Japan 2019

Thursday21November

Waking up in the Akasawa Ryokan and, for once, the washroom is in the hotel's Onsen with its indoor and outdoor pools!

To the right, the small spaces reserved for washing from head to toe before enjoying the hot bath.  

Here we are in Nikko National Park for the whole day. But we won't be hiking here, but rather cultural visits to the Futurasan and Toshogu shrines, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1999.

A short passage under the great Torii which leads after a few steps to the vermilion gate opening onto the Shinto Futarasan shrine. Although the shrine is Shinto, a Buddhist monk was at its origin in the 8th century. Thus, a subtle blend of the two religions is found there.

Just in front of the entrance, a circle of thin bamboos will bring you luck if you cross it three times. The first time by exiting to the left, the second time by exiting to the right, and the last time by heading straight towards the shrine. Paper omikuji are attached there to ward off the bad omens written on them.

The usual Shinto fountain chōzubachi and its ladles hishaku.

Some temples are placed around a large square.

A golden Daruma statue?

Another wooden Daruma?  

The shrine is in the middle of cedars.

The sawn-off trunk of a 550-year-old cedar.

The practically invisible blade of a sword erected in the middle of a stone mound...  

Another omikuji game to find out if we're going to be lucky???  

This lion receives real omikuji this time.

Most of the time, you have to leave your shoes in front of the temples before entering.

We arrive in front of the gate of the two niō guardians of the Buddhist temple Rinno-ji.
Niō, also known as kongō-rikishi, are two Japanese guardian deities of Buddhist temples, monasteries, shrines, cemeteries, and other sacred sites in Japan. Generally, they are installed on each side of the main entrance "mon" preventing demons or evil spirits from entering the premises." © Wikipedia

On the left, the guardian Niō Naraen has his mouth closed. On the right, the guardian Niō Mishaku has his mouth open. They symbolize, one latent strength, the other brute force...

We find our two Niō, with open and closed mouths.

The Taiyuin shrine. It is very inspired by, but smaller than, the neighboring Toshogu shrine which we will visit later.

The panoramic focal length distorts the photo, but rest assured, everything is perfectly straight there.

The typical round tiles of Japanese temples.

A lantern or toro.

The ceiling and a door.

Second part of the day! After lunch, here we are at the Toshogu Gojunoto shrine, built in honor of the first Shogun/ruler of Japan, Tokugawa Ieyasu.

A superb 5-story pagoda (gojūnotō) erected in 1648. We are in front of a partially restored version in 1818 following a fire.

The Ishidorii, the temple's great torii, built in 1618.

The Omotemon surrounded by two giant cedars. This gate, framed by the two Niō guardians, is the obligatory passage to advance towards the main temple of the shrine. Two more will have to be passed to get there.

In addition to the two Niō, you have to show your credentials and tickets to the flesh-and-blood guardian.  

Here we are in front of the three wise monkeys, depicted on the Shinkyû stable. They are by the sculptor Hidari Jingoro. While the origin of the text "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" is Chinese, the association with the three monkeys is, however, Japanese. And here before us is a 17th-century representation, one of the oldest known.

Did you know that these monkeys had names?   The one who covers his ears is named Kikazaru, the one who covers his mouth, Iwazaru, and finally the one who covers his eyes is called Mizaru.

Kikazaru, Iwazaru and Mizaru are not alone. Their little friends also have their own small scene.

The upper treasury Kami-jinko with two elephants on the gable, made without their author ever having seen them. He made them solely from his interpretation of stories told about pachyderms, hence their mythological appearance close to dragons...

We arrive at the Yomeimon, the gate guarded by two archer kamis zuijin.

Details of the bell in front of the Yomeimon.

The bas-reliefs adorning the walls are teeming with details.

Above the archers, small characters re-enact traditional scenes.

On the north side of the Yomeimon, two golden lions with blue and green manes guard the passage to another gate: the Karamon.

After the Omotemon gate, the Yomeimon gate, here is the third gate, Karamon, also known as the Chinese gate, allowing entry into the temple.

To the left of the temple, the sacred warehouse Shinyosha housing one of the mikoshis, an altar weighing over 800 kilos carried during ceremonies (photo on the right).

The statuettes of the Chinese gate represent precisely Chinese sages.

In the bestiary of Japanese mythology, the dragon named ryū holds a prominent place, represented here in different forms.

The lantern or toro placed at the corner of the Chinese gate.

We now leave this courtyard to reach Okumiya, the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu. But first, we must pass under the famous "sleeping cat" or "nemuri-neko", attributed to the same person who made the three wise monkeys, Hidari Jingorō.

The cat is located just above a door. One could pass underneath without noticing it (see photo on the left), except for the detail that there will be about ten people taking its picture...  

The tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), shogun of Japan. "Tokugawa went down in history as the first true leader of Japan and the founder of modern Japan. He initiated one of the most brilliant periods of Japanese culture. He promoted the arts (Ukiyo-e), Kabuki theater, and a new way of life in the aristocracy (the tea ceremony, the Japanese garden, Zen philosophy)." © Wikipedia

Here we are back in front of the Chinese gate, catching the last rays of sun. Notice the omikuji with the effigy of the nemuri neko, the golden cat, whose original we saw earlier...

In this Honji-dô pavilion, we were able to hear this great dragon painted on one of its ceilings cry. We won't see tears flowing from its Nakiryu dragon mouth, but simply its heartbreaking lament. Indeed, a monk judiciously placed at a very specific spot in the room will clap two pieces of wood together, creating a sound wave that will resonate between the pillars of the room, like the groan of a dragon. Amazing!  

Return past the zuijin archers, still imperturbable and impeccable.

Last glance at the temples and countless details before leaving the premises to reach a completely different place located 1 hour's drive from here.

Here we are in front of the 97 meters of Kegon Falls, a fine outflow from Lake Chūzenji located just behind.

An elevator and a small tunnel provide access to the lower observation deck.

Let's leave the camera shutter open a little longer to soften the fall.

It's almost 4:30 PM and you think the day is over??? Well no, we decide to travel 250 kilometers to reach Japan's most famous volcano: Mount Fuji! And it will take us almost 6 hours to get to our hotel booked earlier... The road, passing through the Tokyo metropolitan area (where we will return very soon), will give us the opportunity to follow some vehicles equipped, as often, with a TV screen... If, as here, the screen is placed in the back, it also happens that it is located in the front to entertain the driver...   In complete illegality, of course...  

Phew, almost 11 PM, it was time to arrive at our hotel in the small town of Yamanakako! Mount Fuji is normally visible from the hotel but the weather doesn't look good, it's raining and the forecasts are not reassuring...   Let's cross our fingers for the sky to clear!