Mount Hiei

On Sunday, I visited another amazing place in Kyoto called Enryaku-ji on Mount Hiei - about an hour from Kyoto station.

Getting back to nature in this giant forest

We caught the special rapid from Himeji to Kyoto, then a local bus for 20 minutes to transfer to a local train station. We rode the train to the base of the mountain, then stepped into a cable car followed by a ropeway to access the mountain. From there a bus was able to take us to the major temple areas.

First, we walked the hiking track to the Todo (east) area.

This particular temple was reconstructed in 1987

The view of Lake Biwa from the temple steps was amazing!

Next, we walked to Saito (the west area) ...


... step-by-step...

...by step!

This hall is called Ninai-do and is used for meditation -

But I was interested in the look of this green moss!


Priests living in Jodo-in vow to retreat for 12 years

The main Buddhist temple is called Shaka-do

Buddha's image in stone by the temple

By the day's end, we were all hungry so we ate a late dinner back in Himeji.

Mmm. Okonomiyaki

Mount Hiei is definitely worth a look if you're staying in or visiting Kyoto.

Until next time,
Monica

Practice makes Perfect

Sports day is upon all the local junior high schools in the Himeji district soon. There's a bit of uncertainty as to whether it will go ahead as scheduled, because it might rain (it's typhoon season now) or it may be the case that too many students will have the dreaded flu. But anyway, preparations are in full swing.

First on the agenda? Injury management, aka picking the pebbles out of the gravel on the sports ground.

We could be here all day!

Next was multiple rehearsals of the sports day ceremony formalities - parading the school banner, standing still, raising the flag, standing in formation, marching to a whistle beat, standing and listening, running to position, hats on, hats off - all the important things for sports day success.

Practicing the ceremony, but I'm standing in the shade - hee, hee!

Until next practice,
Monica

How does your Iris grow?

The spring-to-summer season in June brought new blooms to enjoy, so a friend was excited to take me to see an Iris garden in Yamasaki.

Overlooking the garden

There must have been hundreds of varieties to admire, though not every flower had opened yet.

White, violet and lilac irises


I liked the colouring of this one


Kimono girl by the pond

Koi in the pond

Lunch was a herushii ranchi setto (healthy lunch set) in a small, but very popular, nearby Japanese restaurant - where we waited 30 minutes to get a table.

As always, I couldn't eat the raw fish, but everything else - that is, the tofu and tofu - was okay.

Lunch sets like this one are very popular

Before we headed home, we stopped by another garden in Tatsuno and drove by the local beach. Thank you Yamada-sensei.

mata ne,
Monica

A Classroom with a View

Autumn has begun in Japan but the days are still hot enough to need the air conditioner to be comfortable - unless you're at school. In that case, you have no choice but to sweat it out.

The new school I'm working at is situated on the side of a mountain, so the views from the classrooms are pretty amazing right now - everything is so green after the rainy season.

From the third floor


Taking a closer look

Sports day is coming up, so with all the practice and preparation and preparation and practice and preparation and then some more practice that's going on at the moment, I haven't spent too much time in the classroom.

Writing again soon,
Monica

Ocean, You Meet Whale Shark

I decided to travel to Osaka last week to visit the aquarium called Kaiyuukan. I took the special rapid from Himeji to Osaka, then the Osaka loop line to Bentencho station, and from there, caught the Chuo line subway to Osaka-ko.

Kaiyuukan from a distance

The entrance

I was there by opening time - a must to avoid mega crowds - but somehow it was already packed inside.

This aquarium is unique in that, once inside, you take the escalator to the eighth floor and then meander down the spiralled walkway through the different marine environments. The tanks are based on the marine life found within the earth's ring of fire; that is, around the Pacific Ocean.

Tropical fish in the Great Barrier Reef


Dolphins from the Tasman Sea


Penguins from Antartica


Sardines from the Coast of Chile

But the most impressive of all, at 9 metres deep and containing 5400 tons of water, is the Pacific Ocean tank. There are hundreds of fish, gliding manta rays with metres-long tails, and lurking in the depths are two whale sharks - which someone has managed to transform into a cute mascot for the souvenir shop. This is Japan, after all.

After, I rode the Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel to see the somewhat hazy sights over Osaka Port.

At Tempozan Harbor Village

One big city

Another view of Osaka

By the way, the title of this post is from the front page of the English version of the aquarium brochure. Hmm, Engrish at its best.

Until next time,
Monica

Better late than never, right?

Life in Japan never ceases to amaze me.

I've had a brilliant time so far; there's been so many people to meet, places to explore, festivals to see, children to inspire and more 'omg did that just really happen!' moments than I can remember. Ahh, life in Japan!

I'll be adding my photos and sharing a few stories over the next couple of months, so be sure to check back regularly for updates. So, until then.

Monica