Kinkakuji Temple in Kyoto
This World Heritage Site is one of the most beautiful temples in Japan. The Kyoko-chi Pond (Mirror Pond), which sits below the temple and reflects the shine of gold like a mirror.
I lived in Kyoto after graduation from college many years ago. I worked as an English teacher and had experiences and important life lessons that would impact the rest of my life.
When I returned to Japan many years later, I remember going to the Golden Temple to say “thank you” to Mama-san and Papa-san and all those who opened their hearts to me without understanding my language. This was the treasure that was given to me in Japan.
Lessons Learned in Kyoto
I left my home feeling angry and bitter as a young man
and traveled to Japan to find happiness,
only to find my Western and Eastern friends
envied each other and wanted to live in each other’s shoes
after living in Kyoto teaching English,
I realized my unhappiness was because
I wanted everyone to change
because then I wouldn’t have to change
after my year of solitude
I decided to come back home
and grow myself into a better person,
because I was now the only one I could change
to do this has required
great courage, patience, and honesty
plus a willingness to accept
that each of us has our own mountain to climb
many years later I journeyed back to say thank you
and found the beauty of Japan once again,
from climbing to the summit of Mt. Fuji
and visiting many of the shrines and temples of Kyoto
I went to the Golden Temple to say thank you,
to express my gratitude to Mama-san and Papa-san
and all those who opened their hearts to me
without understanding very much of my language
my love of Asia has continued to grow over the years,
learning to appreciate the beauty of simplicity and
finding the balance between discipline and accepting
people for who they are and not who I want them to be
Our sushi included flounder; young cuttlefish; giant mussel; lean tuna; medium fatty tuna; horse mackerel; red (bloody) clam; sardine; salmon rice; tiger prawn; sea urchin; smoked bonito; conger eel; and fatty tuna.
For those that want to know more about the art of sushi, watch the DVD documentary “JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI.” It is about the life and thinking of 85 year old Jiro Ono, considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef. The film explores how Jiro has been mastering the art of making sushi and believes that “even at my age in my work, I haven’t achieved perfection”
I wanted to make my pilgrimage to experience sushi perfection when I was in Tokyo. Sushi lovers from all over the world make reservations months in advance and pay hundreds of dollars to go to his 10 seat restaurant that serves only sushi. I was not able to get a reservation with Jiro, but was with his younger son, Sukiyabashi Jiro, who was trained by his father. The feeling of my experience was captured in the film DREAMS OF SUSHI.
For those who want to learn more, I would encourage you to watch JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI. It is a thoughtful meditation on work, family, and the art of perfection, chronicling Jiro’s life and his pursuit of perfection.
Nijo Castle was built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of Tokugawa leyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Period from 1603 to 1867.
Nijo Castle can be divided into three areas: the Honmaru (main circle of defense), the Ninomaru (secondary circle of defense) and some gardens that encircle the Honmaru and Ninomaru. The entire castle grounds and the Honmaru are surrounded by stone walls and moats.
Nijo Castle was used as an Imperial palace before being donated to the city and opened up to the public as a historic site. Its palace buildings are the best surviving examples of castle palace architecture of Japan’s feudal era and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kasuga is a Shinto shrine and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Shinto is deeply connected with nature and its location was purposefully chosen inside a grove of trees.
The 3000 lanterns are symbolic of the 3000 Kasuga shrines spread throughout Japan. Through the winding path there are various sizes of stone lanterns. Each lantern is donated by a citizen to show thanks and support to the shrine. Writing on each lantern shows which deity the lantern is donated to or the person’s name that donated the lantern.
Constructed in 752 on the order of Emperor Shomu, Todai-ji Temple’s Great Buddha Hall in Nara is the largest wooden structure in the world and houses the immense statue of Rushana Butsu
Daigoku-den is the outer hall of worship and was built in 1894
with over 1200 years of history and a World Heritage Site
1．北天の雄 Leader of Northern Sky
2．阿弖流為 A_Te_Ru_I
3．母禮 Mo_Re
4. 之碑 Monument
In the Kiyomizudera temple of Kyoto, a priest monument for A_Te_Ru_I and Mo_Re, was built in 1994 to honor their efforts in fighting with the court military of Yamato Imperial Court led by Sakagami Tamuramaro.
(Thanks to my friend Toshi for his translation from Japanese to English)
Kyoto Tower is an observation tower located in Kyoto, Japan. The steel tower is the tallest structure in Kyoto with an observation deck for visitors.
I had left my heart in Kyoto many years ago and it was nice to visit my friend again
I took the bullet train back from Kyoto to Tokyo and Mt. Fuji. Japan’s high speed bullet trains, also known as Shinkansen trains, was an experience like no other with speeds reaching up to 320 km/hr or 200 mph.
Climbing to the Summit of Mt. Fuji
I had always wondered what life would be like living in the East? After graduation from college, it was the right time to answer this lifelong question. I traveled to Kyoto and stayed with a family of a college friend, Mama san and Papa san.
They owned Kano Sushi and on my first visit there I was happy to give free English lessons. My English lessons quickly grew in popularity and Kano Sushi became popular with local businessmen who had expense accounts for entertainment.
One night Papa san had a rare smile on his face and offered me free sushi and sake every evening I came to visit Kano Sushi. This was the beginning of my lifelong love of Japanese food for over forty years….” Oshi desu” (delicious) and “compai” (toast to good health)
While I was in Japan, I would look out and see Mt. Fuji with its perfectly shaped dome sitting majestically in the sky. I always wanted to climb to the summit of the highest mountain in Japan and looked forward to the day I would find out the answer to the question, “Can I climb to the top of Mt. Fuji”
Our plan was to follow the Yoshida Trail to the 9th station to spend the night and then leave at 3:00 in the morning to catch the sunrise and do the final climb to reach the summit.
We thanked the Gods for our safe climb to the summit.
On the flight home I wrote this poem about our climb to the summit of Mt. Fuji in late summer of 2014
How do you climb Mt. Fuji
putting one foot in front of the other for 12,000 steps,
using walking sticks to lift yourself up when your legs are too tired
and slowing down when climbers are in front of you
taking half steps when your knees are screaming,
stopping only when you get to your mountain hut
and then enjoying a dish of hot curry and rice
sleeping like a sardine until 2:30 in the morning
when everyone wakes up and prepares to make the final ascent,
feeling the excitement of being so close to the summit.
climbing in the dry, cold, and windy weather,
then stopping to admire the sun break through the clouds
and giving thanks in a private moment with a prayer of gratitude
eating two “cups of noodles” at the summit
to get warm in zero degree weather and now
understanding that “only a fool climbs Mt. Fuji twice”
reflecting at the summit on the answer
to the question asked by the young monk,
“Can I climb to the summit of Mt. Fuji?”
looking at the young monk, the wise old monk
simply saying with great wisdom of the ages
“That which you don’t know you will learn quickly by doing”