Gods and Mountains: Icons, Temples, and Pilgrimage

My day job is rather unique...I read and write about Buddhism - history, art history, philosophy, texts, social issues, architecture, food, etc. - as I work toward my doctorate in Buddhist Studies at UCLA.

One of the best parts of this journey is my yearly trip to Japan, and I thought some of you might find it interesting to know what's in store for 2010.

You can read all about previous adventures in my old blog posts from 2007, 2008, and 2009. This next one's gonna be incredible...check it out!


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Sept. 6-9, 2007

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I awoke at 5:54 in the morning at Koyasan to attend the morning service. It consisted of a monk chanting along with a woman (surprising!) in a beautifully adorned room full of golden lotuses and what I believe were urns of previous Shojoshin-in monks. It was refreshing and nice, as was the light breakfast that followed. With rain drizzling, we decided just to head to Osaka, the last stop on my journey. We rode the bus, then the steep cable car, and finally a long train to Osaka. After getting utterly lost and confused in the underground mazes of shopping malls that surround the Osaka station (and most others in Japan), we finally found our hotel, which was actually very close! Before checking in, though, we simply dropped off our bags and then headed up to Kyoto, where I had been storing two more big bags! It is simply ridiculous how much stuff we have amassed. I feel so sorry for the hotel clerks, often tiny young women, who check your bags in. One insisted on taking even the h...
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Down South...

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I write now from Hiroshima, a city infamous for its WWII history as the first city to ever be hit with a nuclear weapon. After a short flight and a long bus ride (with no leg room - I am too tall for Japan!!) we arrived in Hiroshima. The plane ride was quite nice, with a view of the coastline and the Japanese alps on my right and Fuji-san looming to my left. The air hangs heavy here down south with humidity and also the memories of lives lost and needless destruction wrought on a peaceful community. I am still fanning myself at 10:48 pm in an air conditioned room while the cicadas (Jpn. semi) take their rest so they can be loud as hell in the morning, escorting my every move near any sort of tree. Our hotel faces the Memorial Peace Park, with my window allowing for a spectacular view of the river and also the A-bomb dome. I cannot yet express my feelings about this place; I can only reel at the extraordinary sadness that is hidden by this bustling, modern city. We spent all day today s...
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Akita

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