We saw the shrine, but unfortunately it was high tide so we couldn't walk out to the tori at the point. So we started up the mountain. The trail follows the path of a fairly wide stream and passes through a cedar forest and boulder field left over from a land slide long ago. At the 500 meter mark it reaches a saddle between two peaks and then branches to the right or tallest one. The right hand peak is Misen and at its summit is a small but important temple established by the founder of the Pure Land sect of Buddhism in Japan - Kukai. This temple is a small pagoda with the bottom stage open on one side. That stage is very simple - it has an earthen floor and an 'irori' or fire pit, which has a smouldering fire. That fire was lit soon after the temple was founded in 806 and has been fed continuously by the monks for over 1,200 years. That is a pretty good example of devotion. Not only that, when the Peace Flame was lit at the Peace Park where it continues to burn, it was lit from a flame brought from the temple of Mount Misen. Pretty cool.
We had a lovely picnic at the summit and were preparing to go down, but noticed a drum kit was being set up along with traditional large Japanese Taiko drums in front of the temple. We had stumbled upon the 4th annual 'kamihanamatsuri'. This is a modern festival that has run for the past four years to thank the Shinto gods of the mountain, the temple and the ancestors - including Kukai - who founded and built and maintained the temple over the past 1,200 years. This festival began with Buddhist monks chanting sutras in front of the temple. But then it got a modern twist with the drummers and later a singer and guitar player turning the religious ceremony into a fun celebration. It was great that we had the luck to be there at that time.
When we got to the bottom of the mountain, the tide was out and we could walk out to the 'tori' . A good end to a great day.
No comments:
Post a Comment