“Choishimichi” Walk….. 2 |
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After some minutes’ walk from Jison-in to Koyasan you
will see the temple Shori on the right side of the “Choishimichi” path. In its
precincts the museum “Shiyuen”, a paper adventure park, shows an exhibition on
the theme of Koyasan paper. The temple Shori enshrines the Kannon of “warding
off evil” worshipped by Kobo Daishi, Kukai. Since Kudoyama was the main
entrance to Koyasan, it is said that it used to be a very lively area, where
the nobility, samurais, commoners and visitors stayed overnight. Walking gently
through fields of Kaki and Mandarin plantations you slowly change your mind and
realise that the trip becomes a real climb in front of the steep gradient. Climbing up step by step you reach a
panoramic platform for a rest. Passing the stone marker 163 you reach the area
of Yamasaki in Katsuragi town, where the scene becomes very picturesque. |
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| View from the “Choishimichi” on temple Shori
and museum Shiyuen |
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| Stone marker 163, published on each pamphlet |
Panorama platform with view on Koyaguchi, direction Hashimoto and Takamiyama; the platform is also accessible by car |
| In the area of the stone marker 160 to 157 the
view of the environment is spectacular and tasteful ----- the picture we would
like to put on the cover of the “choishimichi” pamphlet. Engraved on stone
markers 158 and 159 is the name of Akita Josuke Fujiwara Tomo-omi Yasumori,
whom a famous actor Yanagiba Toshiro played the role of as “Adachi Yasumori” in
the television drama “Tokimune” of NHK. These two stone markers were offered by
the chief mourner Yasumori in dedication to Hojo Tokisuke, who died young, and
others killed by Hojo Yoshimune on February of Bunei 9 (1272). Walking farther up
you will find a stone called “Kayamaki-Ishi” on the left side of stone marker 157. Kaya is a nutmeg
tree, wood of which is used as
high-class material for the game stones of the Japanese game Go, a kind of
Japanese chess. From the seeds of this tree oil is squeezed. The local people
tell that Kukai planted this tree for the purpose of having enough oil for the
oil lamps on Koyasan. |
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From stone marker 157 view on Katsuragi town
east |
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Stone marker 159 shows an engraving dedicated to
the “February riot” |
Path around stone marker 159 |
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| Kayamaki-stone up on the left side stone marker 157 |
View of Mitdanibashi right down from Kayamaki-stone |
| You will find stone marker 163, 323 m above sea
level and stone marker 156 on the level called “Zenitsubo 400 m”. Zenitsubo is a container for money and is
the name of the area between stone marker 157 and 156. (see next page). Enjoy
the beautiful view from stone marker 157. 200 m far away from the stone marker
154 on the left street you arrive at the point 477 m above sea level called
“Ame-biki-san“ (mountain attracting rain) also Dainichi Yama (mountain of
Mahavairocana Buddha). When the mountain is covered by clouds there will be
rain, people say. Looking down, you will see the Kinokawa plain spread out in
front of your eyes. This is one of the representative places, which commands a
beautiful panorama of the Izumi mountain range. This is the place where you can worship Dainichi Nyorai.
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