Nagoyama Temple and Hiromine Shrine

I had a lot of fun on Monday! I was shown around Nagoyama Temple (where apparently a piece of the Buddha is located) and Hiromine Shrine, located at the top of Mount Hiromine. I also had lunch and spent a few  hours singing Karaoke, which made the day all-in-all a perfect one, as far as I'm concerned.

But first, before I go into my many many photos (I had over 100 come out well... I love my camera!), I wanted to share with you all my finished mailbox! Hopefully students will want to write me letters now!

I won't lie. That Stitch was a ton of fun to make. And no, I don't think I have OCD!


Nagoyama Temple

Only pictures could truly do  it justice. It's surprisingly close to Shirasagi Residence, too!

The trees everywhere are Sakura (Cherry) Trees, apparently. In the Fall, they turn red and orange, and in the Spring they blossom with pink flowers. I can't wait to visit it again! From the signs, there's also a "Foreign Soldier's" graveyard here. I didn't get much of a chance to wander the headstones, though.

 (I'm in the middle. Nomura-sensei's on the right, and Shimizu-sensei's on the left. They're two of my fellow English teachers at Hirohata Junior High!)

Areas Surrounding Nagoyama Temple

We visited a shrine to a Fasting Buddha (through the tunnel/cave), but it would have been disrespectful to take a photo of him. It was a very cool statue, though! (And apparently it speaks to those with an open 6th sense!)

 (^This is some kind of gate, but to where, nobody knows. ^)

                           (^ These two photos are of some kind of Japanese Garden. We didn't go in, but it was very serene! )

That stray cat was super chatty, by the way! He literally would not stop "talking." Definitely a feral guy, though!

Hiromine Shrine

Hirmoine Shrine was located at the top of Mount Hiromine, which was something of a hike to reach. Beautiful path, though, very forested! Those odd red flowers (some kind of Lily) have just started blooming everywhere I look, it seems. Anyways, more photos!

 (The entrance!)

 (There lanterns were strung along the entire path, I bet they're beautiful at night!)

 (The entrance to the shrine itself, at the top of the trail.)

 (^The shrine!)

 (If you looked back, the view of Himeji was spectacular. It's the first time I've been able to see the ocean! Never realized those small mountains had been blocking my view the entire time, it's so close!)

 (The guardian of the shrine would listen to your prayers if you whispered them into the hole corresponding to your birth year by the Japanese Calendar.)

 (There was very dense jungle all around the shrine! Trees and bamboo! Very beautiful!)

(This is on the way down, to show you just how steep the climb was!) 

Enjoy the photos! I took many more, and I'm still impressed with how many of them came out well. Either the camera's better than I thought, or I'm actually a half-decent photographer. Taking photos is pretty addicting, and I like to take as many as possible, on the off chance a bunch doesn't come out! 

Today, Tuesday the 17th, the students spent about 5 hours practicing outside for Sunday's Sports Day. For the first time, I sunburned. But it only seems to happen after I spend over 5 hours in direct sunlight so... I shall enjoy the rare experience for what it is worth: a warning to take the sun more seriously. 

It was a beautiful day, though! Nice and breezy, and hardly any humidity. And crystal blue skies! 

The massive Daisou (hyaku-en shop/dollar store) that I adore is closed until October 1st, though. No real warning on it, though, but I'm going to bet it's because of storm damage from the Typhoon from last Sunday (the one that had me stuck inside all day). The smaller one down one of the shopping arcades is still open, though, so I guess I'll find a way to manage somehow!