Miyajima Day 1: Mount Misen, Daishō-in, and dinner

As we left Yakigaki-no-Hayashi, we could hear applause coming from the shopping arcade. It was for a wedding procession passing by.

We couldn't help but follow….drawn in by the tradition and romance of it all. It just seemed so wonderful. Until I later saw the posters and pamphlets for "theme" wedding packages…….procession and costume included. Sometimes it's better not  to know…..

Oh well, we had to come past here anyway. Walking thru Momiji-dani Park to the ropeway up Mount Misen.

I was more than happy to take the ropeway up. as a matter of fact, I wanted a two-way ticket, but the Missus wasn't having any of that.

After getting out at the ropeway station, it's a rather short walk to the top of Mt Misen. The views as you can imagine, especially on this post-Typhoon Vongfong days were spectacular.

A short walk from the summit is the complex that includes Reikado (Hall of the Eternal Flame). This flame, which is said to have been lit by Kōbō-Daishi has been burning for almost 1200 years. The fire is considered holy and water boiled by this flame is said to have curative powers.

From there it was downhill all the way….literally as the Missus decided we were to do what they call the "Daisho-In course" which ended at Daisho-In

In spite of my creaky ankles and my totally out of shape quads, the uneven steps and paths downhill….I was fascinated by what we saw. There are indeed some rather eye catching sights, but it was those rather discreet and rustic looking statues that caught my eye. It had me wondering the significance of them. You'd be hiking down the path and notice a cave, or some shrubbery, and then looking closely you'd see various figures….. I wish I knew what they represented……

 

At the end of this downhill hike is Daishō-in, which turned out to be one of the Missus' favorite places in our visit to Japan.

From the Tengu guarding the Mani Wheels…..

You could just tell the Missus just loved the place….I think it had to do with all the various images and statues…..

There are of course those areas that were sobering; Mizukake Jizo, seven images in place to redeem the spirits of deceased and missing children, and the kind of spooky Henjokutsu Cave, lit only by lamps with the icons of the 88 temples in Shikoku.

I could tell the Missus really didn't want to leave, but it was getting pretty late in the day. It was time to head back to our hotel and actually check in.

Of course there was the requisite stop along the way…….

I swear….She could stare at that "floating torii" all day long……

And then there were the deer. Man, these guys are aggressive. This young lady thought they were so cute until they started ripping her bag apart looking for something good to eat.

This little guy almost butted the Missus into the bay when She got his way…… He then came for me. I stopped crossed my arms and went "HA……" and growled, just like I would to Sammy or Frankie. Stunned, he backed off and made a sound I never heard from a deer before "mee-mee-mee-mee-mee…." Not that I've been around a lot of deer.

We waited until the sun dropped past the mountains, went to check in, and freshened up. By this time, things had gotten really quiet, except for a group of what seemed like students who had just arrived on the island.

We wandered around the back streets, found a little market and got some fruit and other things. We tohught we'd ask him for a recommendation for a place ot have dinner as most shops were either really expensive or were closed. He gave us directions to this place.

It was actually close to the water, but the customers seemed a combination of locals, many of them having drinks and Japanese tourists…..

The unfortunate thing for me was that the only seating available was traditional floor seating. Oh man, twice in a day…..it also answered a question I had floating around….not even the locals sit this way!

Good god, the sound of my joints sounded like saplings snapping as Sasquatch stepped on them.  Anyway, the menu was full of comfort style and tourist style dishes. What really cracked us up was the disclaimer "the picture is a imagination" next to every photo!

Unfortunately, the place was out of the Missus' first two choices, but the Missus did enjoy the Kaki Oyakudon.

To us, Miyajima oysters were much better after some heat was applied.

I enjoyed my Kaki Curry – Fried oysters with curry.

While the oysters weren't quite as good as lunch; they were still moist, nicely breaded, and had a decent flavor.

This wasn't a bad meal. The real challenge came post dinner as my right foot had totally fallen asleep….there was no way I'd be standing up without doing a good amount of damage to my surroundings…..it was time to order another Miyajima Pale Ale…which was not bad, light, slightly fruity, easy to drink…….

After moving my foot around for a while, I managed to restore circulation and we were able to leave the restaurant intact.

Obviously, it was time to head back and call it an early night, right? Well, not so fast Kemosabe……. There was one stop the Missus had to make. Yep, you guessed it.

Miyajima at this time of the day was very quiet. So hearing some rustling a few feet from you gets your attention. Until you realize it's those deer settling down for the night or digging around for some food.

Man, we were really tired. My body had still not gotten used to all this walking. My only consolation was that the Missus was just as tired. Our room was Japanese style, which means sleeping on the floor. Not a problem for me as I had slept on a futon on a regular basis as a teen.

Looking out the window at the street below us. One filled with tourists during the day, I couldn't help but be happy for the Missus, who had been able to visit a place She'd always wanted to visit since seeing a photograph years ago.