Japan 2011

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I had an unexpected stopover in Japan on my way to meet MaryAnne in Kuala Lumpur. I left Salt Lake a day earlier than I had originally expected, in the event of a flight delay and I was really happy the delay happened in Japan as I had been hoping for a visit to this beautiful country for quite some time.

It's quite easy to get around here. Most of the stranded travelers stayed in a hotel called the Narita Excel Hotel near the airport. There is a free shuttle from the airport, a free shuttle to get downtown and it was less than $80 per night.

From the shuttle stop downtown, the Naritasan Shinshoji, a Buddhist temple, was within walking distance (about half a mile) but getting there required walking in all sorts of directions down several streets. I was worried I wouldn't be able to find my way back so took a photo of City Hall near the shuttle stop and when I struggled finding my way back, I showed a photo of City Hall to a local and was pointed in the right direction.

The temple was incredible, spanning over 1000 years of history and was built to house a carved image of Fudomyoo, carved and consecrated by the founder of the Shingon Buddhist sect sometime between 774-835 AD. It is said the carving of Fudomyoo (the most angry looking Buddhist deity you'll ever see) became too heavy to move to the city of Kyoto (the capital at that time) and the Emperor took this as a sign Fudomyoo wished to stay where he was and ordered a temple to be erected around him.

Inside the temple, the Goma rite (a sacred fire rite) was being performed and I removed my shoes at the door and went in to watch. The Goma rite is a temple service in which Buddhists pray to Fudomyoo for the fulfillment of their wishes. It was fascinating to watch and there was a lot of drum banging and chanting/singing by the priest.

The grounds are beautifully maintained though it was incredibly hot the day I was there and I sped through the grounds more quickly than I might have had the temperature been a little more tolerable.

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