Steven – Page 14 – Following your feet

Day 11: Ise

Today was tourist day. Whilst it’s fine being alone when walking, being a tourist is more fun when you have somebody to share it with. But it has been an interesting day in bright sunshine. The motive on man hole cover symbolises my first stop today. I was up at seven to be in plenty…

Day 10: Koguchi to Nachi

I know it wasn’t the food they serve here; it could be the good nights sleep; or it could be the Pocari Sweat I wrote about yesterday. Whatever it was, my legs were in fine form today. People were already up at 5.30. As one is not allowed to wear your outdoor shoes indoors, one…

Day 9: Hongu to Koguchi

Today was a really short hike, 13 km plus a couple more to get to the trail head at Ukegawa. Despite todays highest point being 466m, elevation gain only 670m and loss 690m, my legs just didn’t want to walk today, so it felt like hard work. I’d ordered breakfast for 7.00 as I was…

Day 8: Hashimoto to Hongu

Today was a transport and rest day. I slept well and was up at 7.30 and on the road by 8.45 after a standard hotel breakfast. I walked the 20 mins to the station, stopped off at the baker to buy some lunch and took the 9.30 train from Hashimoto, for four stops to Gojo.…

Day 7: Koyasan to Hashimoto

Today I started the day by making a wrong decision. Going back a year, I was in Koyasan and had planned to walk the Choisi-michi trail between Kudoyama and Koyasan. However, I abandoned the idea due to torrential rain. So I planned to do it today instead. Unfortunately the weather report mentioned rain, so last night I…

Day 6: Omata to Koyasan

I ended my post yesterday mentioning I would be walking in rain today. Well apart from 3 minutes drizzle, it was a pleasant walk in dry weather. It has however rained off and on since I arrived in Koyasan at 13.30, but not to heavily. Last time I was here it absolutely poured, so this…

Day 5: Miura-guchi to Omata

After forgetting the picture of dinner, here is what was served for breakfast. After goodbyes and paying for the two (large) glasses of sake consumed for dinner, the owner drove us to the Minshuku where the rest of the group from Estonia were staying. As I was also about to get out, but the driver…

Day 4: Totsukawa to Miura-guchi

Another long walk. Today was ca. 20 km on the route, and 3 more due to the place I am staying being a couple of kms off the track. The day started with breakfast at the hotel, western style, still with a Japanese touch, but egg and bacon as well as ham, salad, yoghurt and…

Day 3: Hongu to Totsukawa Onsen

After two days on the Nakahechi route, to which I will return later, I am now walking north along the Kohechi route. The Kohechi route was established in the 13th century as a trade and pilgrimage route, joining Koyasan and Hongu. As such the route is “only” ca.70 km long, but it crosses over four…

Day 2: Tsugizakura to Hongu

I slept well, woken by the rain and coughing in the neighbouring room – the walls are very thin! I was up at 6.30 and there was yet another feast for breakfast, where the chef has combined a European breakfast and Japanese breakfast, served in the Japanese way. After paying for the beer I had…

Day 1: Kii-Tanabe to Tsugizakura

It rained heavily all evening and into the night, so it was going to be humid today – and it was. I had set my alarm for 6.30, in time for breakfast at 7.00 and the bus at 8.02 – the girl in the tourist office had been very specific that it was 8.02, after…

Day 0 – Copenhagen – Kii Tanabe

As I write the first part og this post, I’m back in Japan, in fact at Wakayama station which was my base when I visited the Kii peninsula last year. The trip has been smooth. Yesterday I packed in the morning, and Lene dropped me at the nearest metro station. The flight to Helsinki left…

Vajra – the thunderbolt

The term vajra is a Sanskrit word that is usually defined as “diamond” or “thunderbolt.” It also defines a kind of battle club that achieved its name through its reputation for hardness and invincibility. A diamond is spotlessly pure and indestructible. The Sanskrit word means “unbreakable or impregnable, being durable and eternal”. As such, the word vajra…

Japan is different – Pachinoko, manholes, vending machines, breakfast, shopping streets

Pachinoko – Japanese pinball Upon entering a pachinko parlour for the first time, the first thing that hits you is the fog of cigarette smoke. Inside you’ll find row upon row of pachinko machines and lots of noise, not least bells and cartoon voices. Mostly male players are watching silver balls bounce around (pachin refers to…

Japan is different – plastic food, queueing, hygene, public baths, stamp books

Continuing the the theme of differences, here are some more things that are very different in Japan. In this post I look at plastic food, queueing, hygiene, public baths and proof of visiting. Plastic food Many Japanese restaurants show the food they serve in their window, but it isn’t freshly made food, but plastic food.…

Buddhapada – footprints of Buddha

The footprints of the Buddha (Buddhapada) are one of the early representations of the Buddha. The Buddhapada are highly revered in all Buddhist countries, and symbolise symbolize the Buddha’s presence, as they are believed to be the imprints where the Buddha actually touched the ground. At the same time, the Buddhapada signify the Buddha’s absence,…

Ema – the Japanese wishing plaque

Anybody visiting a japanese shrine must have seen the characteristic Ema boards or wishing plaques, covered in writting or artwork. Originally a Shinto custom, and therefore common in shrines, but they can also be found in Buddhist temples. Ema actually means horse picture. Horses were considered the vehicle of gods and therefore horses were often…

Candles and Incense

Often in front of the main temple there is a candle stand and an incense burner. Before praying one lights a candle and/or incense stick. The offering of candles is to shine a light on the darkness of the world and create the correct path towards Buddha. Candles are an age old traditional part of…

Japan is different – taxi, futon, eating, distance and trash

I’ve already mentioned trains, toilets and white gloves, here are 5 more differences between between Europe and Japan. Taxi red and green The first time I tried to hail a taxi, they all drove past. As in many countries, Japanese taxis have a red and green light on the roof. I let the taxis with…

Torii gates

Torii, the iconically Japanese gateways that typically mark the entrance to Shinto shrines are ubiquitous all over the country, and are even used as a symbol on maps to mark the location of a shrine. The torii marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred. The torri above and below is an icon of…

Kannon – goddess of compassion and mercy

One of the most common figures encountered in Japanese temples is Kannon-sama, in English, the goddess of compassion and mercy and in Japanese as Kanzeon Bosatsu. Like Jizo, Kannon is not a Buddha, but a Bodhisattva, a being who is able to achieve Nirvana but delays doing so through compassion for suffering beings. Kannon is…