I watched my first film of 2021 (and in about three weeks) while holed up in my apartment -- like has become my usual practice on Sundays during this pandemic -- this afternoon. When viewing Yasujiro Ozu's The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice (1952), I found myself wishing I could travel to Japan again before too long -- and realizing that I still have by no means finished sharing photos from my October 2019 trip there!
Suffice to say that 2020 really was quite the eventful year... during which I frequently felt a need and inclination to share about other topics besides vacations, however wonderful they were. And 2021 is looking to be more of the same. Still, here's deciding to devote this Sunday's entry to highlighting one of the places I visited back in October 2019: more specifically, the Seto Inland Sea island of Ikuchijima; located not too far away from Okunoshima (AKA Rabbit Island), which I had visited the previous day, but with very different attractions on it.
Perhaps because the previous day had noticeably sunnier skies, there was a distinctly "off season" feel to Ikuchijima when I visited. Those who know me will know though that this wouldn't have darkened my mood -- because, among other things, this meant that I could avoid the tourist crowd (see? I was into social distancing before the Wuhan coronavirus appeared on the scene!) and I frequently feel when doing so that the places I visit often feel noticeably more atmospheric... :)
The Kosanji temple complex is Ikuchijima's main attraction and the sight
alone of its main entrance should get you knowing it's quite the place!
is a vast temple complex with many buildings modelled after some of
Japan's most famous temples and shrines (in this case, those of Nikko)
the Byodoin temple's main building in Uji
being large -- and should point out that a lot of it's also very ornate!
too in a grotto cave 350 meters (1,155 feet) in length!
and find yourself in the vast Italian marble sculpture garden
known as -- yes really -- the Heights of Eternal Hope for the Future!
as Miraishin no Oka in Japanese was created by Kazuto Kuetani,
a Hiroshima native who now lives in Italy
Perhaps most astounding of all is that this whole temple complex
was created by a man, industrialist-turned-Buddhist priest
Kozo Kanemoto, in honor of his beloved mother (a representation of
which can be found in nearby Choseikaku Villa, where she lived)! :O
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