Detours or shortcuts, both have their purpose and their rightful place in our lives. Some days we may be in a hurry and then try to get to our destination as quickly as possible. In doing so, we often don't have time to look extensively to the right and left and to enjoy our journey.
But on other days, it can make sense not to take the shortest route, but to do an extra round. Maybe you can explore a few new roads and bravely venture into uncharted territory. Or you may finally have enough time to inspect and investigate one of those interesting-looking places along the way a little more closely. In both cases, it may take longer to reach your destination, but in the end you will gain so much in terms of experience and impressions, so you can be sure that the extra time was well spent.
As for us, especially when we come home from a little travel I now try to make an extra stop on the way back. The fastest road is usually not the most interesting, and so I like to pick a different route, and when I plan in advance we are often able to hit some interesting destinations along the way.
I guess we are getting good results in doing so and in addition we were able to postpone the homecoming blues a little bit or even almost completely suppress it. Of course, the first day of a trip is usually the most exciting and you are in the best mood. But in order for this mood to last, you sometimes have to be a little flexible, spontaneous and also able to let others infect you with their enthusiasm. After all, laughing and being happy together is the best way.
On our last trip we also used this concept and once again it proved to be successful. We came from the Aizu region in the western part of Fukushima Prefecture and I tried to avoid the main roads as long as possible and instead planned a trip on back roads across the country.
Thanks to Google Maps, I plotted the route so that we would have something to visit during our drive. Our first stop was the Koanji Temple, which looked promising, at least for me. Of course, here we were not at one of Japan's world-famous tourist destinations, but rather at a place of local fame, which was all the more genuine and authentic.
But let's take a look together...
In beautiful weather, we entered the parking lot of Koanji Temple, which was located in the Minami-Aizu district. The origins of the temple are said to date back to the 13th century, into the Kamakura period, so we were on historical ground.
There are hundreds of Buddhist temples in Japan, which belong to different sects that compete with each other for the purest doctrine. Some of the most famous temples can be found in the old capitals of Kyoto and Nara, but there are also temples to be found everywhere in the countryside and in the mountains, usually connected to local cemeteries.
I like to be infected by the special atmosphere that emanates from such places and like to spend time in this relaxing and mystical atmosphere to provide some new energy to body and soul. Often I can also learn something new and above all gain many interesting impressions.
Directly at the entrance gate to the temple we found a lot of different Waraji 草鞋 and they immediately attracted our interest. Waraji are sandals made of various plant fibers and used to be the footwear of common people. Nowadays you rarely see these sandals, they are primarily worn by traditionally oriented Buddhist monks.
But here in the Koan-ji temple they probably served as talisman and you could buy waraji in different sizes. In super large for the front door or also in extra small as a pendant.
In a first building there was an altar in front of which was a wood carving. A boat with very special occupants, which at a first glance immediately seemed familiar to me.
It was the Shichifukujin 七福神, the seven gods of luck of Japan, which I have encountered quite often lately. Our seven gods were traveling on their treasure ship (Takarabune - 宝船 ) and now had made it here to the heart of the country.
They embody the seven intangible treasures: Wisdom, Knowledge, Experience, Scholarship, Valor, Prosperity and Long Life, and Happiness and Contentment.
I am always happy to meet the Shichifukujin and I have met them in some interesting places so far. I was a little surprised to find them here as well, but I was glad to see some familiar faces. I guess I'll have to make a separate post about the seven gods soon.
And now we were standing in front of the main building of the temple, and in front of it on both sides of the path were saw two toro and two koma-inu. The stone lanterns and the lion dogs can be found at a lot of temples and shrines all over Japan and they watch over the place and the visitors and show you the right and safe way.
This is exactly the place where the temple looked most charming and impressive. The warm light of the spring sun beautifully illuminated and softened the whole scene, and I was incredibly satisfied at that moment to have taken that extra detour here and to have let my curiosity guide me.
On one side of the temple ballustrade were some wooden statues depicting some of the seven lucky gods. Here at this temple they really seem to have found a safe home and as usual I respectfully paid my respects to them.
Of one of them there were even several statues. Of Ebisu, the god of fishermen and also of happiness and prosperity, a very likeable guy. The three statues on the right show this mostly smiling deity, whose origins are purely Japanese.
On one of the thick posts we found these small wooden plates, but I haven't figured out the meaning of them yet. I guess I still have some homework to do here, and will report more in due course.
Here at the Koan-ji temple you could also buy some talismans and lucky charms. I guess you just have to try to market your reputation and your atmosphere a little bit. And who of us can't use a little more luck and success in their life?!
We then took another lap around the main building, because I also like to look at the back of temples and shrines. The front gets enough attention, but maybe there's something to be discovered behind. While there may not be the greatest wonders hiding there, it's always fun to look at the hidden and tucked away corners of a place as well.
The Koma-inu didn't have much to do on this wonderful day. Or was it just because of them that the atmosphere here at Koan-ji Temple was so peaceful and relaxed. Anyway, at the end of our visit I gave them some of extra attention and took a closer look at them. Usually they are slightly weathered, but they at every place they look different. After a short conversation we said goodbye, but if one day the opportunity should arise again, I will gladly pay my respects here again.
Finally, I positioned myself for a few minutes directly in front of the temple and tried to store this sight in my mind. We came here precisely because of such impressions and images and I was very grateful that we were allowed to discover this place. The quiet yet inspiring atmosphere of Koan-ji Temple was exactly what we were looking for. In a very charming way, this temple felt very familiar and was definitely worth a little detour.
Our day was far from over, now it was just noon and there was still a fair bit of road ahead of us to get back home. But I had another idea and plan for the afternoon and therefore we still had another place to got to. We were full of good mood and also a lot of anticipation, of what we will be able to explore soon. But there will be more to see and read about that another time, so please check back soon if you want to learn more about the land of the rising sun.
またね matane
[//]:# (!pinmapple 37.502422 lat 139.823257 long Koan-ji - A charming temple tucked away in the heart of Japan d3scr)
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thanks a lot!
It's so wonderful to read about the temples. Oftentimes I don't know what those statues mean/symbolize so this post really helped me understand about it.
At first I thought you meant Koenji, a town in Tokyo. 😅
I would also like to visit Koenji, haven't been to Tokyo for too long!!!!
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Wow this is amazing, I never knew the waraji were made from plant fibers. The statue of the seven gods of Japan is beautiful. I love the images thank for sharing this.
thanks for stopping by
Japan is a country of rich culture, especially I heard a lot about temples in Japan. Some temples in Vietnam are affected from Japan, too. Thank you for sharing!
would love to visit Vietnam, I am sure there will be a lot to discover and learn for me! Have a good day!
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