Alex in Motion

Mount Koya, also known as Koya-san, is a World Heritage Site, because it’s the world headquarters of a particular sect of Japanese Buddhism. Many pilgrims spend years meditating in this mountainous area, and after spending time there, I felt the natural attraction.

The famous Okunoin Cemetery is Japan’s largest cemetery, home to 200,000 tombstones lining the 2km approach to the Kobo Daishi’s mausoleum. Kobo Daishi is the founder of the Buddhist sect, and is respected as one of the most religious people in Japan. All this history made the place feel peaceful and spiritual. The casual walk through the cemetery felt relaxing and somber. Tall trees and mossy grounds blended well with ancient tombstones.

There were also many famous temples in the area, but by this time, I had visited enough temples and shrines. Although their architecture was beautiful, there are just so many temples you can visit before needing a break to appreciate them again.

I spent the evening in a 800 year old temple that was converted into a hotel, with an onsen (hot springs), pebble garden, historical artifacts and simple but elegant rooms. Upon entering my chambers, I immediately noticed just a small table, a television – which really felt out of place – and no bed. You eat inside the room, and not in a common room with other guests, and the staff brought a larger table for dinner, then later removed it and prepared a comfy bed.

Dinner was the most tasty vegetarian meal I’ve ever had. It was many dishes, and even the plain white rice didn’t need seasoning. The things these monks can do without meat is close to magic!

After dinner I joined a class to learn about Buddhist writing. I don’t recall the exact scripture presented, but the students were to trace some Chinese characters with quill pens. I thought the class would include instructions to learn the proper writing technique, since there’s an order and structure to drawing each character. Instead, the “instructor” gave us a sheet of paper, told us to trace it, and then left the room. I figured he would return to further explain things and perhaps answer questions, but he didn’t.

At first I slowly and carefully traced each character, admiring their complexity, but after 30 minutes, I grew frustrated; I really wanted to learn more about what I was tracing and the class wasn’t cheap. After explaining this to management the next day, they apologized and offered a full refund. So friendly 🙂

The friendly translator from the Michelin rated restaurant in Nara was a Kyoto native. At the end of the evening, she – her name is Mao – offered a ride to Kyoto, my next destination, to spend a few hours showing me around. I immediately seized the opportunity, and was able to ask her many questions about Japanese life and culture along the way.

Once in Kyoto, Mao brought me to the Golden Temple, one of the most famous attractions in the city. The light drizzle kept most tourists away, and we were able to quietly admire the temple and surrounding area. We also sampled some tasty local sweets, made from rice and sweet red beans. Then we went to the Kennin-Ji temple, the oldest Zen temple in Kyoto – founded in 1202. It was, and still is, my favourite temple in Japan. There was a tranquil energy throughout, and I paused many times to feel it while observing the carefully manicured pebble garden, the intricate architecture and the detailed artwork.

The downtown core of Kyoto is very commercial; the streets are lined with skyscrapers and shopping malls. But outside this core are lovely suburbs, with winding paths, streams, temples and shrines, forests, and plenty of cherry blossom trees. By this point – the date was actually April 7th, as I’m still behind on the posts – some petals of the blossoms were falling, as the full bloom had passed. The tumbling petals looking like delicate snow leaves, blowing gently in the wind, and slowly collecting on the ground.

One of my favourite days was walking in the eastern regions for about 15 km, through cute districts with little shops, stopping at various temples, having a quick nibble in a park full of cherry blossoms, then continuing along a popular trail called with Philosopher’s Path, which runs along a winding canal. Along the way, I met some genuine Geisha, which is a rare sighting, since there are estimated to be only 1000 to 2000 remaining in Japan. They are treated like mini-celebrities, and were kind enough to allow a few pictures. They were extremely soft soften and respectful, speaking in perfect English. That moment made my day 🙂

Another wonderful occasion was spent in the bamboo groves in the west, and I spent the day with a young American couple. We toured the grove and the enchanting Ohkohchi-Sanso garden, of which the owner spent 30 years growing and perfecting his masterpiece. We also lounged by the nearby river, watching boats with chefs serving food to passengers. During one of our many conversations, they discussed how the medical masks some Japanese wear served no real security from germs; a much more sophisticated mask is needed for that. We agreed they are more likely social masks, so they don’t feel the need to socialize.

Kyoto was one of my favourite destinations, and 4 days was insufficient to experience everything the city had to offer. I befriended the host of the Airbnb I stayed at, so I’ll need to revisit him and the city one day. Thank you again, Ken, for your hospitality.

Koka is a small town that most tourists skip, but I wanted to go since it’s also known as “ninja town”. Unknowingly, there was a ninja festival while I was there, which was an extra bonus. There weren’t any apparent celebrations with parades or floats, but there were stuffed ninja placed around the village, hiding from the casual observer.

Growing up, I loved ninja, believing they were very proficient assassins, using techniques and strategies beyond their time. I learned this was true, and much more. My first stop was a ninja-themed amusement park for kids. Although no one spoke English, and all the demonstrations where in Japanese, Google Translate was able to bridge the communication gap when needed.

I learned a ninja’s home was full of traps, secret doors and passages, hiding spots and concealed compartments. For example, if an intruder entered the home, there was a concealed pit that caused them to fall and damage or break their shin. Once inside, the ninja could evade attackers by hiding in fake ceilings, or behind fake walls that opened differently than typical sliding doors. Basement tunnels and hidden escape passages allowed the ninja to flee quickly. Weapons could be concealed in floorboards designed for quick releases. In essence, you really didn’t want to invade a ninja’s home.

The second visit was a ninja museum, where I discovered even more about these incredible people. For example, a common misconception about ninja is they wore black, while in fact their outfits were dark blue. This made it easier to hide at night when it wasn’t completely dark. They had a vast array of weapons and tools, from special nails for locking sliding doors, to pick-locks for opening sliding doors, to special wooden shoes that allowed them to walk on mud. I was able to practice throwing the shuriken, the throwing star; after several dozen attempts, I started to be fairly accurate. These weapons were normally used for close range assassinations and poisoned, but they didn’t sell any poison 🙁

Aside from physical training and learning weaponry, ninja developed strong memories to save and recall secrets, sometimes cutting themselves while reciting the secret to link the pain to the memory. They usually blended well with villagers, pretended to be farmers or artists, using tools that could be quickly altered to become weapons.

In short, ninja were everything I thought they were and more.