• 12 years ago
Obitoke-dera Temple in Nara!

This was our first stop on the second part of the Yamanobe-no-Michi trail. A famous temple for would be mothers and a history of visitors such as Empress Fujiwara Akiko, the Imperial Princess Michiko, the wife of the crown prince and other dignitaries.
This temple was built in 858. When the Empress Fujiwara Akiko was pregnant, she prayed to have an easy birth. As a result, she had a baby safely. Since then this temple has been believed as a prayer's temple for easy birth. A lot of pregnant mothers visit here from all over Japan. It is customary in Japan that when a women is five month pregnant, she comes to this temple and gets a maternity cotton sash 30 cm wide and wraps it on her stomach to protect and keep a baby warm and safe.

Kokuzo-san: Konin-ji Temple!

It's a bit of a climb up, about 100 meters of stairs through a pine forest. Once you arrive at the temple gate, you'll immediately impressed with the serenity of the temple grounds. Its quit, there are a lot of trees and places to sit and enjoy the stillness. The paintings on the main hall are gorgeous, all in all this is a nice place.
This temple is located in the middle of a mountain, 180 meters above sea level. It is said that Priest Kobo Daishi built in 814 by Imperial edict of the Emperor Saga. It was rebuilt in 1629 after burning. There is Wooden Kokuzo Bodhisattva from which thirteen-year-old children are given wisdom, so the children who reach thirteen years old visit this temple with their parents on April 13th.
This temple is sometimes called the Kokuzo-san ( deity of Wisdom) in Takahi. It houses the Sangaku, unique votive tablets with math questions and their solutions written on them. They date back from the Edo Era (1603-1867), which were hung up at the outer space in the temple hall.

Toyohi shrine in Tenri!

This is a small shinto shrine on the outskirts of Tenri. It looks very old and is surrounded by forest and rice paddies. When you enter the shrine, in the back on your right are some steps covered with moss that lead up to a small shrine. Very peaceful and the end of our Yamanobe-no-michi hike for the day!

Shoryaku-ji temple

Goveror Kujo Kanetoshi built this temple in 992 by Imperial edict. It used to be a large temple with pagodas and halls, but there are only a main Hall, a belfry and Fukuju-in House left now. When you walk through the path along the long stone walls with rich moss, you'll imagine how large and gorgeous this temple was in those days. Multi-colored leaves are so mach spectacular in the fall.

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