***
Japan trip
Day 7 - 12th June - Amanohashidate: Chion-ji temple, Sand spit (Part 2)
I could've taken a cruise to the other side of the sand spit, but instead I chose to walk. After all, it was great weather: sunny, with a good breeze and only a 30% chance of precipitation (Nara was 80%, which was why I decided to go there the following day).
First, though was Chion-ji temple.
Bibs
I finally got down to finding out what the bibs meant:
Japanese Ojizo: Rocks or divinity?
"Many of the tales were about Jizo, who is one of the most popular of Japan’s deities, and is more commonly known in Japan as ojizo-sama or ojiso-san...
Jizo is a Bodhisattva, one of the main figures in Mahayana Buddhism, the branch of Buddhism most commonly found in Japan, Korea, China, and the United States. The Bodhisattva will withhold his or her own leap into Nirvana in order to be reborn again to help others. Jizo is one of the most popular of these Bodhisattvas, and appears in the form of a Buddhist priest in order to be a comfortable and familiar figure to help those in need.
Any tourist trekking Japan’s countryside and visiting roadside temples will quickly notice the many stone statues that litter the rural streets of Japan. These are the statues of Jizo. They are often clothed in stone robes and hold canes and are dressed in red bibs. They are often bald, smiling serenely, with eyes closed. Some, however, are faceless formless stones, only distinguished by the red bibs and aprons wrapped around them."
Tree with prayers. You're supposed to return and unfold the prayer when it is fulfilled. Good luck to those who try to find theirs.
I like the painting (?) of the guy on the horse
The ubiquitous carcinogenic smoke
Chain and weight
Stickers. Presumably these Senjya Fuda ("1000 shrine stickers"):
"Senjya fuda might display the name, occupation, and/or sometimes a unique message from the visitor to the shrine or temple. So, in a way, fuda would serve as a calling card or even advertisement left behind by a visitor."
Pussy
Gate
Nazi Hate Memorial
Chie-no-wa Toro, "a granite ring monument symbolizing wisdom, which has been adopted as an emblem of the town". The local tourist information called it the "wisdom ring stone lantern". Maybe it lights up during the confluence of the planets.
Stupid pussy
Revolving bridge
The straits
Map of the sand spit. I didn't see anyone swimming - probably right now people are doing that.
Besides the kiasuism of having 4 toilet roll holders, I was struck by the number of grip bars. They should just convert it to a Western Style Toilet (maybe old Japs are used to squatting)
"Nihon Sankei" ("Three Views of Japan") stone. For some reason it looked different from the ones in the other 2 places (Matsushima Bay and Itsukushima).
Start of my trek
Another bridge
Beach; I should've turned on Snow mode. Oh well.
Defending Japan from gaijin
Yet another shrine
Beach, and islands
Jizo says hi
Japanese Construction Worker with a tie
End of the road
It's remarkable how consistent Japanese soft drink vending machine prices are across Japan (they only have surcharges in hard-to-get-to places like above Fushimi Inari). Generic-brand drinks are much cheaper than the branded equivalents (I saw 500ml bottles at the other side for Y100).
I was wondering why anyone would pay Y120 for 330ml when 500ml was the same price, until I couldn't finish mine (and decanted it into a bottle).