taisha | Blue Lapis Road

DAY 4 (3/6): KASUGA TAISHA (春日大社), Nara (奈良), Japan, 2016.12.06

It was a short walk from Todaiji to Kasuga Taisha (春日大社), the most famous Shinto shrine in Nara. The main path to Kasuga Taisha was a pleasant walk in the woods. First there were just old trees along the path, but soon came the stone lanterns. As we get closer to the shrine complex, more and bigger clusters of stone lanterns appeared. Over three thousand lanterns dotted in and around Kasuga Taisha. Every year, during the festival of Setsubun Mantoro (February 2-4, Spring Festival) and Obon Mantoro (August 14-15, Bon Festival), thousands of lanterns at Kasuga Taisha would be lit up at once.

Atmospheric stone lanterns and old trees lined the path leading to Kasuga Taisha.

Deer is considered to be messengers of the gods. They could be seen all over Nara Park, including the grounds of Kasuga Taisha.

There seemed to be never-ending rows of stone lanterns on our way to Kasuga Taisha.

We passed by the Treasure Hall before entering the main shrine complex. The Treasure Hall houses a number of relics from the old shrine.

Before entering the complex, we passed by a huge wall filled with names of donors.

From the lantern lined path, we walked up the stair to enter the main vermilion complex of Kasuga Taisha.

Close up of the moss-covered stone lanterns near the main entrance.

Many lanterns were written with prayers from donors who made contributions during the 60th renewal of the shrine. Traditionally Shinto shrines in the Ise Jingu would be demolished and rebuilt every 20 years to celebrate the concept of impermanence. Since the Meiji Era at the turning of the 20th century, only the damaged parts of the shrine would be repaired instead of replacing the entire building.

After the entrance, we passed by the wooden pillars that supported the Heiden and Buden (幣殿・舞殿, Palace of Offerings and Dance Palace).

Then we came to a gravel courtyard dominated by the Great Cedar Tree (社頭の大杉). The ancient cedar was about 800 to 1000 year old.

Next came the most prominent building in the courtyard, the Chumon and Oro (中門・御廊, Central Gate and Veranda).

Spreading both directions beyond the Chumon, the Oro Veranda is full of suspended lanterns.

The 10m tall Chumon is the central gate in front of the Main Sanctuary of the shrine. Many visitors line up to come in front of the Chumon to pay their respect.

Vermilion is the dominant colour at the shrine, while green, brown and beige are also used in the ornaments.

Each metal lantern along the Oro Veranda and East and South Cloister looks distinctive.

The small shrines near the South Cloister blend in perfectly with the natural surroundings, especially during autumn times.

There were so many lanterns in Kasuga Taisha. How nice if we could visit the shrine again during Setsubun Mantoro or Obon Mantoro Festival when they were all lit up.

Even the shadow of the lanterns look amazing under the afternoon sun.

After the main shrine at Kasuga Taisha, we headed into the adjacent cedar forest to check out some of the auxiliary shrines.

One of the auxiliary shrines we visited was Meoto Daikokusha (夫婦大国社, couple shrine). Dedicated to the Shinto deity for couple relationships, Meoto Daikokusha is popular for visitors hoping for happy relationships and successful match-making.

Some local visitors and even tourists came wearing traditional kimono dresses.

There were many quiet shrines in the forest, each had its devoted supporters.

We visited several of the auxiliary shrines. The last one we saw was Golden Dragon Shrine.

It was late afternoon and we were a little tired and hungry. Following the two rows of moss-covered stone lanterns, we slowly walked out of Kasuga Taisha.

Near the exit of the forest path, we saw a herd of deer outside the forest right by a beautiful grassland.

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February 23, 2017 | Categories: Japan, Japan: Kyoto and Nara 2016, Kyoto and Nara | Tags: Buden, cedar, Chumon, deer, 舞殿, Fujiwara, Heiden, Japan, Kasuga, lantern, Nara, Oro, park, pilgrimage, religion, Shinto, Shintoism, Shrine, taisha, Temple, veranda, 奈良, 幣殿, 春日大社 | Leave a comment

DAY 7 – KUMANO HONGU TAISHA, Kumano Kodo (熊野古道) 3 of 4, Japan

At Hongu, we dropped off our backpacks at a locker across the street from the main entrance of Kumano Hongu Taisha. We then went to check out the heritage centre where we learnt a little more about the history of Kumano Hongu Grand Taisha and the Kii mountain range. The Kumano Hongu Taisha is the house for the deity of Kumano Gongen, where pilgrims came to pay their respect to the deities of Kumano area for almost 1000 years. Every spring, the Kumano Hongu Taisha Spring Festival would take place with three days of ceremonies.

On a bench outside of the centre, we took out the lunchboxes for a quick lunch. The yummy lunchboxes were ordered online before we left for our trip and delivered to our hotel at Yunomine in the morning. After lunch, we took our time to visit Kumano Hongu Taisha a second time. This time, we had more time to examine the donor lanterns, flags, signs, etc. along the main access path. After a relaxing stroll around the complex, we walked down the main entrance stairs one last time under the afternoon sun. We picked up our backpacks at the locker and walked over to the bus stop in front of the heritage centre, where we would hop on a bus for Wataze Onsen.

The banner at Kumano Hongu Heritage Center commemorated the 10th anniversary of inscription into UNESCO’s World Heritage for “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range”.

The Heritage Center represents a good example of modern architecture with a traditional touch.

33.9m tall and 42m wide, the Torii gate at the entrance to the sandbank of Oyunohara is the largest in the world. This is where the original Kumano Hongu Taisha stood over a century ago, before the devastating floods destroyed much of the old shrines.

Along with our accommodation and luggage shuttle service, we also reserved this local lunchbox online at http://www.tb-kumano.jp prior our arrival in Japan.

Housed in a bamboo box, our lunchbox contained a number of seasonal local delicacies.

Rebuilt after flood damages, the Zuihouden next to the entrance of Kumano Hongu Taisha houses religious study areas, a hall and a souvenir shop.

The stair leading up to the main shrine is flanked both sides with donor flags.

Worshipers put all kinds of wishes onto these wooden “ema” to communicate with the deities.

Tying the Omikuji, the fortune telling paper slips onto trees or ropes at the shrine is a common customs of worshiping.

Small bamboo flags were another common option for worshipers to leave their messages.

Before entering the complex, cleaning our hands at the purification trough had become a common practice even for foreign visitors like us.

Wooden staff in hand, lots of elderly worshipers spend great effort in walking the pilgrim route before reaching Kumano Hongu Taisha.

Our second visit to the Hongu Taisha. This time we had all the time we needed to wander around the complex.

Beside the main shrines stood this small and popular shrine under tree shade.

After a thorough visit, we walked down the main stair once again.

Lanterns with donor’s name were hung on a rack near the main gate of Kumano Hongu Taisha.

We bid farewell to the Kumano Hongu Taisha under the late afternoon sun.

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Read other posts on 2015 Kansai…
Day 1.0 – Kansai Japan 2015
Day 1.1 – Hanami, Mount Yoshino
Day 1.2 – Feast under the Shades of Sakura, Mount Yoshiko
Day 2 – A Day in Kobe
Day 3 – A Day in Central Osaka
Day 4 – Tanabe – Prelude of the Kumano Kodo
Day 5.1 – Takijiri to Takahara, Kumano Kodo
Day 5.2 – Takahara to Tsugizakura , Kumano Kodo
Day 5.3 – Minshuku Tsugizakura, Kumano Kodo
Day 6.1 – Tsugizakura to Mikoshi-Toge Pass, Kumano Kodo
Day 6.2 – Mikoshi-Toge Pass to Hongu Taisha, Kumano Kodo
Day 6.3 – Kumano Hongu Taisha to Yunomine Onsen, Kumano Kodo
Day 7.1 – Ryokan Adumaya, Yunomine Onsen, Kumano Kodo
Day 7.2 – Yunomine Onsen, Kumano Kodo
Day 7.3 – Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Kodo
Day 7.4 – Wataze Onsen, Kumano Kodo
Day 8.1 – Kumano Nachi Taisha, Kumano Kodo
Day 8.2 – Kii Katsuura, Kumano Kodo
Day 9 – Church of Light, Osaka

September 18, 2015 | Categories: Japan, Japan: Kansai 2015, Kumano Kodo | Tags: 熊野本宮大社, 熊野権現, 紀伊山地, gongen, hongu, Japan, Kansai, Kii, kodo, Kumano, oji, Oyunohara, pilgrimage, Shrine, taisha, torii, Wakayama, Yunomine, 大斎原 | Leave a comment

DAY 7 – YUNOMINE ONSEN, Kumano Kodo (熊野古道) 2 of 4, Japan

Since 1800 years ago, Yunomine has always been a popular onsen village in the Kii Mountains. For centuries, its healing water offers a great reward for pilgrims after their visit to the Hongu Taisha. Today, this sleepy onsen village has the oldest hotspring in Japan. Situated at a lush green valley, dozens of timber houses, traditional ryokans and cosy bed and breakfasts cluster along a mountain stream. At the village centre across the bridge from Ryokan Adumaya stands a public bathhouse where visitors buy admission ticket from a vending machine.The only vehicle road passed through the centre of sleepy Yunomine.Traditional ryokans in Yunomine offer visitors a taste of vintage Japan.A stair leads down to the level of the stream where the fenced pool of hotspring becomes the official cooking spot with water from the hot spring. “Onsen tamago”,eggs slowly boiled in the onsen hot spring, is a popular local dish. Other than eggs, the locals also love to boil yams in the 93 degree onsen water. Across the stream from the egg boiling pool stands a hotspring well and pump distributing onsen water to the surrounding houses. Yunomine and its historical Tsuboyu Bath is famous as the healing spot for Hangan Oguri, a clan leader of Oguri Castle 600 years ago. In the background stands the Toko-ji Temple, the main temple in Yunomine.In front of Toko-ji Temple stands the main grocery store. The Toko-ji Temple is located beside the public bathhouse. The shrine at Toko-ji Temple. The entrance of the public bath house of Yunomine Bags of uncooked eggs are prepared for visitors to make “onsen tamago” slowly cooking in the hot spring. The centuries old Tsuboyu Bath is a tiny bath house by the stream. Inside it is small and dark, not ideal for people with speluncaphobia.

From a distance the Tsuboyu Bath seems like a tiny wooden shed that seems vulnerable to flooding. These stone steles situate high on the slope by the main road accessible only via a narrow flight of stair.Bicycle is one of the best means to tour around the Yunomine area. The stone wall that separates the open air onsen at Ryokan Adumaya from the main road. Before we left Yunomine Onsen, we had a leisure stroll around Yunomine. After the walk, we decided to return to Hongu Taisha for a second visit. After a short wait at the only bus stop in the village, we carried our backpacks up the bus heading towards Hongu Taisha.

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July 18, 2015 | Categories: Japan, Japan: Kansai 2015, Kumano Kodo | Tags: Adumaya, 紀伊山地, hongu, hotspring, Japan, Japanese, Kii, kodo, Kumano, onsen, ryokan, taisha, Wakayama, Yunomine, 湯の峰 | Leave a comment

Day 6 – KUMANO HONGU TAISHA TO YUNOMINE ONSEN, Kumano Kodo (熊野古道) 3 of 3, Japan

As one of the Kumano Sanzan, Hongu Taisha is one of the three major shrines of Kumano Shinto shrines, and the main pilgrimage destination in the Kii Mountains since the early 10th century. Originally built on the river delta of Oyunohara, the historical shrine was partially destroyed by floods in 1889. Out of the five original main shrine structures at Oyunohara, three were rebuilt at today’s location about 1km from its original spot. Similar to other Shinto shrines, unfinished wood were widely used in the shrine structures of Kumano Hongu Taisha. Not a single nail had been used in the magnificent timber structures. After a long day of walk, we arrived at Hongu Taisha at around 5pm. We entered the complex through its back entrance. Only a few local visitors were around. All the shops and vending stalls selling religious souvenirs were already closed. We quietly wandered around the ground, paid our respect to the deities, and decided to return for another visit the next day. We exited the ground from its main entrance. Across the street from the main entrance stood the Kumano Hongu Heritage Centre and the local bus stop. It was a relief after we realized that the last bus to Yunomine was still yet to come. It was only ten minutes of bus ride from Hongu to Yunomine, the small village famous for its 1800 year old onsen. From Takijiri to Hongu Taisha, we covered a little over 40km of hiking in two days. At Yunomine Onsen, it was the time for a well deserved rest and a dip into one of its hotsprings. We arrived at Yunomine in the evening. After we checked into our traditional rooms in Ryokan Adumaya, the hotel staff immediately prepared our Kaiseki dinner in our room. Ryokan Adumaya is the oldest guesthouse in the village, with its own hotspring baths and traditional tatami rooms serving both foreign and local visitors. After the dinner, the hotel staff set up the bed and blanket for us on the bamboo tatami. We silently walked into the shrine complex from the back entrance, which led us into the outer courtyard of the shrine complex. Unfinished timber gate structure that leads to the inner courtyard of the shrine complex. Gateway into the inner courtyard of the shrine complex. The three main shrine structures at the core of the inner courtyard were off limits to visitors. One of the three main shrine structures rebuilt after the move from the original location in 1889. Bronze features on the rooftop of the shrine structures. Chigi, the crossed detail on rooftop, is a common feature in Japanese Shinto architecture. The main stairway led us to the front entrance of Hongu Taisha. At the bus stop in front of Kumano Hongu Heritage Centre, we waited for the day’s last bus for Yunomine, where we would stay the night at a local hotspring inn. The main creek ran through the entire village of Yunomine at its centre. The public hotspring bath and the adjacent shop/ eatery were still open at 8 in the evening. Below the village shrine by the creek stood the piping system distributing the hotspring water to different parts of the village. We checked in at Ryokan Adumaya, the oldest hotspring inn at Yunomine. Kaiseki dinner at Ryokan Adumaya. Kaiseki dinner at Ryokan Adumaya. Kaiseki dinner at Ryokan Adumaya. Menu of the Kaiseki dinner at Ryokan Adumaya. Bedding and blanket were all set as soon as we finished the delicious dinner. Before bedtime, we still managed to visit the hotspring in the ryokan.

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July 7, 2015 | Categories: Japan, Japan: Kansai 2015, Kumano Kodo | Tags: Adumaya, 熊野, 熊野本宮大社, 紀伊半島, 紀伊山地, food, hongu, hotspring, Japan, Japanese, kaiseki, kodo, Kumano, onsen, Oyunohara, ryokan, Sanzan, taisha, Tanabe, Wakayama, Yunomine, 温泉, 湯の峰 | Leave a comment

DAY 6 – MIKOSHI-TOGE PASS TO HONGU TAISHA, Kumano Kodo (熊野古道) 2 of 3, Japan

After lunch, we had another 10km to cover before reaching Hongu Taisha, the ultimate sacred destination of Kumano Kodo. The trail in the afternoon was relatively less challenging. After a short while hiking in the woods, we reached an open spot where slope failure control work was in progress. It was a spectacular site with bamboo blankets covered a large slope area of a hillside. Landslides caused by heavy rain or typhoons were not uncommon in this area, posing potential risks to hikers. After the slope failure control area, we walked on and passed by the shrines of Inohana, Hosshinmon, and Mizunomi before reaching different farming villages. In front of the dramatic backdrop of Kii Mountains, rice paddles and tea farms lined up the narrow plains and rolling hills along the main village path. Orange trees could be seen in the backyard of village homes. Apart from ume (Japanese plums), the prefecture of Wakayama is famous for producing the best mandarin oranges in Japan. In the villages, there were many wooden kiosks selling local goods such as dried produces and tea leaves catered for visiting pilgrims. Some kiosks were also selling wooden carvings. After we meandered through the peaceful farming villages and took in some of the best views of Kumano Kodo, we finally reached Fushiogami Oji, the last main oji before reaching the town of Hongu. The last hour of hike took us through a dense forest on an ancient stone path. At last we reached a long flight of stairs descending down to Hongu. At about 5pm we finally passed through the wooden torii gate at the back entrance of Hongu Taisha. A single tree was preserved at the slope failure control area. Japanese Maples thrive along Otonashi-gawa River and Kumano Kodo. Their green leaves reveal a refreshing sense of the spring season. The main shrine of Funatama Jinja. One of the two guardian fox statues at Funatama Jinja shrine dedicated to kami Inari. Many retaining hills were covered with green moss. After Mizunomi Oj, we passed by the last few vending machines before reaching Hongu Taisha. We couldn’t resist but bought a bottle of local soft drink. We were a day late to visit the Hongu Taisha spring festival, an annual event with three days full of ceremonies. Before reaching the next shrine at Mizunomi Oji, we passed by a few self-served wooden kiosks selling local carvings. A tiny shrine along the path was dedicated to the deity that protected worshipers from tooth-ache. Many worshipers stopped by Mizunomi Oji to pray for a relief from back pain. We walked past the dense woods of the Forest of Rebirth, where pilgrims were meant to cleanse their spirits before reaching Hongu Taisha. Wooden kiosks selling all kinds of unique local products, including wooden carvings and agricultural produces. Local agricultural products such as tea leaves and pickled vegetables were on sale. Green tea farms dominated the agricultural lands in villages before reaching Fushiogami Oji. Serene mountain views provide a dramatic backdrop to the tea farms near Fushiogami Oji. After a long flight of stairs descending down to the town of Hongu, one of the first things we encountered was this cute signage about unwanted dogs from the area. In late afternoon we finally reached the back entrance of Hongu Taisha.

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July 5, 2015 | Categories: Japan, Japan: Kansai 2015, Kumano Kodo | Tags: Funatama Jinja, Fushiogami, hongu, Japan, Kudo, Kumano, Mikoshi-Toge, Mizunomi, oji, Otonashi-gawa, taisha, Wakayama | Leave a comment

DAY 6 – TSUGIZAKURA to MIKOSHI-TOGE PASS, Kumano Kodo (熊野古道) 1 of 3, Japan

Another beautiful day. Just like the day before, we used the luggage shuttle service to transport our big pack from Tsugizakura to Ryokan Adumaya, a traditional inn where we would spend the night at our next destination Yunomine Onsen. Leaving Minshuku Tsugizakura behind, we walked uphill to where we left off the day before along Kumano Kodo and continued our journey on the Nakahechi route heading towards Hongu Taisha, a little over 22km away. It was a long day of hike, but today’s hike allowed us to meander through a few peaceful villages where friendly farmers grew tea bushes and orange trees. Similar to the day before, we passed by a number of roadside shrines, cedar forests, bamboo groves, and farming villages. In the morning, we visited the shrines of Nakagawa, Kobiro, and Kumasegawa. Because of road damages to the trail in 2011, we had to take a 4km detour between Nakado-jaya Teahouse to Mikoshi-toge pass via the winding valley of Jagata Jizo. By the time we reached Mikoshi-toge Pass it was already noontime.Toganoki-jaya Teahouse, a reconstructed tea house made of straw and timber in Tsugizakura. This was where we started our second day on the Kumano Kodo. Farewell to the peaceful village, Tsugizakura. Local artists and residence set up a roadside bulletin board introducing local art works capturing the beauty of Kumano Kodo. These two funny looking wooden figures in front of the bulletin board helped to catch hikers’ attention. During the hike along Kumano Kodo, we encountered a number of creative signposts made by the locals.After Tsugizakura we once again entered a world covered with green moss. Along the moist mountain path, fungi, moss, ferns, grass and trees coexisted in what seemed to be peaceful harmony. Cherry blossom is not uncommon when visiting Kumano Kodo in early April. We were a week late from the peak blossom time.Soon we stepped upon this small mountain road that led to the towns of Shingu and Hongu, where two of the most important Kumano shrines had been standing for centuries. Cherry blossoms gave a sense of poetics to the evergreen forest of Kumano Kodo. The road signs for drivers to three most famous onsen in the area: The onsens of Yunomine, Kawayu, and Wataze, which are all within a day of hiking distance.Soon we reached a valley with a water channel where bright green leaves and moss covered allover. Signage of Kumano Kodo appeared every ten minutes or so along our way.After less than two hours on the road, we reached a sign indicating a 4km detour for hikers, as the main route was damaged by a massive typhoon that struck the area badly in 2011. Moss and small plants thrived inside an offering bottle at a small shrine along the detour, revealing the power of nature. That bottle also becomes a piece of art display. Soon after we finished the detour and stepped back onto the main route of Kumano Kodo, we reached the next ancient shrine, Yukawa Oji.By around midday we finally arrived at the park pavilion at Mikoshi-toge Pass where we took a break and had lunch. At the pavilion, we took a short lunch break. Another couple was finishing their lunchboxes when we stepped into the shelter. We were grateful to find the pavilion sound and tidy, including a sparkling clean modern washroom facility adjacent to the resting area. At the pavilion, we unwrapped the bento lunch boxes prepared by the Yuba family at Minshuku Tsugizakura. We love the onigiri rice balls, wrapped in dried bamboo leaves. The rice balls had lingering aroma from the bamboo leaves. In addition to the onigiri rice balls, the bento box also included some side dishes made of local specialties and seasonal ingredients such as bamboo shoots, seaweed, tofu, fish cake, pickles, tamago egg etc. With a mix of flavours (sour, sweet and salty) and textures, the bento box was not meant just to fill up our bellies but also to awaken our taste buds. The bento box also included a bottled green tea and a lovely checker-box patterned mini picnic cloth, pink for the lady, blue for the gentleman. Kawaii !! (cute in Japanese)