Osakatomebaby

Visited Kurama onsen, north of Kyoto Sunday. It was surprisingly convenient to get there, just an hour and a half or so away, and quite reasonable as well for a day trip.

But first we stopped in at Kurama-dera which was well worth it. For one thing, I saw snow for the first time in many years. Not that snow itself is exciting, but it's pretty on the mountains. Hiking to the top of the mountain, you'd occasionally hear a shushing sound as a big patch of snow would slide off. There were quite a few pilgrims wearing plastic bags on their heads to keep dry. I got lucky and didn't get hit, but I probably wouldn't have cared if I did. Especially by the time I got to the top and saw the lovely view. It's so close to the city, yet this is really countryside because of the religious importance of the area and because it's not particularly suitable for building I suppose.

The temple's been around since 770, but the main hall was rebuilt in 1971 after a fire (possibly related to the fire festival video site), but it's quite lovely and there were some beautiful chants emanating from the interior. It used to be a Tendai temple, but has since founded its own sect known as Kurama-Kokyo.

According to the brochure:

"More than six million years ago, Mao-son (the great king of the conquerors of evil and the spirit of the earth) descended upon Mt. Kurama from Venus, with the great mission of the salvation of mankind. Since then, Mao-son's powerful spirit governing the development and the evolution not only of mankind but of all living things on Earth has been emanating from Mt. Kurama..."

Some history too:

There is the interesting story...of the warrior called Ushiwaka-maru (later known as Minamoto Yoshitsune, 1159-1189). When he was a young lad, he took military arts under the "Tengusan" (subjugator of evil) at Kurama, and he went on to become an excellent soldier.

There was also a museum we could have done, although I didn't realize it till I got home and actually read the brochure they give you at the temple (which I skim, unceremoniously stuff in my pocket and promptly forget).

There are quite a few sake barrels on display at various shrines around the temple. Which reminded us that it was quite cold and we'd better be getting on to the onsen.

My massage therapist friend back home would be proud of me. I went back and forth from the hot springs to the freezing cold water I imagined was the freshly melted snow. Who knows? He and I used to do that with our hands and buckets of water on a very regimented pattern and at precise temperatures. It's supposed to increase circulation and release tension--him from doing massage and me from working at the computer all day. Well it worked. After that I hit the sauna, which is when I finally stopped feeling the rush of normal life. Or more precisely, I realized that normal life is rushed and there are other ways to be.



Of course there was a great lunch. Duck nabe, sashimi and the best rice I've had, ever, mixed with mountain vegetables. Plus hot sake, you can't go wrong.



Followed by another bath. This is the life. Every time I go to an onsen I wonder why I don't go more often.