adekun’s japan blog

A little way from nearby Kurayoshi is the town of Misasa. While the town is famed for it’s radon spas, Sanbutsuji set upon Mitokusan (Mt. Mitoku) really draws the crowds. The temple’s pinnacle is Nageiredo hall. Back in 706 it is said to have been thrown in the mountain by a monk. It rests between two and three hundred metres above a steep gorge, seemingly defying gravity.
Having just visited you have to wonder. To reach it from the main complex takes half an hour; up tangles of exposed tree roots, chains and ropes. In bloom were yama tsutsuji (mountain azalea) and fuji (wisteria). The last Sunday in October the entrance fee is waived for yamabushi (fire walking festival).
At the entrance, those lacking sufficient grip on there footwear are sold wara-zori (straw sandals). It’s not difficult and doesn’t deter people of all ages and sizes - if it’s busy expect the clamber to take a lot longer.

I’ve been too hasty planting out the summer vegetables. It probably would have been okay if it wasn’t for the weather that soon followed. Since the cold and the rain it has been super hot; a bit too hot for digging. The leaves on the tomatoes promptly grew dark brown spots. I wondered if I might be in with a chance of winning a prize for the quickest onset of blight. After an anxious week they seem to be in the clear. There are even a few tomatoes forming.

The rest of the veg are in a similar state, not perky but alive. Hopefully we’ll have some rain and save them from being frazzled.