2025.9.20

It was cloudy and fhne.

I arrived at Kyoto around 6AM after stopping at three service areas.

After leaving the carry case I headed for Nagahama to take the Biwako cruise.

I was lucky to go to Chikubujima but had to change the route to come back.

It's been 1 year and 4 months since I went there last.

After that I went to Kameoka to visit Omoto Gallery to see Yowan Cups made by Deguchi Onisaburo.

On my way to come back I took a trolley trail from Kameoka to Kyoto.

After having dinner I came to Nara to stay.

It was a nice day.

2024.12.13

It was fine.

I took a day off to attend Mr.Hiroto Fujimoto's memorial lecture for the third book in Osaka.

I visited Horikoshi jinja shrine and Shitennoji temple before attending the event.

Dinner provided was so nice.

After the event we visited Shitennoji temple. The 13th moon was beautiful.

After that four of us went to Tsutenkaku and enjoyed dinner.

It was a nice day. 

2022.7.17

It was cloudy at frst but became fine.

I started the day early.

I checked out the hotel around 6:10 am and took 6:35 am train to Nara.

Today's destination is Tenkawa dai benzaitensha (天河大弁財天社), which is one of the fifth biggest Benzaiten enshrined shrine in Japan.  Others are in Miyajima in Hiroshima, Chikubujima in Lake Biwa, Enoshima in Kanagawa, and Kinkazan in Miyagi. I have been to all of them. So this is the last destination for the five biggest Benzaiten visiting.

There was the biggest festival in a year. Unfortunately I could not join the formal ceremony which only limits 120 people or so.

However I could participate in the fire ceremony  and Noh performance, which were really nice.

After that I went to Mitarai Valley to see some waterfalls, where are very beautiful.

After having dinner, my friend and I went to hot springs. There were so many people there.

I had a fruitful day.

2022.3.20

It was cloudy, rainy, and shiny.

I started the day early and attended the meditation session and some works before breakfast.  

We practiced atunement.

We left for the Kurama mountain around 9:30 am and came back around 3 pm.

Though it rained, weather was perfect whenever we needed sunlight, the sun came out.

This was the second time for me ti go to Kurama but it was different from the impressions of the first time.

I went to Demchiyanagi to buy mamemochi, bean rice cake. There was a long line buy it.

At Osska I enjoyed dinner.

It was a nice day.

2021.3.20

It was fine.

Today is a national holiday called shunbun no hi (春分の日), Vernal Equinox Day. It is one of nijushisekki (二十四節気), the 24 solar terms. The last one was keichitsu (啓蟄) on March 5 and the next one is seimei (清明) on April 4.

Shunbun is the day when the day time and nigjt times are equal. They say it is the New Year of the Universe.

Today I attended two zoom lessons of body care in the morning and visited two shrines before attending a special tour of Sumiyoshi taisha (住吉大社) shrines. This is the second time for me to attend this tour.

We got together at Tennoden (天王殿) where G20 summit was held in 2019 or so. After an hour lecture we had delicious lunch. Presentation was so impressive with the theme of cherry blossoms.

We visited Sumiyoshi taisha shrie and offered a  special prayer and kagura (神楽) performance.

It was a nice visit.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

2020.9.21

It was fine. 

Today is a national holiday called keiro no hi (敬老の日), Respect for the aged day. It used to be on September 15, and later it became on the third Monday of September, but this year is exceptional because of the Olympics and Paralympics though they weren't held.

I started the day ss usual, checked out the hotel at 7 am and headed for Nagahama to take a ferry to Chikubushima island which is the second largest island in the Lake Biwa, the biggest lake in Japan.

I was going to take a 9 am ferry, but since I did not book I could not get on, and I took 10:10 ferry instead. While waiting I walked around the Nagahama castle and the Lake Biwa.

In the Chikubushina island I visited some temples and shrines. There was a long line waiting for the red stamp called goshuin (御朱印).

I enjoyed staying at the island about for two hours and took a ferry to go to Imadu at 12:30.

After that I took a train to go to Hiyoshi taisha shrine, which is the head of all Hie shrine, Hiyoshi shrine, and Sanno shrine scattered in Japan for 3,800 places. There were many shrines in the precincts.

After that I got on the longest cable in Japan up to Mt. Hiei. It's been a long time, may be when I was a junior high school student since I went there last.

I could not see many there but enjoyed the sceneries.

I came down by 5 pm cable and took Keihan line to Otsukyo and changed to JR and came back to the hotel in Kyoto to pick up the luggage.

After that I came to Osaka.

My free book campaign started. I hope many people will enjoy my photo book.

It was a fruitful day.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.