All of Japan would be in Kyoto this weekend. No problem, except that we didn't know until it happened.
James and Audrey were with us and we were going to show them the town!...unfortunately so was everyone else. The conditions were perfect for crowds: autumn; Kyoto; holiday;day off work. So we decided to avoid the crowds and do a road less traveled, a small mountain hike!
James and Audrey were with us and we were going to show them the town!...unfortunately so was everyone else. The conditions were perfect for crowds: autumn; Kyoto; holiday;day off work. So we decided to avoid the crowds and do a road less traveled, a small mountain hike!
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks Picture of the Kanji letter "dai" or 大 on the side of the mountain giving the mountain the name "Daimonji" |
~Daimonji~
The daimonji is a small mountain to the east of Kyoto.
The mountain has a clear-cut area where an array of small fire's are lit to illuminate a huge kanji character. Once per year the fires are lit for a festival. The festival is an old one, of course, and the significance of the fires is to help those who passed away find their way to heaven. There are fires lit on 5 mountains surrounding Kyoto and this is the biggest one.
It's a beautiful hike that Kailey and I do frequently. Our Australian friend Liza introduced us to the hike up Daimonji, thanks Liza! Liza and I were both part of the Doshisha exchange and in the same classes for a year.
Our hike adventure goes something like this:
1. Get up; out the door; and bike 10min east to the mountain!
- -photo shoot at Kamagawa (a river)
- -side stop at small 'farmer's market' held by Kyoto University. Much to my surprise and disbelief (though Kailey immediately convinced me of the reality of the situation), in this very farmer's market, as small and unannounced as it was, the world's best sale on t-shirts was being held. To think that we just haphazardly stumbled upon it! Kailey bought one for just $2!
3. Start "hiking"
4. Arrive at top; pictures of us and Kyoto
Starto!!~
1. Get up; out the door; and bike 10min east to the mountain!
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| Getting up and out the door |
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| Grab a quick bite nearby before setting off |
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| Pictures at Kamagawa (gawa=river) |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks Farmer's market and t-shirts |
2. Dismount and park bikes; walk through crowded street of small shops at the base
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| Bikes parked, walking through crowded street to get to beginning of hike |
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| Past the crowded street, almost at the opening of the hike |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks Going up the mountain! |
3. Start "hiking"
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks Group shot |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks Short rest before the "official" beginning of the hike |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks Trees |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks On the way up |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks Can't set fires if we want to hike |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks Encountered this sign. The trail is on the left of the clearing and the "top", where the hike ends, comes out just above the horizontal blue |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks 3/4 the way |
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| Conversation at it's best |
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| Laughing at something funny |
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| Another set of stone steps on the way up |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks Audrey at the end of trail. The top is just around the bend! |
4. Arrive at top; pictures
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| The top look-out area |
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| Panorama that looks best enlarged |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks Kailey and Audrey with Kyoto behind |
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| James and Audrey |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks Daimonji! |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks Kyoto University Students having hot ramen at the top. It's a common bucket-list type thing to do for this mountain. |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks The fires are lit here on the holiday during August |
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| Photo Credit: James and Audrey Hooks And that's it for this post! See ya next time! |
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Similar Post: Dangerous Deer of Nara: Part 1
Completely Different Post: Daily Life 7: Bike Accident
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Ben and Kailey lived in Japan not too long ago and also visit Kyoto every year.Ben is developing a Japanese Practice site. It's current main functions are:
1. a Flash Card system that features a leveling system where you must answer correctly and "level up"to gain new cards, receive money and buy new decks - anime decks included!
2. Fill in the Blank system where you can choose to focus on particle practice or verb practice etc.
Japanese Practice Blog is here. Check out the Japanese Practice site here
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