My first visitors: Part 5

Ok, I saved the best pictures for last. My favorite place to visit in Japan so far is Koyasan. It is in the Wakayama prefecture, but way up in the mountains. If going by train, you must take a cable car that takes you straight up the mountain. The leaves were so beautiful and full of color. It was a cold and rainy day, but the pictures still turned out beautifully. Chise and Akemi went with us to show us around.
We had quite a unique lunch experience at the monastery, where we had a special “monk lunch.” The Buddhist monks are vegetarians, so all the dishes were made from soy, tofu, or vegetables. Koyasan is famous for a special dish called, gomatofu, sesame tofu. It is not like soy tofu at all. The consistency is smooth like custard. Very unique. Everything was beautifully presented in colorful lacquerware and ceramics.
We of course saw many temples and shrines. One had hundreds of lanterns, which are said to never go out. On the way there, we walked through an interesting graveyard. I don’t think there were actually any remains there, the headstones were more like “remembrances” for people who have passed away in accidents at companies, construction sites and such. There were also headstones for dogs, some space shuttle, and Nissan. It was strange.
Because it was colder in Koyasan, the leaves turned faster than in the rest of the places we saw. I couldn’t believe how fiery red the leaves could be. Koyasan is a definite must place to visit in Japan.
Well, that’s it for the trip. Thanks to Dad and Georgie for taking the time to come and visit. It was a great time.