stop in Mount Koya. The luggage service is about as much as a couple of train station lockers and given that we had 10 trains to catch between Kyoto and Hiroshima, via Koyasan we thought it best.
Koyasan is the spiritual home of the Shingon school of Buddhism in Japan. Founded in the 8th century AD, it is home to a large number of monastries and temples, many of which have opened their doors to visitors and provide a simple room and food.
Wrapped up against the cooler air and gentle rain, we set off out to explore the sights of the area and wondered into Goran, the most prominant temple complex and site of the original monastry. After a short while a ceremony started involving a large number of colourfully dressed monks and an elderly monk brought in on a sedan chair. There were also what appeared to be a large number of trainee monks outside too.
Following the elderly noks arrival a cup of green tea wasvery ceremoniously made on the steps of the temple opposite, witnessed by around a hundred onlookers. This tea was then taken into the depths of the other temple, presumably for the venerated old man deep within.
All of this seemed quite exciting but we have no idea who the man was, or what was going on. It seemed to mean something to everyone else. We toured the headquarters of the school after lunch. Rolf is pictured in the rock gardens of these buildings.
On leaving here we checked into our residence. The room is quite simple at first sight, but was much larger than I was expecting. This was based on the similar experiance I had in Korea, where the room was just large enough for my bag and a single matress on the floor.
After this we made our way to the cemetory at the other end of town. This is where the founder of the school is said to be in eternal meditation. The desire to be buried near him is so strong that the cemetory extends almost 2km in one direction, and 1.3km in another back towards town from his mausoleum. We passed several areas set aside for the fallen in wars (on both sides) including the invasion of Korea in the mid fifteen hundreds. On the way out we passed several plots owned by large companies (Nissan for example) who allow their employees ashes to be interned there.
This evening we returned to our residence just in time to be served our meal. I was expecting something very simple, having been told it would be a vegetarian meal, but was surprised at the variety and volume of food.
Next up, Hiroshima.
Until then, goodnight.
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