En-no-gyoja-Yama, a set on Flickr. This float has existed since the times before the Onin Wars (1467-1477) and is carried on the shoulders of people during the Gion festival parade. The sacred doll of this float represents En-no-ozunu, commonly known as En-no-gyoja, who founded Shugen-do (aesthetic Shinto-Buddhism practiced in the mountains) in Japan, at the end of the 7th century. Continue reading «Gion Matsuri: En-no-gyoja-Yama!»
Read more ›Today we (October 11,2011) — my daughters and I — decided to try our hand at hiking Mt. Jyubu, which we visited a few days ago. Arriving there, we encountered a light rain, but undaunted, we decided to try trekking a bit to see what we were getting into — little did we know. The fee for entering Mt. Jyubu Continue reading «Blazing the Yamabushi Trail!»
Read more ›Today I went on an ‘out of the box’ adventure to Kontai-ji temple on Mount Jyubu near Wazuka-cho in Soraku-gun. Relying heavily on the help of i-pad navigation, we arrived at Mount Jyubu, and as my daughter will testify, the road winding up the 685 meter high mountain was full of fear and excitement (mainly fear on her part). Parking Continue reading «Kontai-ji Temple on Jyubu Mountain: A Yamabushi training camp of Old!»
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Welcome to Kyoto and Nara Dream Trips, where you will be able to see a traditional and ancient part of Kyoto and Nara that not many travel guides offer. This is a community to share your experiences in Japan and to learn more about this often elusive culture. Here you will find information on popular tourist sites of Nara and Kyoto and also the not-so-popular sites which are often equally rewarding. You can also find information posted on the wall about famous Japanese peoples' birthdays, famous historical events, and different odd and widely unknown traditions. Discover a side of Japan which you never knew existed, here at Kyoto and Nara Dream Trips!
