With our Superbug infection temporarily at bay, we take a local train to the Buddhist temple complex at Nanzoin. By the way, if these days, you have an attitude about continuing to wear a mask when in crowds then I don’t recommend visiting Japan yet. Mask wearing is extremely common in public and, virtually, 100% on public transportations and similar situations. It doesn’t seem to matter what type of mask and placement, nose or not, will change rapidly based on the proximity to other people. Is it that the locals are expressing concern for other people’s health or, maybe, they’re not wanting to lose face by promoting their own desires over the those of the group, or perhaps they don’t want to get the crap that’s making Abby and my life somewhat miserable right now? Whatever it is, follow suit or look like a foreign barbarian. Having said that, no one here gives any grief to those that don’t mask up but, then again, Japanese don’t like confrontation.
Back to Nanzoin which is known for the largest reclining Buddha outside of SE Asia, but also has a lot more to offer. It’s a beautiful location on the hillside of a wooded valley and a veritable Disneyland of Buddhist and Shinto shrines and natural features. It is Buddhist but, as is often the case in Japan, both Buddhist and Shinto elements are freely interchanged. Shinto is the national religion of Japan and, though I’m no expert, I’d describe it as pantheistic animism! Easy for me to say(!) but, basically, Gods (kami) are everywhere in natural features such as mountains and rivers, but are also enshrined in temples and other places. Nanzoin makes good use of flowing and standing water, and all kinds of trees and plants.
Good vibes, man, the spirit of the land is apparent. We make our way uphill through cherry blossom, rhododendrons and azaleas to the main plaza where Buddha waits for us. He’s big, very big and very blue, due to the oxidized copper. In fact, he’s all copper, except for the gold accents and, although we are in a sober and unaltered state, he’s so large and vivid that he seems to move or vibrate with both Abby and I sensing this independently.
The reclining pose represents the moment when the Buddha left this realm and achieved nirvana during which, it is reported, he saw five colors and these five colors, in the form of ribbons, trail down from him to the plaza level where they are available for people to make contact and ask for help in some regard. I take the opportunity, let’s hope I get my wish.
While we remember, let’s hear it for Japanese public toilets, one of the wonders of the civilized world. Paris may has its pissoires, and London had some classics back in the distant past, but Japan has ‘em all beat in modern times with regards to spots where you can relieve yourself comfortably. There are a stunning number of public conveniences of every description, architectural variety and plumbing configuration. Watch out for the squatters and the unisex combos, but toilet paper and soap are always guaranteed. Sugoi!
While we’re at it, kudos to the Japanese rail system: Yeah, the Shinkansen kicks ass but the express and local train systems are a cornucopia of train geekery – Endless design permutations, total theme makeovers, retro, futuristic to plain bizarre. Use that JR Pass and head out into the hinterlands.
The next day the Superbug is wreaking its maximum havoc, so we have to take it easy and hang out at the apartment, bar an afternoon walk along the river where the locals are Hanami-ing like crazy under the sakura blossoms which continue to hang in there. We’ve been very lucky on this trip with optimum timing for cherry blossom viewing, a once in a lifetime deal. Can we recover and move forward on our trip? Stay tuned to this sakura channel.
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