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…
Japan is different – toilets In the same way that Japan is at the technological forefront when it comes to trains, so it is with toilets. Warm toilet seats, integrated bidet with sprinkle or shower, water pressure level, positioning (and much more), automatic flushing when you stand up, and even a water sound simulator to drown out the sound of…
Copenhagen – 42km training With 9 days remaining before I travel to Japan, today was my last big training sessions. Unfortunately, Denmark is flat, very, very flat, so no training in mountains here. Instead I walked 42 km’s in and around Copenhagen, visiting parks, cemetries, walking along the coast and through downtown Copenhagen – a fantastic trip. My wife…
Shitenno – the four heavenly kings The Shitennō are Buddhist protectors of the four directions. They ward off evil, guard the nation, and protect the world from malicious spirits, hence the Japanese term Gose Shitennō, literally “four world-protecting deva kings.” Each represents a direction, season, color, virtue, and element. They are almost always depicted wearing armor and holding weapons, and are…
Lanterns Lanterns come in many shapes and sizes in Japan, as through the most of Asia. They are used in temples, on the way to temples, at festivals and not least in front of restaurants and peoples homes during festivals. The featured picture, above, is taken from my trip to Japan in 2014, where lanterns are…
Japan is different – trains The Japanese love trains – no matter if it’s a ultra-modern high speed bullet train, or very slow local train – and local trains are very slow. You can see this in many different ways. Japan rail personel salute the incoming shinkansen, the platform supervisor salutes the leaving train. Train conductors bow and say hello…
Jizo – guardian of travellers, children, and motherhood One of Japan’s most beloved deities, Jizō is the guardian of travellers, the hell realm, children, and motherhood. Everywhere in Japan, at busy intersections, at roadsides, in graveyards, in temples, and along hiking trails, one will find statues of Jizō Bosatsu decked in clothing, wearing a red or white cap and bib, adorned with toys,…
Omikuji – Fortune telling At visits to shrines and temples, many Japanese draw a piece of paper called Omikuji, that tells their fortune for the next year. Omikuji has nearly 1000 years of history and is said to have started when people drew lots to hear a divine opinion on such things as predicting government decisions or choosing a…
Japan is different – white gloves Something I noticed when travelling around Japan was the number of people wearing white gloves. Almost all drivers – taxi drivers, bus drivers and train drivers and conductors, most often, but not always wear white gloves. But it’s not only drivers- the police and postal workers also wear them. When I looked into it, there…
