Two for the Road

While Matt hasn’t yet reached Nirvana, we have both been captivated by Koya. This historic town is about 2 hours south of Osaka (by train and cablecar) and is the centre of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. It has over 100 temples in a town with a population of under 2000.

We are lucky enough to be staying at one of those temples, enjoying a traditional room with tatami mat flooring, futons for sleeping, and sliding paper doors.

Food is included in our stay and is traditional vegan Japanese food, similar to what the monks here eat. It consists of lots of small plates, which so far have included soup, tofu, beans, pickled vegetables, rice and dumplings – everything is delicious!

This morning, we woke up super early to experience another perk of staying in a temple: attending the morning prayers of the monks who live and work here. The ceremony included lighting a fire and incense, chanting sutras and mantras and the ringing of bells and cymbals. Sadly, we don’t have any pictures to share of this, as there are no phones or cameras allowed in the prayer room, but here’s a video of a similar ceremony at another temple in Koya, in case you’re interested. It was fascinating, and my only criticism was that it was pretty chilly away from the ceremonial fire in the viewing area, my feet were freezing by the end!

Despite the cold (we’re in shock coming to Japan which is experiencing UK-type temperatures after we’ve been in warmer climes for a few weeks) we’re loving the autumn colours of Japan so far, it’s a great time to visit, and a bit less hectic than Sakura season in Spring if any of you are planning a trip!

Today we also visited Okunoin Cemetery, the largest burial site in Japan, and it is one of the most magical places I’ve ever been. In our last blog, Matt alluded to my love of Studio Ghibli films, and walking through this place really made me feel like I was in Spirited Away. Moss covered monuments spread from a paved path, which weaves tranquilly through ancient trees.

Japan has lived at the top of my bucket list since the moment I had one, and these first few days have already shown me why. We can’t wait see what else this country reveals as we wind our way east to Tokyo!

Iris